It’s true. Square-Enix has started up an official music channel on YouTube where you can stream music from (almost) all of their most iconic games. We’re not talking about just the Final Fantasy series, either.
Square-Enix has not been shy in releasing the game soundtracks in the past on streaming platforms such as Spotify or Apple Music, but much of the surprise is that their move to YouTube comes not too long after a few semi-viral tweets from Nintendo fans back in February slamming Nintendo for their consistent copy striking of their game soundtracks illegally uploaded to YouTube, while leaving no alternative for their fans to listen — or even purchase their game soundtracks (especially those living outside of Japan). It’s been a consistent problem and demand from Nintendo fans for years.
https://twitter.com/viIIomaru/status/1488624387381153797
Is this a coincidence? A quick shot Square-Enix is making to appeal to their own fans and gain momentum against their competitors? Probably. Probably not. Either way, it’s great to see Square-Enix making their game soundtracks more accessible to fans all over the world, and they even uploaded a few soundtracks that were not available until now (Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, for example). Final Fantasy, Mana, SaGa, Chronos, Bravely Default, Octopath Travel, NieR, and even The World Ends With You is all there, including extended bonus discs and remix albums.
However, it is sad to report that there is no sign of anything from the Kingdom Hearts franchise (most likely due to licensing agreements with Disney). Other soundtracks released in the last year or two are also absent, but with so much already made available, it is to be expected that newer songs will find their way onto streaming platforms and Square-Enix’s YouTube channel soon enough.
All soundtracks have been organized into playlists and categorized based on the series, but Square-Enix also made a few mixed playlists to fit certain themes, moods, holidays, and game anniversaries.
But that’s not all! In addition to the game soundtracks, Square-Enix declared in the channel’s introduction video that fans can expect live footage from past concerts, translated interviews with their composers, DJ mixes, and newly arranged works exclusive to the channel. Currently, content mostly consists of game soundtracks, but there is plenty in store for the future, and it’s great to have another universal platform to enjoy Square-Enix Music.
