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Nintendo Music is a music streaming service by Nintendo that features their video game soundtracks. The service is available for Nintendo Switch Online users, a subscription service otherwise for the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 video game consoles. Nintendo Music launched for Android and iOS on October 31, 2024. In addition to music streaming, features for extended music playback and spoiler prevention are available to users. Themed playlists appear based on Nintendo franchises, characters, and general moods, with video game screenshots representing each track. It is the first widely accessible digital platform for Nintendo's soundtracks, with previous video games receiving soundtrack CDs exclusively in Japan or through limited edition game releases.
Nintendo Music has received mixed reviews. Praise was given for its curated playlists, extendable tracks, and the ever-expanding library of soundtracks since launch. Fans and journalists have criticized the app for its exclusion of composer credits, the lack of available songs during its initial launch, and limited music offerings in "special release" playlists. As of November 2024, the app has been downloaded by over one million users.
On May 30, 2025, an update was issued adding support for a sleep timer and extending tracks for only 5 or 10 minutes. On August 4, 2025, some features were made available to members with expired Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions, and app stability when playing tracks from large playlists was improved. On October 31, 2025, an update added the ability for playlists containing hourly songs from the Animal Crossing series to be played at the current time of day. On December 11, 2025, the "Year in Review" feature was added, allowing users to view their most frequently played tracks and statistics from the year.
Nintendo Music was announced and launched on October 31, 2024. The service was released for Android and iOS devices, initially covering 45 markets; it became available in Taiwan on September 9, 2025, and in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand on November 18, 2025. The service is available for all Nintendo Switch Online users, a subscription service for the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 video game consoles. It launched shortly after the release of Alarmo in October 2024, an alarm clock that similarly plays music from select Nintendo video games. A representative from Nintendo claimed the decision to create the app stemmed from expanding access to Nintendo IP, allowing users to receive video game music and enjoy them in a manner unique to Nintendo. Additionally, they wanted the ability to inspire people to play their games by having an increased access to their music library. It is the third non-gaming Nintendo mobile application to release worldwide after the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app and Nintendo Switch Online app.
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After using the app more often, many critics have praised the additional soundtracks added after its initial launch period. Members of Nintendo World Report claimed Nintendo were handling the random music releases very well. They also complimented Nintendo's curated playlists, with one of them claiming the app was "a lot better than they expected it to be". Oli Welsh writing for Polygon complimented the app for its extendable tracks, the unique official playlists, and all of their official playlists being automatically shuffled every day, a feature they describe as "randomization and customization the Nintendo way". Weeks with multiple albums released simultaneously have usually garnered more positive reception, such as the 26 soundtracks added for the Famicom's 42nd anniversary. Zack Zwiezen, writing for Kotaku, enjoyed the addition of multiple NES games, but also claimed it included some of the app's worst songs, particularly those from Golf (1984). Other large soundtracks have similarly been praised more often, with Robert Marrujo of Nintendojo praising the inclusion of games such as (2012) and (2023) for their quality and extensive track selections.
Game soundtracks launched as a "special release" garnered some criticism, as only a select few songs were made available instead of the full soundtrack, leading to some fans comparing the limited official offerings to offerings by third parties on websites such as YouTube. Robert Marrujo writing for Nintendojo expressed disappointment in the seven tracks added during a special release for , having to wait for the remaining tracks to be added at a later date. In general, Alana Hagues of Nintendo Life felt disappointed by the lack of Nintendo Switch 2 software representation, considering the positive reception towards the soundtracks for Mario Kart World (2025) and Donkey Kong Bananza (2025). Fans reacted similarly, expressing their frustration over Nintendo prioritizing adding Mario Kart 64 (1996) to the app over Mario Kart World. In response, Bill Trinen of Nintendo of America clarified in an interview that adding soundtracks as expansive and highly requested as Mario Kart World take time due to being handled by a small team.
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