BERLIN: For all its versatility in AI DJing and automated bespoke playlists, Spotify has long been unable to solve one age-old problem: children.
Parents using the world's most popular audio streaming app are long-accustomed to seeing the likes of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and "K-Pop Demon Hunters" popping up in their personalised playlists.
But now, almost two decades after it was founded, Spotify is at last trying to stop children's from music bleeding over into their parents' listening experience with what it calls "managed accounts."
The idea is to give young listeners "their own space to explore music, with parents and guardians still in control," the app says. In their own managed account, children can add songs to favourites, create playlists and get personalised recommendations, all without influencing the kind of music the parent sees in their account.
"Each managed account comes with its own experience, so it’s a much-requested win for parents, who won’t have to worry about their Wrapped results getting hijacked," Spotify said in a release on Tuesday.
The feature is now available in 17 markets and currently rolling out in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France and the Netherlands after pilots in New Zealand, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Colombia.
Parents irked by Spotify's increasing addition of video content into a music app will be glad to see that they can disable this content in the child account. Parents can also filter out certain artists, songs and explicit content.
Unfortunately for single parents, managed accounts are not available on single or two-person subscription plans, and exclusive to subscribers of the more expensive Premium Family plan designed for three or more family members.
The new password-protected child account is distinct from the Spotify Kids app, a colourful app rolled out in 2020 offering a range of human-curated playlists to help children find songs and stories. – dpa
To create a managed account, you can open up the app with the plan manager's Spotify account and follow these instructions:
- Tap your profile picture at the top.
- Tap Settings and Privacy Settings.
- Scroll down if needed and tap Account and then Premium Family.
- Under Plan members, select the option to add members to your plan and select "Add a listener aged under 13."
- Tap Add account.
