How to Share Apple Music with Your Family on One Subscription

Apple Music Family plan costs $17/month and gives 6 people unlimited music streaming. Here's how to set it up and invite family members.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Set Up Family Sharing
2.Invite Family Members
3.Subscribe to Apple Music Family Plan
4.Accept Apple Music on Family Members' Devices
5.Download Music for Offline Listening

Set Up Family Sharing

~15s

On the organizer's iPhone, go to Settings → tap your name at the top → "Family Sharing." Tap "Set Up Your Family" and follow the prompts. You become the family organizer and your payment method is used for shared subscriptions.

Invite Family Members

~20s

In Family Sharing settings, tap "Add Family Member." Enter the person's Apple ID (email address) or send an invitation via iMessage. They receive an invitation on their device and tap "Accept" to join the family group.

Quick Tip

Family members must have their own Apple IDs. If a family member does not have one, they can create a free Apple ID at appleid.apple.com.

Subscribe to Apple Music Family Plan

~21s

On the organizer's iPhone, open the Music app or go to SettingsMusic → "Subscribe to Apple Music." Choose the "Family" plan at $16.99/month. Once subscribed, all accepted family members automatically get access.

Quick Tip

If you already have an individual Apple Music plan, upgrading to Family is done in Settings → [your name] → SubscriptionsApple MusicChange Plan.

Accept Apple Music on Family Members' Devices

~18s

On each family member's iPhone, open the Music app. If prompted to subscribe, they should see the option to use the family subscription at no charge. Sign in with their own Apple ID. Their music library is separate from yours — personal playlists and listening history do not mix.

Download Music for Offline Listening

~22s

Each family member can download songs and playlists to their device for listening without an internet connection. In the Music app, tap "..." next to any song or album and select "Download." Downloaded music is available even when Wi-Fi and cellular are unavailable.

Quick Tip

Airplane mode is a good test for offline music — enable it and then open Music to confirm downloaded songs play normally.

You Did It!

You've completed: How to Share Apple Music with Your Family on One Subscription

Need more help? Get Expert Help from a TekSure Tech

Apple Music's Family plan lets up to 6 people stream unlimited music on their own Apple devices — each with their own personal library, recommendations, and playlists — all for one monthly price. As of 2026, the Family plan costs $16.99 per month, compared to $10.99 per month for an individual plan. If two or more people in your household want Apple Music, the Family plan saves money immediately.

Family Sharing is Apple's system that connects family members' Apple IDs together for sharing subscriptions, app purchases, and storage plans. You need to set up Family Sharing before the Apple Music family plan becomes available.

The family organizer (the person who pays the subscription) sets up Family Sharing and invites other family members. Each member must have their own Apple ID. Family members keep their personal libraries separate — no one else can see your playlists or listening history. The subscription is paid from one person's payment method.

Children under 13 who are added to Family Sharing get an Apple ID managed by parents, with parental controls for explicit music content.

Invitations to join the family group are sent by email or iMessage. The invited person accepts the invitation on their own device and immediately gets access to Apple Music and any other shared subscriptions the family organizer has set up.

This same Family Sharing setup can be used to share Apple TV+, iCloud+ storage plans, Apple Arcade, and Apple Fitness+ with the same group of people — making the family group quite valuable for households with multiple Apple device users.

Rate this guide

How helpful was this guide?

Apple Music

Family Sharing

music streaming

iPhone

subscription