You invite family members through the Family Sharing setup in Settings, and they accept on their own device

To add a family member to Apple Music, you set up Family Sharing on your device, invite each person by their Apple ID email address, and they accept the invitation on their own iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Android phone. The process takes about five minutes per person. Once they accept, they get their own Apple Music account under the family plan — they don't share a login with you, and their music library, playlists, and recommendations stay separate from yours.

You can have up to six people on one family plan. The person who starts Family Sharing (the organizer) pays the monthly fee for everyone. Family members can be removed at any time, and they lose access to Apple Music immediately when you remove them.

Key Takeaways

  • The organizer (the person paying) starts Family Sharing in Settings on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, then invites family members by their Apple ID email address.
  • Each family member accepts the invitation on their own device and gets a separate Apple Music account with their own library and recommendations.
  • You can add up to six people total on one family plan, and the organizer controls who is on the plan and can remove anyone at any time.
  • Family members do not need to live in the same house or country as the organizer, but they must have their own Apple ID.

How to set up Family Sharing on iPhone or iPad

Open Settings, tap your name at the top, then tap Family Sharing. If you see "Set Up Family Sharing," tap that button. If Family Sharing is already set up, skip to the next section.

Tap "Add Family Member," then choose "Invite a Family Member." Enter the Apple ID email address of the person you want to add. They will receive an invitation on their device. Once they accept it, they are part of your family plan and can use Apple Music immediately.

If you are using a Mac instead, open System Settings, click your name in the sidebar, click "Family," then click the plus sign to add a family member. The steps are the same — you enter their email address and they accept the invitation on their device.

What the family member needs to do

The person you invite will see a notification on their device asking them to join your family. They tap "Accept" and confirm their Apple ID password. That is all they need to do — they do not need to enter a payment method or do anything else.

Once they accept, they can open Apple Music on their device and start using it right away. Their music library, playlists, and listening history are completely separate from yours. If they already had an Apple Music account before joining the family plan, their existing library comes with them.

Adding family members on Android

If a family member uses Android, they cannot accept the Family Sharing invitation on their phone. Instead, they need to accept it on an Apple device (iPhone, iPad, or Mac) first, or you can invite them through iCloud.com on a web browser.

To invite through iCloud.com, go to iCloud.com, sign in with your Apple ID, click Settings, click Family, then click the plus sign. Enter their email address and send the invitation. They accept it the same way, and once they do, they can use Apple Music on their Android phone through the Apple Music app.

Removing a family member from Apple Music

Open Settings, tap your name, tap Family Sharing, then tap the family member's name. Scroll down and tap "Remove [Name] from Family." Confirm by tapping "Remove." They lose access to Apple Music immediately and cannot use the family plan anymore.

If you remove someone, their personal Apple ID account stays active — they just lose access to the family plan. They can still sign into their Apple ID and use other Apple services, but they will not be able to use Apple Music unless they get their own individual subscription.

What happens if someone leaves the family plan

If a family member removes themselves from Family Sharing, they lose access to Apple Music right away. Their music library and playlists stay on their device, but they cannot stream new music or download songs unless they get an individual Apple Music subscription.

If the organizer (the person paying) leaves the family plan or cancels the subscription, everyone loses access. The organizer can transfer the family plan to someone else before leaving, so the plan does not have to end.

Troubleshooting common problems

If someone does not see the Family Sharing invitation, ask them to check their notifications or sign out and back into their Apple ID. Sometimes the invitation takes a few minutes to arrive. If they still do not see it, you can resend the invitation from your Settings.

If a family member can use Apple Music on one device but not another, make sure they are signed into the same Apple ID on both devices. Apple Music is tied to the Apple ID, not the device, so they need to use the same account on every phone or tablet where they want to listen.

If you see an error message when trying to add someone, check that their Apple ID email address is spelled correctly and that they do not already belong to another family plan. Each person can only be in one family at a time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can family members see what music I am listening to?

No. Each family member has a completely separate Apple Music account. They cannot see your playlists, your library, or what you are currently playing. The only thing the organizer can see is who is on the family plan and when they joined.

Do family members need to live in the same country as me?

Family members can live anywhere, but they must have an Apple ID registered in the same country as the organizer. If someone moves to a different country, they may need to update their Apple ID location, which can affect which music is available to them in Apple Music.

What if a family member already has an Apple Music subscription?

When they join the family plan, their individual subscription ends and they move to the family plan instead. They do not lose their music library or playlists — everything transfers over. The organizer's payment method is used for the family plan, and the family member's old subscription is canceled.

Can I change who pays for the family plan?

Yes. The organizer can transfer the family plan to another family member through Family Sharing settings. That person becomes the new organizer and their payment method is used going forward. The old organizer stays in the family but no longer pays.

What if someone declines the Family Sharing invitation?

If they decline, they are not added to the family plan. You can send them another invitation later, or they can ask you to invite them again. There is no limit to how many times you can send an invitation.