Nintendo has given its fan community quite the surprise with the announcement of Nintendo Music, a streaming app tailored for Android and iOS. This move comes hot on the heels of their release of Nintendo Alarmo, a themed alarm clock, rather than providing any updates or clarifications about the rumored Switch 2, which has had the gaming world buzzing with speculation about its specs and release window for months now.
At first glance, Nintendo Music’s interface strongly echoes the feel of popular apps like Spotify. It brings along the expected features, such as carefully curated playlists by Nintendo. Plus, there are a few unique offerings, like a spoiler filter for songs from specific games and the option to extend certain tunes for as long as an hour, rather than the usual loop.
You might already find yourself eager to download the app on your Android or iOS device. All that’s needed is an active Nintendo Switch Online membership, even one from a free trial if eligible, to enjoy everything Nintendo Music has to offer.
But let’s take a step back and address some of the more pressing issues.
Firstly, Nintendo’s decision to create a standalone music app rather than uploading its soundtracks to existing platforms like Spotify seems a tad unconventional. Many music enthusiasts prefer having their entire library in one place, and while having access to official Nintendo soundtracks is great, the requirement for a separate app and subscription can be off-putting for those who enjoy features available on other music platforms.
There’s also a long history of Nintendo fans tirelessly uploading Nintendo original soundtracks (OSTs) to YouTube and other platforms. Nintendo’s late entry into the online music scene is odd, especially considering the app’s lack of detailed composer and artist information for individual tracks—something fan-uploaders have typically included.
The introduction of Nintendo Music sheds some light on the company’s past copyright strikes against fan-made OST uploads, but unfortunately, this step sacrifices some benefits related to game preservation—despite Nintendo being in a prime position to provide these details itself.
As if that wasn’t enough, the actual library that the app offers is surprisingly sparse. While it supposedly spans the entire range of Nintendo consoles, it currently includes just 23 soundtracks, leaving many iconic OSTs overlooked. There were even teasers in the announcement trailer for soundtracks, such as Super Mario 64, that are conspicuously absent.
Given Nintendo’s vast reservoir of classic games and soundtracks, fans might have reasonably hoped for a more extensive library at launch, especially when considering how long it took for Nintendo to jump into this space with an app of their own.
So, Nintendo, when can we expect to hear the Legend of the Seven Stars OST on your new platform?
