Nintendo recently caught fans off guard with a new announcement: Nintendo Music, a dedicated streaming app for Android and iOS. This news comes hot on the heels of their release of Nintendo Alarmo, a quirky Nintendo-themed alarm clock, yet it seems the company is keeping mum on any updates about the much-rumored Switch 2, despite ongoing hype and speculation about its hardware and release details.
Open up the app, and you’re instantly reminded of Spotify or any standard music platform with a familiar design and packed with features. You’ll find playlists curated by Nintendo themselves, alongside a few unique twists. One handy feature is the spoiler filter for songs from specific games and the option to extend certain tunes by up to an hour instead of just looping them.
So, what’s next? Many of you are probably already excited to try it out, heading to download it on your device. As long as you’re subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online—yes, even a free trial will do—you can dive fully into Nintendo Music and all its offerings at your leisure.
However, we can’t just sweep certain issues under the rug.
Firstly, Nintendo’s decision to create a standalone music app instead of simply putting its soundtracks on widely used platforms like Spotify is puzzling. Many fans prefer having all their music in one place, so having Nintendo’s official soundtracks sequestered in a separate app requiring its own subscription can be less than ideal.
Add to that, Nintendo’s tardiness in entering the arena. Fans have been uploading Nintendo’s original soundtracks (OSTs) to YouTube and various other platforms for over two decades. Now, as Nintendo finally launches its own app, they oddly omit composer and artist credits—only listing game titles—whereas fan uploads typically included such details.
Given Nintendo’s history of issuing copyright strikes on fan-uploaded soundtracks, the arrival of Nintendo Music makes more sense, but this has come at the cost of some preservation benefits. Ironically, Nintendo should have the easiest time offering comprehensive information.
Moreover, the actual selection of soundtracks available is surprisingly scant as of now. Though the app technically spans the full range of Nintendo consoles, there are only 23 soundtracks to explore, leaving out many iconic OSTs. Disappointment only grows when you notice promotional material hinting at soundtracks like Super Mario 64, which aren’t even included.
With the vast array of legendary games and music in Nintendo’s collection, and given the years it took them to launch this app, fans have every right to anticipate a more robust library from the get-go.
So, Nintendo, when can we expect to hear the Legend of the Seven Stars OST on your platform?
