Spotify offers age-safe music app to keep children away from harmful songs

Spotify is launching an app specifically designed to serve up age-appropriate audio for children.

Every song on Spotify Kids is vetted and selected by human editors to ensure it is free of explicit content and suitable for the age group, the Swedish firm said.

The platform – aimed at three-year-olds and up – currently has 8,000 tracks among a selection of curated music playlists, stories and audiobooks.

Podcasts are not included, but bosses have not ruled out considering them for the premium service in the future.

Parents are granted controls over their child’s account, and the tech firm is working on improvements such as the ability to white list or black list specific content.

At sign-up, parents can choose between audio for younger children – made up of singalongs, lullabies and soundtracks – or audio for older children, which includes more mainstream music tracks.

“Spotify is committed to giving billions of fans the opportunity to enjoy and be inspired by music and stories and we’re proud that this commitment now includes the next generation of audio listeners,” Alex Norstrom, Spotify’s chief premium business officer said.

“We are excited to be expanding the Spotify Premium Family experience with a dedicated app just for our youngest fans.

“Spotify Kids is a personalised world bursting with sound, shape and colour, where our young listeners can begin a lifelong love of music and stories.”

The standalone app is available in the UK to anyone with a Premium Family subscription, although it is still in the beta testing stage.

It was first launched in Ireland at the end of last October.

Spotify said it will expand the experience over time as it continues to incorporate best practices and learnings, including insights from parents and caregivers and other experts.

The look and feel of Spotify Kids is different to the main service, with a more playful design and simple navigation.

“It’s brilliant to have Spotify’s support to make the internet a safe and encouraging place for young people to learn, find their voice, and explore their identities,” Will Gardner, director of the UK Safer Internet Centre said.

“For many, music is an essential part of self-discovery so to have a safe space for children to begin this journey is very welcome.”