All the big music streaming services now have family plans that allow you to share your subscription with others to save yourself a little dough, but they each vary a bit in how they work. Let’s breakdown exactly what you get with each.
You’d think that something as simple as a family plan for streaming music would be self-explanatory, but it’s a little more complicated than that. The above chart should make things simpler, but let’s break it down a bit more:
Spotify: For $14.99/month, you get two Premium accounts, and you can expand that to up to five people total for an additional $5/month per account (that’s $29.99/month for five people). They’re also running a confusing promo plan right now as well that includes a family plan for just $9.99/month for up to four family members. One person is the administrator and assigns the other family members accounts through their own account page. Each family member gets their own Spotify account and listening habits aren’t shared. Technically, each member of the plan is supposed to reside at the same physical address as the administrator.
Google Play Music: For $14.99/month, you and up to five family members get access to Google Play Music and YouTube Red. Each family member gets their own account and listening habits aren’t shared. The paying member will have to sign up for the family plan in the Google Play Music Android app, but members can use any app. They will need a Google account to use it.
Apple Music: For $14.99 a month, you and up to five people can share an Apple Music plan. Each person needs their own Apple ID to use it, but listening habits aren’t shared. However, the plan works through the Family Sharing service, so you’ll also be sharing purchases in iTunes, iBooks, and the App Store. This means everything will be tied to one credit card.
So, they’re all pretty similar on your wallet, but have a few quirks worth considering before you buy in. Of all the services, Apple Music easily comes off as the most family-centric of the bunch, because it hooks into your entire iTunes account. Obviously, if you’re all already using one service, that’s likely the best approach, but if not, you’ll need to pick which one suits everyone the best.