Music is a core part of the Splatoon series. Though the series' music is created by real composers working for Nintendo, many songs are presented as being produced and performed by in-universe musicians and bands.
Each entry in the series heavily features a set of flagship idol characters, who are depicted as very popular musicians and performers in-universe. These characters host Splatfests, performing live throughout the event's duration. In real life, idols make songs and entertain people in Japan and South Korea.
Each game release contains a substantial amount of music between the plaza, battle, hero mode, Splatfest, and news songs. Additional multiplayer battle songs are always added to the available roster in subsequent post-launch updates.
In Splatoon and Splatoon 2, most of the game's soundtrack can be heard when playing the rhythm minigames Squid Beatz and Squid Beatz 2, respectively. Most Splatoon music did not return in Splatoon 2; certain Splatoon-exclusive songs could be unlocked in Squid Beatz 2 via the use of amiibo.
In Splatoon 3, most of the game's soundtrack is available in-game via the jukebox in the lobby that was added to the game in version 3.0.0. A substantial number of Splatoon and Splatoon 2 songs returned in this game, which play in the lobby at scheduled intervals.
Nintendo has held numerous live virtual concerts at various events, featuring the idol characters alongside a live band. The concerts typically begin with a medley of multiplayer battle songs until the idols appear, followed by live renditions of the songs associated with the idols.
Soundtrack albums
Collections of each game's original soundtrack have been released as merchandise in the form of album CDs. These albums are typically bundled with booklets containing lyrics to the idol songs as well as in-universe story information.
The following albums have been released:
Splatune, containing the music from Splatoon as of its initial launch and early updates.
Splatune 2, containing the music from Splatoon 2 as of its initial launch and early updates.
Octotune, containing the music from the Octo Expansion and other music added to Splatoon 2 in post-launch updates, as well as music from the live performance Haicalive at Tokaigi 2018. The album also contained the Splatune 2 versions of some Squid Sisters and Off the Hook songs that played at the performance.
On 30 October 2024, the music streaming application Nintendo Music was released, featuring Splatoon 3's soundtrack as heard in Splatune 3. Music from Splatoon 2 and its downloadable content Octo Expansion, as heard in Splatune 2 and Octotune, was added to the app's library on 3 December 2024.