Spotify and YouTube are massive platforms for music listeners. Video game music has long been uploaded on the later but more often than not, these music uploads are not official and can be taken down at any time. It has taken years, but more and more game companies have slowly started to realize that, there might be something to these streaming services and that gamers actually like listening to video game music outside of the game. Crazy, right? The latest company to get in on providing their music on YouTube is none other than SQUARE ENIX, which launched their very own music channel earlier this week, simply called SQUARE ENIX MUSIC Channel.
If you're a game music listener that frequents Spotify, you've probably known that a sizable chunk of SQUARE ENIX music has been up on that app for a good while now. Still, it is always nice when game music becomes more widely available and as someone who practically lives on YouTube, I whole heartily embrace SQUARE ENIX's decision to launch a music channel.
The usual suspects are up on SEMC. If you want to hear soundtracks from the mainline FINAL FANTASY games, the channel has you covered. But if you think that's all there is, you'd be mistaken. Soundtracks from the MANA games is here, the SaGa series, the Chrono series, NieR and specially crafted music selections are readily available on SEMC. Even the superb soundtrack for Octopath Travler is there along with the soundtracks for The World Ends with You and NEO: The World Ends with You. We are looking at well over 5,000 music tracks and the channel isn't even a week old yet.
Eagle eyed SQUARE ENIX music lovers are sure to notice that there's still quite a few omissions. LIVE A LIVE is not up. The entire Front Mission series is absent. There's no Racing Lagoon, Bahamut Lagoon or any Parasite Eve soundtracks. And many of the spin off FINAL FANTASY soundtracks like Mystic Quest, Tactics and Crystal Chronicles aren't available. I guess we can chalk this up to the channel being so new, but I'm really hoping these soundtracks as well as others pop up.
Another quibble I do have is that there are a lot of track titles that are not in English. I find this strange since on Spotify, many of these soundtracks are available with Japanese as well as English titles. This could be another thing that is due to the channel being in it's infancy. I do hope more English track titles pop up as without them, it can be quite difficult to identify a specific song until you hear it.
SQUARE ENIX MUSIC Channel is something that I really, really, hope we see more of (glaring at you, Nintendo) and I hope to see the soundtrack uploads increase. As for suggestions on what to listen to? I recommend the GB SaGa games, AKA Final Fantasy Legend soundtracks for some underrated chiptune goodness. The Mellow Minstrel Mix has quickly become a favorite of mine, containing chill, lo-fi arrangements of SQUARE ENIX music, some of which as of this writing, has not made it's way to Spotify.
Go listen to some music from this amazing channel. It'll probably help wash the horrendous taste that is Chocobo GP micro transactions out of your mouth.
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