Blog · October 7, 2026

Apple Music Family for kids: accounts, controls, and choosing the music

There are three separate things to sort out when setting up music for a child: access to the music subscription, restrictions on the device, and the songs you want them to choose from.

Apple Music Family and Screen Time help with the first two. Songkrate adds a parent-chosen collection inside its own player. Here is how the pieces fit together.

What Apple Music Family provides

An Apple Music family subscription can cover up to six people through Family Sharing. Each member has their own personal music library and recommendations. Family members use their own Apple Accounts rather than sharing one login.

Apple's family subscription instructions explain the current plans and setup. If your household already has Apple Music through a family subscription or an eligible bundle, check the existing access before buying another plan.

Set up the child's Apple Account

Use Apple's Family Sharing instructions to add an existing account or create a child account. The age rules and available settings vary by country or region, so follow the instructions shown on your device.

On the device your child will use, confirm that the intended Apple Account can access Apple Music. Try playing a song before proceeding with the rest of the setup.

A Songkrate child profile is different from an Apple Account. Parents create and manage Songkrate profiles within their own Songkrate account; creating a profile does not create an Apple Account or an Apple Music subscription.

Configure Screen Time

Screen Time can help restrict explicit content, app access, web access, and purchases. It is worth setting up even if you also use a separate music player.

Apple's explicit-content restriction uses content ratings. It is useful, but it is not a list of individual songs you have reviewed. Music that is not marked explicit may still be something you choose to leave out.

Our Screen Time setup guide walks through configuring a child's iPhone or iPad alongside Songkrate. Settings labels may differ with the OS version; use Apple's current instructions when the menus on your device differ.

Choose the music in Songkrate

Songkrate lets a parent choose songs from Apple Music for each child profile. The child browses that collection and picks what to play. You can select individual tracks from an album and copy an Apple Music playlist as a starting selection.

Songkrate does not automatically judge lyrics or determine what is appropriate. You choose the music. Device restrictions remain separate because other apps may offer their own access to content.

The app is available on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. The device used for playback needs access to Apple Music, even when the collection was prepared on a different device.

Account for both subscriptions

Apple Music supplies access to the music service. Songkrate supplies the parent-curated player. They are separate subscriptions.

Songkrate has a 14-day trial starting at account creation, then costs $4.99/month or $39.99/year. No credit card is required to start the trial. If you choose to subscribe before it ends, the paid subscription starts immediately.

Check Apple's current Music plans for pricing in your region. A Songkrate subscription does not include Apple Music.

Watch the short Songkrate demo, then try one child profile and a few familiar songs on the actual listening device.

Try it with your own kids

Songkrate turns the Apple Music you already pay for into a player that only has the songs you approved. Free trial, then $4.99/month.

Download on the App Store