Parents' Guide to

Spotify

By Erin Brereton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Easy way to stream vast music collection; no content filter.

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A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this website.

Community Reviews

age 15+

Based on 37 parent reviews

age 18+

No way to report explicit content

If you are an adult it is great. Not so great for kids especially curious teenage boys. It has an explicit content filter but there is so much content on there that has not been flagged explicit. There is no easy way to report explicit content. Simple searches on accounts with the explicit content blocked can easily pull up nudity and explicit podcasts. This issue was reported to Spotify 2 years ago but Spotify has done nothing about this. I ended up cancelling my premium family account.
age 18+

Easily accessibly pornographic podcasts

This is an awesome music streaming app! But be warned - kids can access PORNOGROPHY in the form of SEXUALLY explicit podcasts - I'm talking threesomes, incest, affairs etc. Even if you activate the "explicit content off", these podcasts are not blocked. According to Spotify, this is because the distributor has not marked them as such. We had multiple controls on my 14 year old daughter ipad including Apple screen time content filtering, the BARK parental control app, and explicit content off within the Spotify but she still managed to listen to multiple episodes of these podcasts before I discovered their existence. I am now investigating other streaming options as there is no way to limit access to this very pornographic content.

Privacy Rating Warning

  • Personal information is not sold or rented to third parties.
  • Personal information is shared for third-party marketing.
  • Personalised advertising is displayed.
  • Data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • User's information is used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Data profiles are created and used for personalised advertisements.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (37 ):
Kids say (112 ):

With more than 20 million songs to choose from, the music selection -- which includes current hits and somewhat obscure titles from years past -- is unbeatable. Browsing and searching is really efficient, and users can customize their experience by creating stations or dragging and dropping their favorite tunes into a personal playlist. With the wide selection of stations and albums, there's something for (almost) everyone, whether a user likes gospel, heavy metal, or a completely different type of music. Podcasts and video episodes are available, as well.

Although there are two paid subscription options, you don't need to shell out a dime to find and listen to the music you like. Users who don't sign up for a paid subscription will have to listen to periodic ads -- but they're generally shorter and less annoying than traditional radio commercials. So what's the catch? You have to download an application to use Spotify, and if kids are logged in through Facebook, they can share what they're listening to, though the default is set to off. Parents who are concerned about lyrical content should also know that teens using Spotify can easily search for and find songs with iffy subject matter, so they may want to supervise their kids' listening selections. One good place to start: Spotify-created playlists for kids, launched in 2016. Using music, dancing, singing, and prompts from singing groups and celebrities like Tyler Perry and Frankie J, the playlists can help kids learn new words and concepts. Activities, designed for age 0–3 and 3–5, also encourage kids (and parents) to clap, match beats, and perform movements, such as sitting up and standing down.

Website Details

  • Subjects: Language & Reading : reading, vocabulary, Arts : music, rhythm, singing
  • Skills: Communication : listening, multiple forms of expression, Tech Skills : evaluating media messages, social media
  • Genre: Music
  • Pricing structure: Free to try, Paid, Free
  • Last updated: September 2, 2016

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