Nintendo recently caught the attention of its fan base by unveiling Nintendo Music, a specialized streaming app for Android and iOS. This surprising move comes hot on the heels of the release of Nintendo Alarmo, a Nintendo-themed alarm clock. Instead of addressing any buzz or rumors about the Switch 2—like the leaked specs and potential release dates that have been flying around for months—Nintendo chose to focus on these quirky releases.
Opening the app feels familiar, borrowing heavily from the user interface of well-known music apps like Spotify. It offers the expected features, such as Nintendo-curated playlists, but adds some clever extras. For instance, you can apply spoiler filters to songs from specific games and even extend tracks to play for up to an hour, rather than merely looping them.
So, where does that leave us? Many of you might already be excited about this app and rushing to download it on your Android or iOS devices. As long as you have an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription—even a trial works if you’re eligible—you can dive right into the full array of features Nintendo Music offers.
But let’s not ignore some glaring issues here.
For starters, Nintendo opted to create a standalone music app instead of simply placing its original soundtracks on established platforms like Spotify, as many other developers do. This decision might not sit well with listeners who prefer having a single, unified music library. While it’s great to have official Nintendo soundtracks, requiring a separate app—and a subscription—can be a drawback for those who also enjoy other music or use social features on existing platforms.
Another sticking point is that Nintendo fans have been tirelessly uploading Nintendo OSTs to places like YouTube for over two decades. It’s surprising that Nintendo is only now entering this arena, yet they’ve omitted key details like composer and artist information, listing only the game titles. This is an oversight, especially since fan uploads have traditionally included these details.
Once you consider Nintendo’s history of striking down fan uploads of their OSTs, the launch of Nintendo Music casts those actions in a clearer light. However, the potential benefits for game preservation are diminished, despite Nintendo’s unique ability to provide accurate information.
Moreover, the range of available soundtracks is disappointingly sparse at launch. Although technically covering all Nintendo consoles, there are just 23 soundtracks, leaving out many iconic OSTs. Even the trailer suggests the inclusion of the Super Mario 64 OST, yet it’s nowhere to be found.
Given the vast array of classic games and soundtracks Nintendo has at its disposal—and considering the time it took to offer this service—fans were right to expect a more extensive library from day one.
All of this leaves us wondering: when will the Legend of the Seven Stars soundtrack make its debut on the platform?
