You can add up to six people to one Apple Music subscription through Family Sharing
Apple Music's Family plan lets you add up to five other people to your account, so everyone pays one subscription price instead of six separate ones. Each person gets their own Apple Music account, their own music library, and their own recommendations — they just share the cost. You set this up through Family Sharing, which is Apple's system for sharing purchases and services across multiple devices in one household.
The person who starts the family group (the organizer) pays for the subscription. Everyone else in the group can use Apple Music on their own devices without paying extra. You can add or remove family members whenever you need to, and each person can use Apple Music on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, HomePod, or Android.
Key Takeaways
- Family Sharing requires the organizer to have an active Apple Music subscription and an Apple ID with a valid payment method on file.
- You add family members through Settings on iPhone or iPad, or through iCloud.com on a computer, and they must accept the invitation to join.
- Each family member needs their own Apple ID, and they can be anywhere in the world — they do not have to live with you.
- The organizer can remove someone from the family group at any time, and that person loses access to shared services immediately.
What you need before you start
The person setting up the family group needs an Apple ID with a valid payment method attached. This is the account that will be charged for the Apple Music subscription each month. If you do not have an Apple ID yet, you can create one at appleid.apple.com for free — you will just need an email address and a password.
Make sure your Apple Music subscription is active on that account. If you have a free trial, it will convert to a paid subscription when the trial ends, and that is when the monthly charge will start. If you are not sure whether your subscription is active, open the Music app on your iPhone or iPad, tap the Listen Now tab, and look for your account name at the top. If you see "Apple Music" next to your name, you are subscribed.
Each person you want to add also needs their own Apple ID. They can create one themselves at appleid.apple.com, or you can help them set one up. They do not need to have an Apple Music subscription — they will use yours through Family Sharing.
How to set up Family Sharing on iPhone or iPad
Open Settings and tap your name at the top. Scroll down and tap Family Sharing. If you see "Set Up Family Sharing," tap that button. If Family Sharing is already set up, you will see the names of people already in the group, and you can skip to the next section.
Tap "Add Family Member." You will see two options: "Invite" and "Create a Child Account." Choose "Invite" if the person already has an Apple ID. A screen will appear asking for their email address or phone number. Enter it and tap Next. Apple will send them an invitation, and they will need to accept it on their device to join.
If you are adding a child under 13 (or the age of digital consent in your country), choose "Create a Child Account" instead. You will set up their Apple ID for them, and parental controls will be turned on automatically. They will still need to accept the invitation on their own device.
How to set up Family Sharing on a Mac or computer
Go to iCloud.com and sign in with the Apple ID that has the Apple Music subscription. Click your name or profile picture in the top right corner and select Account Settings. Click Family Sharing in the left sidebar.
Click the plus sign (+) to add a family member. Enter their email address or phone number and click Next. If they already have an Apple ID, they will receive an invitation. If you are adding a child, you can choose to create a child account instead, which will set up parental controls automatically.
What happens after you send an invitation
The person you invited will see a notification on their device asking them to join your family group. They can accept or decline the invitation. If they accept, they will be added to Family Sharing immediately, and they can start using Apple Music right away on any of their devices.
If someone does not respond to an invitation within a few days, you can resend it. Open Family Sharing, find their name, and look for an option to resend the invitation. If they decline or do not respond after several attempts, you can remove them and try again later with a different email address or phone number.
How to remove someone from your family group
Open Settings, tap your name, and go to Family Sharing. Find the person you want to remove and tap their name. Scroll down and tap "Remove [Name] from Family." Confirm that you want to remove them. They will lose access to Apple Music and any other shared services immediately.
If you remove someone by mistake, you can add them back by sending a new invitation. There is no waiting period — you can invite them again right away. Keep in mind that if the person you remove was sharing their own purchases or subscriptions with the family, those will no longer be available to everyone else.
Switching who pays for the subscription
The person who started the family group is the organizer, and their payment method is charged for Apple Music each month. If you want a different person to be the organizer, the current organizer needs to remove themselves from the family group first. Once they do, someone else can set up a new family group with the same people.
This is the only way to change who is charged — you cannot simply transfer the organizer role to someone else. If you want to avoid losing the family group during the switch, have the new organizer set up Family Sharing on their device first, then have the old organizer remove themselves and rejoin under the new organizer's family group.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can family members see what music I am listening to?
No. Each person in the family group has a private music library and listening history. Other family members cannot see what you listen to, what playlists you create, or what you download. You can see who is in your family group, but not their activity.
What if someone in my family group cancels their Apple Music subscription?
They cannot cancel it themselves — only the organizer can cancel the family subscription. If the organizer cancels, everyone in the group loses access to Apple Music. Individual family members can stop using Apple Music, but the subscription stays active and the organizer keeps paying for it.
Can I add someone who does not have an Apple device?
Yes. They can use Apple Music on Android phones and tablets through the Apple Music app. They still need an Apple ID to join the family group, but they do not need an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. They can download the Apple Music app from the Google Play Store and sign in with their Apple ID.
What happens to my family group if I change my Apple ID?
If you change the email address associated with your Apple ID, the family group stays intact and the same payment method is still charged. If you create a completely new Apple ID, you will need to set up a new family group with that ID, and you can invite the same people to join again.
Can I be in more than one family group at a time?
No. Each Apple ID can only belong to one family group. If you want to switch to a different family group, you must remove yourself from the current one first. There is a waiting period of about 30 days before you can join a different family group.