Spotify is giving parents more control with managed accounts for kids
Parents can now block explicit songs, videos, and podcasts, and finally keep Baby Shark out of their Discover Weekly.
Anyone who’s ever handed a phone to their kid knows how fast a playlist can spiral. One minute, it’s R&B, the next it’s Baby Shark. That familiar chaos is what Spotify is finally addressing with managed accounts, a new feature for Premium Family subscribers that gives parents more control over what kids can listen to.
The rollout starts in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, and the Netherlands, after a successful pilot in Ireland and select European markets last year.
Until now, Spotify’s main app offered little flexibility for parents who wanted to filter content without resorting to the limited Spotify Kids app, a separate experience that focused mostly on Disney soundtracks and Kidz Bop. Managed accounts bring everything into one place, letting parents manage listening from the same app they already use.
Inside these new accounts, parents can block explicit songs, podcasts, looping video clips (like Canvas videos), or even specific artists. They can also monitor activity and adjust filters without switching platforms.
Kids, meanwhile, still get a personalised listening space; they can like songs, build playlists, and receive appropriate recommendations, but none of that data bleeds into the parents’ algorithm or Wrapped results. That means no more random K-pop tracks or cartoon theme songs showing up in your curated playlists.
For added safety, Spotify has stripped out social features. Kids can’t send messages, share tracks, or access age-restricted content. The feature is available through the $19.99 Premium Family plan, which supports up to six users under one roof. You can set it up by heading to your account page > tap Add a Member, then select Add a listener aged under 13.
For many parents, this update is long overdue. It solves one of Spotify’s biggest gaps, the lack of meaningful parental control, while reinforcing its growing focus on personalised data and family safety.
By separating kids’ activity from adult profiles, Spotify is cleaning up algorithms, protecting younger listeners, and strengthening one of its most valuable subscription tiers. It also reflects a wider trend as platforms are starting to adapt to how families actually use them, not just how adults do.
The takeaway:
Spotify’s managed accounts aren’t just about child-friendly playlists but smarter, safer personalization for households. In the battle to keep streaming experiences both private and family-friendly, this is a win for parents, kids, and algorithms alike.
Emmanuel Umahi
