Family Apple Music costs $19.99 per month in the US and covers up to six people

Apple Music's Family plan lets up to six people in your household stream music, podcasts, and audiobooks from the same subscription. Each person gets their own account, their own music library, and their own recommendations — Apple doesn't mix everyone's listening together. In the United States, the plan runs $19.99 per month. Pricing varies by country; you can check your region's rate on Apple's website before you commit.

The Family plan is the middle option between Apple Music's individual plan ($11.99 per month for one person) and the student plan ($7.99 per month if you're enrolled in school). If you already pay for iCloud+ storage, Apple offers a bundle called Apple One that includes Music, TV+, Arcade, and iCloud+ together, which can cost less than buying them separately — but the bundle pricing also varies by region and which tier of iCloud+ you choose.

Key Takeaways

  • Family Apple Music costs $19.99 per month in the US and works for up to six household members, each with their own account and music library.
  • Each family member needs their own Apple ID, and the person who sets up the plan becomes the family organizer who can manage the group.
  • You can cancel anytime without penalty, and Apple offers a one-month free trial so you can test the service before your first charge.
  • If you use other Apple services like TV+, Arcade, or iCloud+, bundling them into Apple One may cost less than paying for each separately.

Who needs their own Apple ID to join

Everyone in your family group needs their own Apple ID — a free account you create on Apple's website or through any Apple device. Children under 13 can't create their own Apple ID; the family organizer (the person who sets up the plan) creates a managed account for them instead. Once the account exists, that person can use it to sign into Apple Music on their phone, tablet, computer, or smart speaker.

The family organizer is the person whose payment method gets charged each month. They can add or remove family members anytime, and they're the only one who can change the payment method or cancel the subscription. If you're the organizer and you want someone else to take over, you have to remove yourself from the family group first — there's no direct way to transfer the organizer role.

How to set up a Family plan and add people

On an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, open the Settings app (or System Preferences on older Macs), go to your name at the top, then tap Family Sharing. If you haven't set up Family Sharing yet, you'll see a button to create it. Apple will ask you to confirm your payment method — this is what gets charged for the Music subscription.

Once Family Sharing is active, you can add family members by tapping "Add Family Member" and either having them sign in with their own Apple ID or creating a managed account for a child. They'll receive an invitation to join, and once they accept, they can start using Apple Music immediately. Everyone in the family group can use the subscription at the same time on different devices — there's no limit to how many devices can stream simultaneously, though Apple's terms say the service is meant for household use.

What happens if someone leaves the family group

When a family member leaves or is removed, they lose access to Apple Music immediately. Their music library, playlists, and listening history stay on their Apple ID, but they can't stream anything unless they buy their own individual subscription. If they rejoin the family group later, their library and playlists come back.

If the family organizer leaves the group, the subscription doesn't automatically cancel — it keeps running under their payment method until they manually cancel it. The remaining family members lose access to Music at that point, so the organizer should give them a heads-up before they leave.

The free trial and how to cancel

Apple offers a one-month free trial of Family Apple Music. During the trial, you get full access to the service with no charge. When the month ends, Apple charges your payment method the regular monthly fee unless you cancel before the trial ends. You can cancel through Settings on any Apple device: go to your name, then Subscriptions, find Apple Music, and tap Cancel Subscription. You can also cancel on Apple's website by signing into your account and managing subscriptions there.

There's no penalty for canceling — you won't lose access until the current billing period ends. If you cancel on the 15th of the month and your billing date is the 1st, you'll keep access until the 1st of next month, then it stops.

Comparing Family Apple Music to other music services

Spotify's Family plan costs $16.99 per month in the US for up to six people, which is $3 cheaper than Apple Music. Amazon Music Unlimited's Family plan is $17.98 per month and includes ad-free listening plus access to Amazon's music library. YouTube Music Family is $19.99 per month, the same price as Apple Music, and includes YouTube Premium for everyone in the group.

The choice often comes down to what devices you use and what other services you already pay for. If you own iPhones, iPads, and Macs, Apple Music integrates more smoothly with Siri voice commands and your existing music library. If you use Android devices or already subscribe to Spotify, switching to Apple Music means learning a new app and rebuilding your playlists. If you use multiple Apple services, Apple One bundles can save money compared to paying for each separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Family Apple Music on Android phones?

Yes. Apple Music works on Android through the Apple Music app, which you download from the Google Play Store. You sign in with your Apple ID, and you get the same features as on iPhone — streaming, playlists, offline downloads, and personalized recommendations. The app works the same way whether you're on Android or iOS.

What if I already have an individual Apple Music subscription?

You can upgrade to Family Apple Music anytime. Apple prorates the difference, so if you've paid for an individual plan through the end of the month, that credit applies to your first Family plan charge. You don't lose your music library or playlists when you upgrade.

Does everyone in the family see what everyone else is listening to?

No. Each person's listening history, playlists, and recommendations are private to their own account. Apple Music doesn't show you what other family members are playing unless they share a specific playlist with you. The only thing the organizer can see is who's in the family group.

Can I use Family Apple Music outside my household?

Apple's terms say Family Sharing is for household members, but the service doesn't actively check where you are. In practice, people use it with family members who live elsewhere, though Apple could theoretically restrict access if they detect unusual patterns. The safest approach is to use it with people who actually live in your home.

What if I want to add more than six people?

Family Sharing has a hard limit of six people. If you need more accounts, each additional person would need their own individual Apple Music subscription at $11.99 per month, or you could set up a second family group with a different Apple ID as the organizer.