There’s something about video game music that earns it a special place in gamers’ hearts. It might remind you of your favorite game when you were a kid; evoke the feeling you had when you finally beat Sephiroth; or maybe just distract you from the fact that you’re studying or working. The seven stations below stream all the video game music you could want, and I’ll include a few tips at the end on finding video game music on TuneIn, Pandora, and Spotify.
It really doesn’t get any simpler than VGM Radio. You go to the site, and it plays video game music. No skipping tracks, giving thumbs up or down, registering, or any of that. When I signed on today, I got a song from Rayman Origins, another from a GameCube game called Gotcha Force, and then a track from Donkey Kong Returns. This was definitely the most upbeat station that I listened to for this article, though there are also some mellow tracks thrown in here and there.
Slightly more complicated than VGM Radio, Rainwave shows you which tracks are coming up and lets you vote on which should be next. Not that you need to; you can easily open up the site and leave it on in the background. The song playing when I got to the site today was a very somber piano melody remix from Final Fantasy IX, then it went into a more lively electronica track from Encore, and finally onto a song from Mystic Square.
A melancholy song from Bastion, a brooding track from Metal Gear Solid 3, and the Fable theme song all came up when I was listening to RPGamers, making for an eclectic but very calming mix. The interface of RPGamers is a nice one, as it lets you choose whether to stream using Flash or HTML5, and you can adjust the skin as well (the Metal Gear Solid skin, seen above, is definitely my favorite).
Mystical Ninja, Air Buster, and Oz were all represented while I was listening to NoLife Radio. Nothing too unique as far as the music goes, but I did really like how each song was listed on the screen, so if you really like one that just finished, you’ll still be able to see what it was even after it’s over. While the interface is full of jarring colors, this is another one that’s super simple to use. Just hit play and you’re off.
Slacker isn’t solely a video game music streaming site, but I like the selection so much that it deserves it’s own entry. A bangin’ track from Devil May Cry 4 greeted me when I opened up this site, and it was followed by a remix of a track from Uncharted 3 and an entry from the Resident Evil 5 soundtrack; a great mix. You also get limited skip privileges on Slacker, which is nice.
There’s not much to this website, but it works, and that’s what matters. With an emphasis on old-school game soundtracks, you’ll get a lot of 8-bit and 16-bit sounds; I heard a track from Last Ninja 2, another from Spiderman and the X-Men in Arcade’s Revenge, and one that I couldn’t quite figure out where it came from, but it sounded like it was from the same era.
Final Fantasy has a long history of great music, and if you’re into the grand, sweeping melodies that are so common in the storied series, you’ll love Final Fantasy Radio (and these other sites dedicated to Final Fantasy). In addition to Final Fantasy soundtrack songs, you’ll also get concerts, DJ remixes, and listener requests. If you need to feel like you’re battling through hordes of enemies in beautiful landscapes while you’re at work, this is the site for you.
The above radio stations aren’t the only place that you’ll find video game music streaming online; you can also find it on sites like TuneIn and Pandora, too. TuneIn’s Video Game Music Radio page has a huge number of different options, including some of the sites listed above. Pandora stations are a bit harder to find, but Video Game Music Radio and Video Game Music are two really places to start.
A quick search on Spotify shows a bunch of stations, with the names that you’d expect: Video Game Music!, Video Game Music! 2.0, The Greatest Video Game Music, and so on. Spotify also offers full video game soundtracks that you can stream whenever you want.
After listening to all of these stations, I’ll definitely be parked on VGM Radio, as it’s the most upbeat and energizing—I especially like the music from Super Meat Boy. If I want some variety, I’ll probably head over to Slacker for more modern games and musical selections. (And of course, when I’m on the go, I’ll be listening to Powerglove.)
Which sites are your favorites? Where do you go when you want to listen to video game music online? Share your suggestions below so we can check them out!
Image Credits:listening to music by A. and I. Kruk via Shutterstock
Heroes Of The Storm: Abathur Death Hat Build Guide
El Shaddai as a Roadmap to a Religious Game
Bloodborne Guide: How To Get A Free Flamesprayer/Flamethrower
Review: Dragons Dogma Dark Arisen
Try Your Hand at These 3 Great iOS Collectible Card Games