During a recent Nintendo Shareholders Meeting, the company was asked about its stance on putting game soundtracks across streaming services. The company responded to this inquiry with the following: “We’re aware of the interest in our music. We think music is necessary for IP expansion, so we’d like to use it in a way that makes people happy.”
While sort of a noncommital answer, this does at least showcase that Nintendo is aware of the fan demand for more accessibility to game soundtracks. Most distribution for Nintendo’s soundtracks is currently done through the composer, such as Yasunori Mitsuda distributing the soundtracks for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 through Procyon Studio’s SLEIGH BELLS label.
Nintendo has released plenty of soundtracks for its Nintendo Switch titles on CD, but we’ve yet to see any digital releases for streaming services. You can purchase soundtracks for games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario Odyssey, or Splatoon 3 on Amazon and receive a physical CD. However, these are each releases exclusive to Japan, as Nintendo has not expanded beyond that.
Beyond music, Nintendo has explored massive new ways to expand its core IP, such as feature films and the Universal Studios theme park. The company will continue to push toward offering new ways to connect and experience franchises like Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and more.
With so many beloved soundtracks, it will be interesting to see what Nintendo does here. The company sees the value of music to further grow and bolster its IPs, so it’s not far-fetched to say that we could see streaming service releases in the future.
