The Audio Edition

A Very Practical Breakdown of Music Services for Kids & More

Hi!

This week I compare and contrast Music services. I give you music & audio content product recommendations for kids of all ages. I remind you about online courses. And, paid subscribers get 2 bonus videos:

• How to keep your kid’s music out of your Spotify Wrapped

• Where to find the Clean/Explicit Music Toggle in Apple Settings for Apple Music

Let’s dive in!

Photo by Eric Nopanen on Unsplash

Music Services at a Glance

I don’t know about you, but I have spent ALOT of time trying to thread the needle between allowing my kids a way to explore music and also protecting them from content they are not ready for.

To get to the point, none of the music apps provide perfect solutions. They are all at least little bit risky. Here’s what parents need to know about 4 of the most popular:

Spotify

• Spotify has Spotify Kids which IS safe, but my kids outgrew it by like 2nd grade. It was great for a little while…then not so much

• Regular Spotify is only for people aged 13+, leaving a sizable service gap

• You could allow your child to lie about their age to get on Spotify early with their own account but I do NOT recommend this because

  • Spotify does not have parental controls

  • There is legit porn on Spotify (sex noises, erotic podcasts, graphic album art)

• For a deeper dive into Spotify check out my previous article Spotify Is Problematic

Apple Music

• Apple Music has parental controls that can be accessed through Apple Settings. In there you can choose Clean or Explicit for Music Settings

• And bonus, because these settings are part of parental controls, you can password protect them

• Apple Music gives more content access than Spotify Kids

• Just know that inappropriate stuff gets through. So there is a real chance that your child will stumble across porn

• Paid subscribers can see a “Where to find the music settings on Apple Devices” tutorial at the bottom of this post

Amazon Music

• Like Apple Music, Amazon Music has parental controls that can be set to Clean or Explicit

• And, like Apple, Amazon Music gives more content than Spotify Kids (and about the same amount as Apple).

• BUT, you can NOT set up a password so you child can change your Clean setting back to Explicit when you’re not looking

• AND, even if they don’t change it, inappropriate stuff gets through. So there is a real chance that your child will stumble across porn

iHeart Radio App

• I had great hope that maybe iHeart’s app would have a radio edit version that I could give my kids access to

• It does NOT

• iHeart is NOT a safe solution for kids–there are no parental controls and frankly alot of adult content

What Parents Can Do

So, how do we let our kids explore music without getting over our skis? Here’s what I do:

• I listen to the radio in the car with my kids

• I allow my middle schooler to Shazam music he likes (for my younger, I Shazam it or if I happen to be driving I attempt to remember it)

• We explore their music interests together in my account (we use Spotify but this would work with Apple Music and Amazon Music too)

• I allow them to make playlists on my account which I then review

• I transfer their playlists to The Mighty (this is basically a shuffle with an app that allows you import music from the music apps)

• They listen on the Mighty

• Paid subscribers get the “Prevent your kid’s playlist from messing with your Spotify Wrapped” tutorial at the bottom of this post

Product Recommendations - Music

I think these are all essential for elite kid music appreciation!

• The Mighty - Its like an old school shuffle with an app so you can curate playlist for your child

• Overearbuds - For the child who can’t keep earbuds in their ears– which I’m pretty sure is every child?!?

• Splitter - For those of you with multiple children potentially listening to the same music. This has saved us on many cartrips!!

• Shazam - Music Discovery app that lets you figure out and remember songs you hear out there in the wild.

Product Recommendations Audio Book & Podcast Content

Music isn’t the only audio our kids have access to. There is a world of audio books and podcasts made just for kids!

• Cali’s Books - These are musical and interactive books for kids. So think physical books with an audio component. This is a small business based in California, the owner is delightful and I absolutely ADORE these books. They’re really great for reluctant and new readers. If you use this link, promocode DIGITALMOM15 will automatically be applied at check out.

• Starglow - These are great podcasts for kids. I especially like Kid Nuz. Starglow is a partner of mine so use code DIGITALMOM for 10% of a subscription.

• Libby App - Everybody needs to download this app and connect it to their child’s library card. Its instant access to digital books and audio books. Also support your local library!

Worth Flagging - Parenting Resources

• The Digital Mom Lab: I launched two online digital courses last week. You may have gotten a few emails from me about them ;). Sorry…

  • If you’re still deciding, I’ll be giving a peek at both courses on Monday April 21st at 7pm. Join me! (Invite here).

  • If you’re ready to purchase All About Apple: How To Set Up Parental Controls On Any Apple Device or Tweens & Tech: How To Deal With Devices, Group Chat, & Social Media, I extended the special discount use code: DIGITALMOM10 this week for extra savings.

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