Apple Music Family Plan lets you add up to five other people to one subscription
Apple Music Family Plan costs $16.99 per month and covers up to six people total — you plus five family members. Each person gets their own account, their own music library, and their own recommendations. You don't share a login; instead, you set them up through Apple's Family Sharing feature, which links your accounts under one subscription payment.
The person who pays for the plan (the organizer) controls the family group and can add or remove members. Family members need their own Apple ID to join, and they can be anywhere in the world, though they must be in the same country as the organizer for the subscription to work.
Key Takeaways
- Family Sharing requires the organizer to set up a family group in iCloud Settings, then invite members by their Apple ID email address.
- Each family member needs their own Apple ID; you cannot add someone who doesn't have one or share a single login between people.
- The organizer pays one monthly bill and can remove members at any time, but removed members keep their music library and playlists.
- Family members can use Apple Music on any device where they sign in with their own Apple ID — iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, or web browser.
- If a family member already has an individual Apple Music subscription, it will convert to the family plan when they join the group.
How to set up Family Sharing on your iPhone or iPad
Open Settings and tap your name at the top. Tap Family Sharing, then tap get your free guide if you haven't set up a family group yet. If you already have Family Sharing active, tap the plus icon to add a new member.
Choose Invite Family Members and enter the Apple ID email address of the person you want to add. They'll receive an invitation on their device. Once they accept, they're part of your family group and can use Apple Music immediately. You can add up to five people this way.
If the person you're adding is in the same room, you can also use Add Family Member in Person — hold their device near yours and follow the prompts. This method is faster and doesn't require typing an email address.
Setting up Family Sharing on a Mac
Click the Apple menu and go to System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions). Click General, then Family Sharing. Click Set Up Family Sharing if this is your first time, or click the plus icon to add a new member.
Enter the Apple ID email of the family member you want to add and follow the prompts. They'll get an invitation notification on their device. The process is the same as on iPhone — they accept, and they're added to the group.
What happens when someone joins your family group
Once a family member accepts your invitation, they can open Apple Music on any of their devices and start listening immediately. Their music library, playlists, and recommendations are separate from yours — you won't see their listening history or affect their personalized suggestions.
If they already had an individual Apple Music subscription, it converts to the family plan automatically. They don't lose any playlists or saved music. If they had a different music service subscription, they can cancel it and switch to Apple Music through the family plan.
Family members can also use other Apple services through Family Sharing, including iCloud storage, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and Apple News+, if you've set those up. Each service has its own settings for whether family members can access it.
Removing a family member from Apple Music
Open Settings, tap your name, then Family Sharing. Find the person you want to remove and tap their name. Tap Remove and confirm. They'll lose access to the family Apple Music subscription immediately.
When you remove someone, they keep all their playlists and music library — nothing is deleted. If they want to keep listening to Apple Music, they can buy an individual subscription. If they were using other family services like iCloud+ or Apple TV+, they lose access to those too unless they had their own separate subscriptions.
Troubleshooting common setup problems
If an invitation isn't going through, make sure you have the correct Apple ID email address for the person you're adding. Apple ID emails are case-sensitive in some systems, so double-check the spelling. Also confirm that the person you're inviting has an active Apple ID — if they don't have one, they'll need to create one first at appleid.apple.com.
If someone accepted the invitation but Apple Music isn't showing up on their device, have them sign out of their Apple ID completely, then sign back in. Go to Settings (or System Preferences on Mac), tap their name, scroll down, and tap Sign Out. Then sign back in with the same Apple ID. This refreshes their subscription status.
If you're getting an error that says you can't add more members, you've reached the limit of six people (you plus five others). You'll need to remove someone before adding a new member. Also check that everyone in the family group is in the same country — Apple Music Family Plan doesn't work across country borders.
Switching from individual to family plan
If you already have an individual Apple Music subscription, you don't need to cancel it. When you set up Family Sharing and add the family plan, your individual subscription automatically converts. You won't be charged twice, and your billing date stays the same.
If you're currently on a free trial of Apple Music, setting up Family Sharing will end the trial and start the paid family plan immediately. If you have time left on your trial, consider waiting until it expires before setting up the family group.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add someone who doesn't have an Apple ID?
No. Every family member needs their own Apple ID to join Family Sharing and use Apple Music. If someone doesn't have one, they can create it for free at appleid.apple.com using an email address and password. It takes about five minutes.
Do family members see what I'm listening to?
No. Each person's music library, playlists, and listening history are private. Family Sharing doesn't share that information between members. You can see who's in your family group, but not what they're playing.
What if a family member moves to a different country?
Family Sharing requires everyone to be in the same country as the organizer. If someone moves, you'll need to remove them from the group. They can then start their own family group in their new country or buy an individual subscription.
Can I change who pays for the family plan?
Yes, but you'll need to set up a new family group with a different organizer. The current organizer removes everyone, then the new organizer creates a fresh family group and invites people back. The payment method changes to whoever is the new organizer.
What if someone in the family group already has Apple Music through their phone plan?
Some carriers offer Apple Music as part of a phone plan. If they join your family group, the carrier subscription will pause or end, and they'll use the family plan instead. Check with their carrier about what happens to their plan when they switch.