Wii U goes bohemian with new Rhapsody streaming service

There might be a lot of talk regarding NX, the much-rumoured, but still as-of-yet unrevealed new console for Japanese gaming giant Nintendo, but that's not to say the Wii U is ready to lay down quite yet. The firm has slowly been trying to turn the plucky console's fortunes around, and the addition of Rhapsody functionality is one such feature that's now available to Wii U users in the States.

Rhapsody is a music-streaming service in the Spotify vein - and while it's not quite as big or as popular as something like Spotify, it's still got an impressive 30 million songs to its name. Around this time last year, Rhapsody brought music to Twitter with special audio cards that offered the chance to play song snippets direct from a tweet.

"We know that close to 91 percent of all Americans listen to music more than 24 hours a week," comments Ethan Rudin, chief financial officer of Rhapsody International. "We're honored to partner with Nintendo to bring music to Wii U users, and continue Rhapsody's goal of making it easy for people to listen to the music they love wherever they are."

And while the inclusion of Wii U in its capatability portfolio probably isn't going to bring it the kind of subcriptions numbers that Spotify currently boasts, the premium service could well prove a hit thanks to its reasonably priced multiple paid tiers. Also the Wii U's GamePad is an ideal fit for flicking through playlists and arist discographies so expect the pairing to be a good fit for Rhapsody.

The new Rhapsody app is available now from the Nintendo eShop, and you can also get your hands on a 30-day free trial to see if Rhapsody's 30 million-strong collection is enough to float your musical boat. No news on an EU version, but don't be surprised to see a European rollout very soon.

Via: Rhapsody

Why not check out: Your complete guide to Apple Music