How to Split Netflix, Spotify, and Other Subscriptions with Friends

Which subscriptions can you actually share?

Not every streaming service allows sharing, and the rules change often. Here is a breakdown of the most popular services and their current sharing policies:

• Netflix (Standard and Premium plans) allows multiple profiles and simultaneous streams. The Premium plan supports up to four screens at once, making it ideal for splitting among a small group.
• Spotify Family supports up to six individual accounts under one subscription. Each person gets their own recommendations and playlists. Spotify technically requires all members to live at the same address, though enforcement varies.
• YouTube Premium Family covers up to five additional members beyond the plan holder. Everyone gets ad free YouTube and YouTube Music.
• Disney+ offers multiple profiles and simultaneous streams depending on the plan tier.
• Apple One Family bundles Apple Music, Apple TV+, iCloud storage, and more for up to six family members.
• HBO Max allows multiple profiles and up to three simultaneous streams on the ad free plan.

Before setting up a shared plan, check the current terms of service. Policies evolve, and some services have cracked down on password sharing in recent years.

The savings are real

Consider one person paying for three family plans:

• Netflix Premium: $22.99/month
• Spotify Family: $16.99/month
• YouTube Premium Family: $22.99/month

That is $62.97 per month in total. Split four ways, each person pays roughly $15.75 per month for access to all three services. If each person subscribed individually, they would pay $40 or more for the same content.

Over a full year, that is a savings of roughly $290 per person. Multiply that across a group of four and the collective savings top $1,100. The math makes sharing an obvious choice, as long as everyone follows through on payment.

How to organize the payments

The most common arrangement is simple: one person holds the subscription in their name, pays the monthly bill on their credit card, and collects each member's share.

A few guidelines to keep things running smoothly:

• Choose a payment date. Pick one day each month for everyone to send their share. The first of the month works well because it is easy to remember.
• Communicate the exact amount. When prices change (and they do), notify the group immediately so nobody is surprised by a different amount.
• Keep a record. Track who has paid and who has not. A shared note, a spreadsheet, or an app all work. The important thing is that it exists.

If the group shares multiple subscriptions, consider rotating who holds each one. Person A covers Netflix, Person B covers Spotify, Person C covers YouTube. This distributes the financial responsibility and means no single person is fronting the entire cost.

The problem: people forget to pay

The first month or two usually go fine. Everyone is excited about the savings. Payments arrive on time. Then month three rolls around and someone forgets. By month five, you are covering $63 a month and only getting reimbursed by two out of three people.

This is the number one reason shared subscriptions fall apart. The subscription holder ends up subsidizing everyone's entertainment and grows resentful. The non payers are not trying to be freeloaders; they just forgot. But "just forgot" still costs you real money.

The solution is not to nag people every month. It is to build a system that handles reminders automatically.

How to track subscription splits

Log each shared subscription as a recurring expense in Nudj. Set the amount, assign each member's share, and the app tracks the running balance for you. Each month, you can send a Nudge to remind everyone their share is due.

Because Nudj maintains a running balance, you always know who is behind. If someone misses a month, their balance increases. When they eventually pay, the amount is applied to what they owe. There is no ambiguity about who has paid and who has not.

This also makes it easy to handle price changes. When Netflix raises its Premium plan by $2, update the recurring expense in the app and everyone's share adjusts automatically. No group chat announcement needed.

What happens when someone wants to leave?

People move, priorities change, and sometimes someone just stops using a service. When a member wants to leave the shared plan, here is how to handle it gracefully:

1. Settle their balance first. Make sure they have paid everything they owe before removing them. Check the running balance in the app for the exact amount.
2. Adjust the split. Recalculate each remaining member's share. If the group goes from four people to three, the monthly cost per person increases. Let everyone know the new amount.
3. Remove their access. Take their profile off the subscription so you are not paying for an unused slot.
4. Consider replacing them. If you have another friend who wants in, adding them keeps the per person cost low. Just make sure the service's terms allow the number of members you are adding.

The etiquette is straightforward: give reasonable notice, pay what you owe, and do not take it personally. People's entertainment preferences change. That is perfectly normal.

Shared subscriptions are one of the easiest ways to save money with friends. The only thing you need to make it work long term is a reliable way to track who owes what. Get that right, and everyone wins.