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Apple Music - No more sharing Apple ID

B

bgro

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 6, 2010
1,143
697
South Florida
Well looks like Apple Music will be a no go for those of us sharing our iTunes logins with significant others (in lieu of Family Sharing). Confirmed that you can't play back music on two devices simultaneously. Music you own can be done but not music streamed from the actual service.

Completely understand why they put this limitation in place but it just sucks for those of us who don't want to use Family Sharing for various reasons.
 
if we end up paying for apple music.... we'll still share. I rarely listen to music except in the car anyways....

IF hubby likes the way apple music works, he's the one that listens to it at work.... (he just uses Pandora now.....)
 
I'm set up like that and I just played from my iPhone, my iPad, and my son's iPhone at the same time, different songs. Streaming, not music we own, and logged into the same iTunes and Apple Music account as normal.
 
Me and a friend signed into Apple Music using the same Apple ID and were able to stream different songs simultaneously. One of us was on wifi and the other was on LTE just to make sure its not something that only works within the same wifi network.
 
I have the same iTunes Store ID for the whole family, and seperate iCloud ID's. When I launched Apple music I selected the individual plan. When I started one stream one one device it would auto-pause the previous device. I just switched my subscription to the family plan (it says it will charge when you switch subscriptions but did not) and now it doesn't auto-stop and seems to play two streams off the single itunesID (App Store ID) and for that matter iCloudiD.
 
For clarification, I signed up for the Family Plan, so I think that's why mine works on multiple devices at the same time even though I'm still logged into one account across those devices. I figured I would agree to the Family Plan, try it how I'm currently setup for purchases, and if it doesn't work to share the same AM library with the family then I'd split it off to individual accounts within the Family plan.

So yeah, OP, try switching it over to the Family plan and see if that works.
 
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That would explain my situation too. The Apple ID we tried out was on a family plan trial
 
I just migrated to Family Sharing from this setup. You can't see each others locations unless you opt in, and you aren't any worse off from the shared app store account setup.

Each had separate iCloud accounts. All used a single shared_app_store@address.com account for iTunes and Apps.

1. Create a new user account in System Preferences > Users & Groups
2. Log in Mac as that user.
3. Go to System Preferences > iCloud and sign in with that shared_app_store@address.com account
4. Log in to Mac as user that will have billing control - the "Organizer"
5. Go to System Preferences > iCloud > Set Up Family and enable
6. Change "Family Purchases" to the iCloud account of that user
7. Invite shared_app_store@address.com to join the family and enter the password to set up
8. Log in Mac again as the new user account created in step 1
9. Go to System Preferences > iCloud > Manage Family
10. Choose the Me user and ensure "Family Purchases" is set to the shared_app_store@address.com
11. Log out of this Mac user account. You can now delete it.
12. Log in again to Mac as user that has billing control - the "Organizer"
13. Invite the other iCloud accounts. On their device, go to Settings > iCloud > Family > Me and change their "Family Purchases" to the iCloud account of that user
14. On all devices, go to Settings > iTunes & App Store > and sign out of shared_app_store@address.com and sign in as the user's individual iCloud account

15. Open Apple Music, purchase the family plan on any device (and it's okay if you had already purchased it under the shared_app_store@address.com account)
16. All users will have individual profiles, and can play simultaneously.

Alternatively you can attach the shared_app_store@address.com account to one of the iCloud accounts in the "Family Purchases" section, if you need to save a slot (family sharing is limited to six accounts)


Don't fear anything:
All purchased apps and music work as before and keep updating correctly
There is no downside compared to the shared_app_store@address.com approach.
Behind the scenes, that's what it's doing anyway.
 
Last edited:
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retroneo said:
I just migrated to Family Sharing from this setup. You can't see each others locations unless you opt in, and you aren't any worse off from the shared app store account setup.

Each had separate iCloud accounts. All used a single shared_app_store@address.com account for iTunes and Apps.

1. Create a new user account in System Preferences > Users & Groups
2. Log in Mac as that user.
3. Go to System Preferences > iCloud and sign in with that shared_app_store@address.com account
4. Log in to Mac as user that will have billing control - the "Organizer"
5. Go to System Preferences > iCloud > Set Up Family and enable
6. Change "Family Purchases" to the iCloud account of that user
7. Invite shared_app_store@address.com to join the family and enter the password to set up
8. Log in Mac again as the new user account created in step 1
9. Go to System Preferences > iCloud > Manage Family
10. Choose the Me user and ensure "Family Purchases" is set to the shared_app_store@address.com
11. Log out of this Mac user account. You can now delete it.
12. Log in again to Mac as user that has billing control - the "Organizer"
13. Invite the other iCloud accounts. On their device, go to Settings > iCloud > Family > Me and change their "Family Purchases" to the iCloud account of that user
14. On all devices, go to Settings > iTunes & App Store > and sign out of shared_app_store@address.com and sign in as the user's individual iCloud account

15. Open Apple Music, purchase the family plan on any device (and it's okay if you had already purchased it under the shared_app_store@address.com account)
16. All users will have individual profiles, and can play simultaneously.

Don't fear anything:
All purchased apps and music work as before and keep updating correctly
There is no downside compared to the shared_app_store@address.com approach.
Behind the scenes, that's what it's doing anyway.
Click to expand...

I think we can all agree that this should not be the way to do it. So damn complicated. I like this workaround but I hope Apple makes it a lot easier.
 
Time for you and your significant other to have separate Apple IDs then? Since Apple introduced Home Sharing for iTunes on Mac and PC years ago and then maturing it even better with Family Sharing for iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, I'm not sure why couples still want to take the shared Apple ID route.

My wife and I have been using separate IDs for years and Family Sharing allows us to grab each of others content on the fly and add it to our own respective libraries. And since Apple Music is supposed to also function like iTunes Match, we can just download the music we like from each other's library and have it exist on our own respective Apple Music libraries.
 
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retroneo said:
I just migrated to Family Sharing from this setup. You can't see each others locations unless you opt in, and you aren't any worse off from the shared app store account setup.

Each had separate iCloud accounts. All used a single shared_app_store@address.com account for iTunes and Apps.

1. Create a new user account in System Preferences > Users & Groups
2. Log in Mac as that user.
3. Go to System Preferences > iCloud and sign in with that shared_app_store@address.com account
4. Log in to Mac as user that will have billing control - the "Organizer"
5. Go to System Preferences > iCloud > Set Up Family and enable
6. Change "Family Purchases" to the iCloud account of that user
7. Invite shared_app_store@address.com to join the family and enter the password to set up
8. Log in Mac again as the new user account created in step 1
9. Go to System Preferences > iCloud > Manage Family
10. Choose the Me user and ensure "Family Purchases" is set to the shared_app_store@address.com
11. Log out of this Mac user account. You can now delete it.
12. Log in again to Mac as user that has billing control - the "Organizer"
13. Invite the other iCloud accounts. On their device, go to Settings > iCloud > Family > Me and change their "Family Purchases" to the iCloud account of that user
14. On all devices, go to Settings > iTunes & App Store > and sign out of shared_app_store@address.com and sign in as the user's individual iCloud account

15. Open Apple Music, purchase the family plan on any device (and it's okay if you had already purchased it under the shared_app_store@address.com account)
16. All users will have individual profiles, and can play simultaneously.

Don't fear anything:
All purchased apps and music work as before and keep updating correctly
There is no downside compared to the shared_app_store@address.com approach.
Behind the scenes, that's what it's doing anyway.
Click to expand...


Just to clarify here... can I think of what you are doing as:
Moving everything over to individual accounts, making one of them the organizer (eg. yourself), adding the original shared account as a family member (so all of the legacy purchases remain available to all), and finally adding the rest of the family. The shared_app_store@address.com will end up using one of the 6 family slots?

Do I understand this correctly?
 
Anyone know how this works for downloaded offline music if you share and Apple ID? I know simultaneous streams don't work.....but what if one phone downloads for offline use and the other is streaming?

-Kevin
 
kbmb said:
Anyone know how this works for downloaded offline music if you share and Apple ID? I know simultaneous streams don't work.....but what if one phone downloads for offline use and the other is streaming?

-Kevin
Click to expand...

Simultaneous streams works if you flip it over to a Family account.
 
Peepo said:
Just to clarify here... can I think of what you are doing as:
Moving everything over to individual accounts, making one of them the organizer (eg. yourself), adding the original shared account as a family member (so all of the legacy purchases remain available to all), and finally adding the rest of the family. The shared_app_store@address.com will end up using one of the 6 family slots?

Do I understand this correctly?
Click to expand...
This is how I understand it as well. The only problem with this is that all apps don't support family sharing and I believe none of them support in app purchases between family members.
 
bgro said:
This is how I understand it as well. The only problem with this is that all apps don't support family sharing and I believe none of them support in app purchases between family members.
Click to expand...

This is true.

And not only that, but since I am sharing with my wife's email, if we go the family share route, and then I log out as her and log in as me, I have to uninstall and re-install every app on my phone and lose my app data, OR, put in her creds for each and every update.

Royal pain either way.

I'll just stick to Spotify as it works. (Sorry Apple.)
 
Has anyone been able to use the Family Plan and be able to personalize the For You section under each Family Plan user?

Is this even able to do? I mean... I can simultaneously play under each Family Plan user, just not able to personalize each user under the For You section.
 
Ludatyk said:
Has anyone been able to use the Family Plan and be able to personalize the For You section under each Family Plan user?

Is this even able to do? I mean... I can simultaneously play under each Family Plan user, just not able to personalize each user under the For You section.
Click to expand...

You can't personalize it while shairing an Apple ID on both devices you mean?

Or you each have your own ID and still can't?
 
Rat-Boy said:
This is true.

And not only that, but since I am sharing with my wife's email, if we go the family share route, and then I log out as her and log in as me, I have to uninstall and re-install every app on my phone and lose my app data, OR, put in her creds for each and every update.

Royal pain either way.

I'll just stick to Spotify as it works. (Sorry Apple.)
Click to expand...
Yeah agree it's a royal pain. I went they the re downloading all apps process when family sharing first came out. Then I switched back to the old shared id method and had to do it all over again lol. Family sharing sucks imo as compared to the shared login. Wish Apple music could use iCloud logins and not necessarily be tied to the App Store login
 
Rat-Boy said:
You can't personalize it while shairing an Apple ID on both devices you mean?

Or you each have your own ID and still can't?
Click to expand...

For example... I have a iCloud account & a separate Store account. I chose the Family Plan for Apple Music (I originally never had a Family Plan), so when attempting to add users I had to go into the iCloud account for the Family Plan.

Mind you, the Store account is tied to Apple Music... I've added 2 users to the family account. They all have signed into my Store account since it's the one with Apple Music. Yet, I actually added them under my iCloud account.

So, they have signed into their iCloud account & my Store account. But under the "For You" section all the same information... Which I was under the impression that each Family Plan user will get to personalize that part to their liking.
 
kbmb said:
Anyone know how this works for downloaded offline music if you share and Apple ID? I know simultaneous streams don't work.....but what if one phone downloads for offline use and the other is streaming?

-Kevin
Click to expand...

I'll answer my own question......if I do the following:

iPhone logged into my account
iPad logged into my account
Apple Music Individual Plan

You cannot stream on one device and listen to an offline song (that you don't own) on the other.

If on 1 device I make a song available for offline use.....but I'm still connected to any network (either WiFi or Cellular) on that device, if the other device is using a stream then it will not allow the playing of the song....or it will stop the other. The only way around it seems to be to put the device that has the downloaded song into Airplane mode. Looks like Apple Music will do a network check regardless if the song is offline or not.

-Kevin
 
Ludatyk said:
For example... I have a iCloud account & a separate Store account. I chose the Family Plan for Apple Music (I originally never had a Family Plan), so when attempting to add users I had to go into the iCloud account for the Family Plan.

Mind you, the Store account is tied to Apple Music... I've added 2 users to the family account. They all have signed into my Store account since it's the one with Apple Music. Yet, I actually added them under my iCloud account.

So, they have signed into their iCloud account & my Store account. But under the "For You" section all the same information... Which I was under the impression that each Family Plan user will get to personalize that part to their liking.
Click to expand...

I believe the store accounts have to be different to have that section be different for each person.

But honestly not sure.
 
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Ludatyk said:
For example... I have a iCloud account & a separate Store account. I chose the Family Plan for Apple Music (I originally never had a Family Plan), so when attempting to add users I had to go into the iCloud account for the Family Plan.

Mind you, the Store account is tied to Apple Music... I've added 2 users to the family account. They all have signed into my Store account since it's the one with Apple Music. Yet, I actually added them under my iCloud account.

So, they have signed into their iCloud account & my Store account. But under the "For You" section all the same information... Which I was under the impression that each Family Plan user will get to personalize that part to their liking.
Click to expand...

I kind of have the same situation as you and am still a little confused. I share a main App Store and iTunes account with my girlfriend that we use to buy apps, movies, etc. and we both have separate iCloud accounts. We both shared a family plan on Beats Music. I went into the Beats app to transfer my library. At first it had me select the individual plan and then I went into the subscription manager and selected the family plan option. All my tracks transferred over, including playlists. Now at this point I remembered reading where you'd have to set up family sharing for Apple Music. So I added my girlfriend under my iCloud account, but was able to keep billing under the original store account. I confirmed this because it says billing is happening under the credit card attached to the store account. My girlfriend went into Beats to transfer her library and she signed in under her iCloud account. At first it wouldn't let her play any music under her iCloud account saying she had to subscribe. She signed in under the store account and it allowed her to play music, but it's full of music from my library on Beats. She signed out and tried again with her iCloud account and it let her play music the second time around. But none of her music from her library on Beats is showing up. It's just tracks from iTunes Match. It does let her add tracks to her library without affecting mine and vice versa. So it seems we resolved our separate library problem. Any idea how to get her Beats library and playlists over now? Whenever we try it just opens Apple Music but doesn't do anything.
 
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