How to filter Spotify music by age rating?

Spotify uses an implicit rating system for music content, assigning songs and albums to different age groups based on lyrical themes, explicit language, and overall content. This system aims to help parents manage what their children listen to, promoting age-appropriate content. However, Spotify doesn’t provide a direct way to filter music based on these age ratings.

This lack of a built-in filtering mechanism makes it tricky for parents to control what their children hear. To address this, we need to rely on workarounds or consider using third-party apps. This article will guide you through effective methods to filter Spotify music based on age ratings, despite Spotify’s limitations.

Using Parental Controls on Spotify

Spotify’s built-in parental controls offer a basic way to filter music based on explicit content. It doesn’t allow for granular control based on age ratings, but rather blocks explicit content altogether. This means it treats all music with explicit lyrics the same, regardless of the nuanced age rating systems like those used by other platforms.

Here’s how to set up parental controls in the Spotify app:

1. Open Spotify: Launch the Spotify application on your device (phone, tablet, or computer).
2. Access Settings: Find and tap on your profile (usually an icon with your initials or a picture) and then select “Settings.”
3. Parental Controls: Search for “Parental Controls” within the Settings menu. The exact location might vary slightly depending on your device and Spotify app version.
4. Enable Controls: Toggle the Parental Controls switch to “On.”
5. Set a PIN: You’ll be asked to create a four-digit PIN. This PIN is required to disable parental controls or adjust the settings later. Remember this PIN!
6. Choose Explicit Content Setting: Select whether to allow or block explicit content. This is a binary setting; you can’t have a partial block.

Limitations of Spotify’s Parental Controls:

• Binary Setting: The control is either “on” (explicit content blocked) or “off” (explicit content allowed). There’s no fine-grained control to allow certain levels of explicitness.
• No Age-Based Filtering: Spotify doesn’t have an age-based filtering system like some other music services, instead relying on an explicit/non-explicit binary system. This means it may not meet the specific age appropriateness needs of all parents.
• Circumvention Potential: Determined users might find ways to circumvent these controls, especially if they know the PIN or if they use other methods to access music outside the Spotify app.

For more comprehensive parental control options beyond Spotify’s built-in capabilities that include things like age-based filtering and time management, you might consider using additional parental control apps. You can explore options like mSpy which offers robust features for monitoring various digital activities, or FlexiSpy, another popular parental control application.

Exploring ThirdParty Apps and Extensions

There aren’t any reliable third-party apps or browser extensions that directly filter Spotify music by age rating. Spotify itself doesn’t offer this feature. Any app claiming this functionality should be approached with extreme caution.

Potential Risks of Third-Party Apps:

• Malware: Downloading apps from unofficial sources increases the risk of installing malware on your device.
• Privacy Concerns: These apps may request excessive permissions, potentially compromising your personal data.
• Account Security: Connecting to unofficial apps may expose your Spotify account to security risks.
• Misleading Claims: Many apps may falsely advertise features they do not provide.

Recommendations:

• Parental Controls within Spotify (If Available): Check Spotify’s settings for any built-in parental control features that might indirectly assist in filtering content. However, these likely won’t be explicit age-based ratings.
• Manual Filtering: The most reliable way to control what your children listen to is by manually reviewing and approving playlists or using Spotify’s family plan features to create individual profiles and control access.
• Communication and Education: Talk to your children about safe online behavior and media literacy.

Paid Parental Control Apps (Alternative):

While not directly filtering Spotify by age, comprehensive parental control apps can help manage screen time, block inappropriate websites and apps, and monitor online activity. These apps offer better security and safety features than unofficial Spotify extensions. You could consider exploring options such as mSpy or FlexiSpy (remember to research and choose an option that suits your needs and complies with applicable laws and regulations).

Important Note: Always download apps from official app stores (like Google Play or the Apple App Store) to reduce the risk of malware. Always carefully read app permissions and reviews before installation.

Creating Custom Playlists for AgeAppropriate Listening

Manually creating age-appropriate playlists on Spotify requires careful attention and significant time investment. Here’s how you can approach this:

1. Keyword-Based Search: Utilize specific keywords in Spotify’s search bar to filter out explicit content. Examples include:

• “Clean”
• “Explicit-Free”
• “Family-Friendly”

2. Manual Song Review: Listen to a sample of each song before adding it to a playlist. Pay close attention to the lyrics and overall theme.

3. Tagging Songs: Consider using a simple system to mark the age appropriateness of each song within your playlists:

• Create separate playlists for different age groups (e.g., “Kids,” “Tweens,” “Teens”).
• Use descriptive playlist names that reflect the maturity level of the content (e.g., “Upbeat and Clean,” “Slightly More Mature”).

Limitations of Manual Methods:

• Time-Consuming: Manually reviewing each song is tedious and requires considerable time.
• Subjectivity: Determining age appropriateness is subjective; what one person considers suitable might be inappropriate for another.
• Inconsistent Results: This method doesn’t ensure complete accuracy, as subtle cues in songs might go unnoticed.

Additional Tips:

• Leverage Spotify’s collaborative playlist feature to gather suggestions from others.
• Explore Spotify’s curated playlists for potential age-appropriate music.

This guide explored several ways to manage explicit content on Spotify, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Direct filtering based on age ratings isn’t directly available; however, you can use Spotify’s built-in explicit content filter to block explicit music from your library and playlists. This is simple to use but might not catch all explicit songs if explicit content is embedded in other genres not identified with that flag. Parental controls on your device (phone, computer, etc.) can provide broader control, affecting other apps and websites besides Spotify. However, this approach requires managing settings for each device individually and might be less specific to your needs than a dedicated app. Paid parental control apps such as mSpy or FlexiSpy offer robust control, allowing for detailed monitoring and management of your child’s digital activity, including all apps. This approach gives extensive options but comes at a cost.

For optimal results, we recommend combining approaches. Start with Spotify’s explicit content filter. Supplement this with device-based parental controls for wider protection across your device, and for more granular control and oversight, consider a paid parental control app like mSpy or FlexiSpy. This layered approach ensures comprehensive protection.

Looking ahead, it would be beneficial if Spotify offered more refined age-based filtering options, allowing parents to customize the level of explicitness allowed based on specific age ranges. This could include additional parental control settings within the Spotify app itself, enhancing the overall experience for families.