Spotify launches 'walled garden' app Spotify Kids to millions more users

A few months after launching in some smaller markets, Spotify is launching the beta of its Spotify Kids app in Australia and the UK.

Spotify Kids is a "walled garden", "designed with safety in mind": an ad-free, and apparently algorithm-free environment separate to the main Spotify app. Every piece of content in the app — whether it's chart pop, stories, or lullabies — is individually checked to ensure it's actually age-appropriate, and everything's sorted into human-curated playlists. 

The app itself is free, but signup is available only to users who pay for a Premium Family subscription, so it's not ad-supported. And the company says kids' data is fully encrypted — the only personal details entered at signup are their first name (or a nickname) and, if they want, their birthday so they get special messages and a playlist on the day.  Read more...