Music has always been a crucial part of making video games great and fans have often wanted means of taking their favorite tunes on the go. In recent years publishers have made this slightly easier and a whole lot more legal by uploading their audio libraries to streaming services such as spotify, apple music, etc. Nintendo, who sits on a trove of 40 years worth of memorable music, has finally entered the fray to make fans’ wishes come true…but in their own Nintendo way.
The company announced and released Nintendo Music, an app which will house the music that they have produced. This encompasses music from their games as well as music from the menus of their consoles (Finally a legal way to listen to the Wii Shop Music!). Nintendo has opted to do a staggered release of music, so this project will be one that they will be supporting in the near future.
Usage will require a Nintendo Account with an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription. So whether you have a solo account or you’re part of a family group as long as there is an active subscription you can utilize this app. The app will even work for those on a trial subscription…so perhaps give this app a shot and consider upgrading to a paid subscription.
Some of the features of the app include a way to filter out tracks that could be considered spoilers…so you can experience it in game. The ability to loop a track to create an extended listening experience (I will be using this feature for the Wii Shop Music) and the app can also recommend music based on the games you’ve played on your Nintendo Switch!
So while it would’ve been nice for Nintendo to have played ball and made their music available on existing streaming services, I’m looking forward to seeing how they will make this app a must have for fans of Nintendo’s musical catalog. Hopefully this will be a project which will be supported for a long time.