Nintendo has released a music app (for some reason)

If you’ve been dreaming about the day you can stream the Super Mario 64 soundtrack at work, you’re in luck. Nintendo is releasing tons of their soundtracks to stream directly to your smart device — but only on its own app.

Nintendo Music is the name of the new app announced by the gaming titan. It lets you stream and download tons of its original soundtracks, which include music from franchises like Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Animal Crossing. They are exclusively available on the Nintendo Music app for anyone with a Nintendo Switch Online membership. You can check out the announcement trailer for yourself:

You can now listen to your favorite Nintendo tunes, but only on the new Nintendo Music app

Video game soundtracks are normally made available on existing music apps, such as Spotify or Apple Music. However, Nintendo has never put its own tunes on these platforms, and with Nintendo Music now available, it’s unlikely that it will do so in the future. While it’s a shame you won’t be able to enjoy them on familiar platforms, they’ve never been available on music apps before, so this is better than nothing. 

The Nintendo Music app does have some cool features, such as getting customized recommendations or playlists and even hiding songs that could give potential spoilers for a game if you haven’t beaten it yet. You’ll also be able to find playlists based on certain characters, such as Yoshi, Bowser, and Princess Zelda, or playlists based on themes like adventurous music and boss battles. Each track can also be extended up to 60 minutes in 15-minute segments. 

More soundtracks will be added in the future, although there is already a decent selection available now. The app even has OSTs from series it hasn’t touched in a while, such as Nintendogs and Tomodachi Collection. The beloved theme from Mii Plaza is here, too. It’s nice to see that Nintendo hasn’t completely forgotten about these fan favorites, even if it’s just through a music app instead of a new game.

Nintendo Music is not completely free, as you will need to have a paid Nintendo Switch Online membership in order to download the app. Strangely enough, you don’t need a Switch, though, just the membership, so if you are willing to pay the monthly membership fee without it, you can still enjoy the app. 

Nintendo Music is available now on iOS and Android devices, including smartphones and tablets.