Stand-Alone Spotify Kids App Comes to Canada, France and the U.S.

Beta stand-alone application Spotify Kids was extended to Canada, France and the U.S. Tuesday, after debuting in Ireland last October and expanding into Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Mexico, New Zealand, Sweden and the U.K. earlier this year. Spotify Kids is available exclusively to Spotify Premium Family subscribers in those markets. The app is ad-free and offers over 125 playlists, curated by Spotify’s editors, giving families access to kid-friendly songs and stories. Parents can choose from two options at signup. Audio for Younger Kids includes content such as singalongs, lullabies and soundtracks, geared toward younger listeners. And Audio for Older Kids offers tracks and playlists, including some popular tracks, that are appropriate and relevant for older kids. Spotify said in a blog post Tuesday, “Now, at a time when so many kids are home from school, we’re bringing the experience to even more people as the app rolls out in the U.S., Canada and France—and we hope parents there will find it useful, as well … We’re constantly working on ways to make the Kids experience even better, and we had the opportunity to take into consideration the ideas and feedback from parents who have already used the app with their kids.” Over 8,000 songs are available on Spotify Kids in Canada and the U.S., up 30% from when the app first debuted. Spotify said more songs are being added in all markets every day, along with audiobooks and stories including Disney Music Group Stories, fairytales, classics and short stories. Bedtime will also be made easier with the addition of more lullabies, calming music and sounds and bedtime stories. Spotify said it is working on adding more customization to the app’s parental controls, noting that roughly one-half of the content found on Spotify Kids is based on what is popular in the country where it is being used. In a nod to the coronavirus pandemic, a new global playlist was added to Spotify Kids with songs to help children learn hygiene best practices such as washing their hands and coughing or sneezing into their elbows. “Wash Your Hands with Baby Shark,” from Pinkfong, is one of the highlights of the new playlist. Specifically for U.S. users, Spotify Kids revealed a focus on diverse content, pop culture and partnerships with kids’ creators. The U.S. version of the app will include playlists covering Spanish-language songs, country, Christian, Motown and soul dance. Spotify wrote, “We know that movies and music go hand in hand, which is why you’ll find the Trolls World Tour playlist and an official Frozen playlist featured in the app.” And the audio-streaming platform is working with kid-centric partners such as Disney Music Group, Kidz Bop and Nickelodeon to create unique content and experiences for Spotify Kids.