Spotify announced Monday it will upgrade its existing Spotify Premium Family plan to include expanded features. The new version is currently available in Ireland and will roll out everywhere else this fall, the company said.
One of the biggest changes in the new plan is what Spotify describes as a “long-requested” parental control feature. Parents will be able to control the “Explicit Content Feature” setting on all accounts in the family plan. Spotify’s biggest competitor, Apple, has been offering parental controls on family plans for a while now, so this upgrade could make the two services more competitive in the eyes of parents.
In our review of the best streaming services, we decided Spotify is the best for discovering new music. The new parental control feature ensures that Spotify will only help kids discover appropriate music. As millennial parents become parents, they’re increasingly turning to services geared toward raising kids, and Spotify’s update reflects a growing need for tools that can help parents monitor their kids’ online behavior.
The updated plan will also include a Family Hub feature that will allow the account owner to easily manage the family plan. You can add or remove family members from the plan, adjust parental controls, and update account info in one place.
If your family struggles to find music you can all agree on, this update could help. The Family Mix playlist will populate with music Spotify thinks the whole family will enjoy. Like other “made for you” playlists, it will update regularly.
The Spotify Premium for Family costs $14.99 per month and includes access for up to six family members. If you’re already a subscriber, you’ll get notified when the upgraded family plan is available.