How to Add People on Apple Music

As an Apple user, you have the ability to share your Apple Music subscription with your family members, allowing them to enjoy the vast library of music, playlists, and personalized recommendations. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of adding people to your Apple Music account, whether you are starting a new family group or joining an existing one.

Apple Music, with its vast collection of songs and personalized recommendations, is a popular choice for music lovers. By adding people to your Apple Music account, you can extend the benefits of your subscription to your family members, creating a shared musical experience for everyone. Whether you are the family organizer or joining an existing family group, this guide will provide you with the necessary steps to successfully add people to your Apple Music account.

Starting a Family Group

To begin sharing your Apple Music subscription, you need to set up Family Sharing. The family organizer, typically an adult, will initiate the process and invite family members to join the group. Here’s how you can set up Family Sharing on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

Setting up Family Sharing on iPhone or iPad

1. Go to Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap on your name at the top of the screen.
3. Scroll down and select Family Sharing.
4. Tap on Set Up Your Family and follow the onscreen instructions to complete the setup process.

Setting up Family Sharing on Mac

macOS Ventura or later

1. Choose the Apple menu and click on System Settings.
2. Click on your name and then select Family Sharing.
3. Click on Set Up Family and follow the onscreen instructions to set up your family group.

macOS Monterey or earlier

1. Choose the Apple menu and click on System Preferences.
2. Click on Family Sharing.
3. Confirm the Apple ID you want to use for Family Sharing and ensure that Share My Purchases is selected.
4. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the setup process.

Inviting People to Join Your Family

Once you have set up your family group, it’s time to invite your family members to join. You can send invitations via Messages, email, or in person, depending on their preference. Here’s how you can invite people to join your family group.

Sending Invitations on iPhone or iPad

iOS 16 or later

1. Go to Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap on your name at the top of the screen.
3. Tap on Family Sharing.
4. Tap on Add Member and follow the onscreen instructions.
5. If the person you are inviting is a child without an Apple ID, select Create an Account for a Child. If they already have an Apple ID, tap on Invite People.

iOS 15 or earlier

1. Go to Settings on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
2. Tap on your name and then select Family Sharing.
3. Tap on Add Member and follow the onscreen instructions.
4. If the person you are inviting is a child without an Apple ID, select Create an Account for a Child. If they already have an Apple ID, tap on Invite People.

Sending Invitations on Mac

macOS Ventura or later

1. Choose the Apple menu and click on System Settings.
2. Click on Family.
3. Click on Add Member and follow the onscreen instructions.

macOS Monterey or earlier

1. Choose the Apple menu and click on System Preferences.
2. Click on Family Sharing.
3. Click on Add Family Member and follow the onscreen instructions.

Checking Invitation Status

After sending out invitations to join your family group, you can check the status of each invitation to see if it has been accepted or not. This allows you to keep track of who has joined the group and who still needs to respond. Here’s how you can check the invitation status on your devices.

Checking on iPhone or iPad

1. Go to Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap on Family. In iOS 15 or earlier, tap on your name and then select Family Sharing.
3. Select the person’s name whose invitation status you want to check.
4. If needed, you can select Resend Invitation to send the invitation again.

Checking on Mac

macOS Ventura or later

1. Choose the Apple menuand click on System Settings.
2. Click on Family.
3. Select the person’s name whose invitation status you want to check.
4. If needed, you can select Resend Invitation to send the invitation again.

macOS Monterey or earlier

1. Choose the Apple menu and click on System Preferences.
2. Click on Family Sharing.
3. Select the person’s name whose invitation status you want to check.
4. If needed, you can select Resend Invitation to send the invitation again.

Joining a Family Group

If you have received an invitation to join a family group, you can easily accept it from your device. Whether you are using an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, the process is straightforward. Here’s how you can join a family group.

Accepting Invitations on iPhone or iPad

1. Go to Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap on your name at the top of the screen.
3. Tap on Invitations.
4. Follow the onscreen instructions to accept the invitation.
5. During the joining process, you may be asked to confirm your account information and opt in to any features or services set up by your family.

Accepting Invitations on Mac

macOS Ventura or later

1. Choose the Apple menu and click on System Settings.
2. Click on Family.
3. Follow the onscreen instructions to accept the invitation.
4. During the joining process, you may be asked to confirm your account information and opt in to any features or services set up by your family.

macOS Monterey or earlier

1. Choose the Apple menu and click on System Preferences.
2. Click on Family Sharing.
3. Follow the onscreen instructions to accept the invitation.
4. During the joining process, you may be asked to confirm your account information and opt in to any features or services set up by your family.

Sharing Subscriptions with Your Family

One of the key benefits of Family Sharing is the ability to share subscriptions with your family members. Apple offers a range of eligible subscriptions that can be shared, including Apple TV+, iCloud+, Apple Fitness+, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, and Apple News+. Each family member will have their own preferences and recommendations, ensuring a personalized experience. However, certain content, such as photos, files, and documents, remain private to individual family members. Let’s dive deeper into sharing subscriptions with your family.

Eligible Subscriptions for Sharing

When it comes to sharing subscriptions, not all services are eligible. Apple TV+, iCloud+, Apple Fitness+, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, and Apple News+ are among the subscriptions that can be shared with your family. These services offer a wide range of entertainment, fitness, and news content that can be enjoyed by everyone in your family group.

Enabling Family Sharing for Subscriptions

Once you have set up Family Sharing, eligible subscriptions are automatically shared with your family members. However, if a family member is unable to access a particular subscription, you can follow these steps to resolve the issue:

1. On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings, then tap your name.
2. Tap Subscriptions.
3. Scroll down and make sure that Share with Family is turned on.
4. Tap on the subscription that you want to share.
5. If the subscription is individual or student, consider upgrading it to a family plan to enable sharing.
6. If the subscription is not directly offered by Apple, it might not be eligible for sharing.

Managing Payment for Family Subscriptions

As the family organizer, you have the responsibility of managing the payment for family subscriptions. When Purchase Sharing is turned on, the family organizer pays for everyone’s subscriptions. However, if you prefer that each family member uses their own payment method, you can turn off Purchase Sharing. Let’s take a closer look at managing payment for family subscriptions.

Family Organizer and Purchase Sharing

If Purchase Sharing is turned on, the family organizer is responsible for paying for all family members’ subscriptions. This means that the family organizer must have a valid payment method on file. By default, Purchase Sharing is turned on when you set up Family Sharing, but you have the option to turn it off if you prefer that each family member manages their own payment.

Turning Off Purchase Sharing

If you wish to turn off Purchase Sharing and have each family member use their own payment method, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap on your name at the top of the screen.
3. Tap on Family Sharing.
4. Scroll down and select Purchase Sharing.
5. Toggle off the option for Share Purchases.

Once Purchase Sharing is turned off, family members can still share subscriptions, but they cannot share individual purchases like apps or books. Keep in mind that the family organizer can only switch to a different family group once per year, so make sure to consider this limitation before making any changes.

Troubleshooting Family Sharing

While Family Sharing is designed to simplify the sharing of subscriptions and content within a family group, there may be some situations that require troubleshooting. Here are a couple of common issues you may encounter and their solutions.

Ineligible Subscriptions for Sharing

Not all subscriptions are eligible to be shared with your family. While Apple offers a wide range of services that can be shared, there may be certain subscriptions, especially those not directly provided by Apple, that cannot be shared. If you encounter an ineligible subscription, you may need to explore alternative options or contact the service provider for further assistance.

Individual Purchase Sharing

Even if you have turned off Purchase Sharing, family members can still share subscriptions. However, individual purchases like apps or books cannot be shared. Each family member will need to use their own payment method for individual purchases. This ensures that personal preferences and purchases remain separate within the family group.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Family Sharing on Apple Music allows you to extend the benefits of your subscription to your family members, creating a shared musical experience for everyone. By following the step-by-step process outlined in this guide, you can easily add people to your Apple Music account, whether you are starting a new family group or joining an existing one. Remember to manage payment for family subscriptions according to your preferences and troubleshoot any issues that may arise. Enjoy the seamless sharing of subscriptions and content with your loved ones through Apple Music’s Family Sharing feature.