Nintendo recently took everyone by surprise with the rollout of Nintendo Music, a streaming app available for Android and iOS. This was announced hot on the heels of the launch of the Nintendo Alarmo, a quirky Nintendo-themed alarm clock. Meanwhile, fans eagerly await any hint of news about the Switch 2, exacerbated by tantalizing hardware leaks that have been swirling recently.
The look and feel of the app immediately bring to mind popular music-streaming platforms like Spotify, offering similar features. Users can enjoy Nintendo-curated playlists, and there’s a cool extra feature: you can block spoilers for certain game tracks, and extend songs for up to an hour without looping them.
So, what’s the big deal? Many fans are likely already excited and ready to download it onto their Android or iOS devices. All you need is an active Nintendo Switch Online membership—even a free trial will do—to access all the features Nintendo Music has to offer, whenever you want.
Let’s address a few elephants in the room, though.
Firstly, it’s puzzling that Nintendo decided to create a standalone music app rather than simply putting its soundtracks on popular platforms like Spotify, as many developers do. The idea of having a separate app, especially when other listeners prefer an all-in-one library, isn’t very appealing. It would be great if official Nintendo soundtracks were more accessible without the need for an exclusive app and subscription, particularly for those who also enjoy other music and social features.
For over two decades, Nintendo fans have made valiant efforts to upload these soundtracks to YouTube and elsewhere online. Nintendo seems quite tardy in this endeavor, and what’s more perplexing is the absence of composer and artist details on their tracks—they only mention game titles. Long-time uploaders typically included this info, enhancing the listening experience.
Considering Nintendo’s history of copyright strikes against fan uploads, the introduction of Nintendo Music adds a layer of sense to their actions. However, this move also loses some game preservation benefits, especially since Nintendo, of all entities, should easily provide detailed information.
At the time of writing, the selection of soundtracks is surprisingly limited. While they technically cover their entire console spectrum, there are just 23 soundtracks available, leaving many iconic collections untouched. Even the influences from the announcement trailer, suggesting soundtracks like Super Mario 64’s OST, are missing in action.
Given Nintendo’s vast library of classic games and soundtracks, it’s understandable for fans to expect a more extensive lineup at launch, especially since it’s been so long in the making and is launched as a separate app.
With all that said, the big question remains: when will the Legend of the Seven Stars OST make its debut?
