I haven't been great at sharing video game music data lately. I can't believe I launched this site four months ago. I've been focusing on sharing news ever since, but I think not enough people here realize I also keep track of every single new VGM album dropping on DSPs to feed the absolute monster of a database that lives rent-free in my pinned tabs. Anyway, here's the rundown on July, the third most packed month of 2026 for new VGM so far.
July 2026 in VGM data
Over the last four weeks, I've tracked down exactly 133 new albums (over 4 tracks) on Spotify and other streaming services. That's 43 more compared to July 2025, which was one of the quietest months of last year. Some things never change, though: Japan remains the most productive country, racking up 23 new albums in July. The US trails right behind with 22 new releases, followed by China (16), France (9), and the UK (6).
Among the many genres video game music spans, orchestral is still the most common. 39 of all releases fall under that category, followed closely by what I call "downtempo" (calm, chill tunes) and more energetic electronic music.
The longest album of July is THE IDOLM@STER 20th Anniversary Piano Collection, which boasts a massive 119 tracks. However, even months later, no soundtrack has topped the sheer track count of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which remains the longest OST of the year with a staggering 175 tracks.
Explore more VGM insights over at nwpl.ing/data, and support me on Patreon to unlock the monthly playlist and the full database for tier 3 subscribers.
July 2026's best video game music
If you missed out on new VGM this month, don't fret—I've kept tabs on everything. Here are my 5 standout OSTs from July.
- Denshattack! by Tee Lopes, Sean Bialo, Andrew One — Denshattack! is a hype train in its own right. Featuring 20 VGM legends like Kohta Takahashi, Shoji Meguro, and Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, this soundtrack was bound to make waves. (Check out my interview with composer Andrew One right here).
- DOOM: The Dark Ages - Revelations by Finishing Move, Inc. — Even if I'm not the biggest fan of The Dark Ages OST, I must say Finishing Move smoothed things over nicely with this DLC, which sounds as empowering as it is bittersweet in light of id's layoffs.
- Virtue and a Sledgehammer by fingerspit — Deconstructeam is easily one of my favorite indie studios, and fingerspit's music is always a delight. A little more experimental than her previous work on The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood (read my interview with her right here), this first EP has me even more hyped for the game.
- ChainDive by TECHNOuchi — It took 23 long years for this legendary house/techno soundtrack to finally hit all music platforms. Already available on Bandcamp and CD, the ChainDive OST and its companion arrangement album are now streaming everywhere.
- Break My Case, Vol. 9 by Various — My favorite gacha game never falls short of bangers. Studio coly dropped two new volumes in July, and Volume 9 is easily my absolute favorite, packed with catchy tunes bordering on funk and disco.
Browse through all my favorites over at nwpl.ing/collection, and listen to my monthly podcast (it's in French, but who cares!) right here.
As a final note, I also wanted to express my deepest gratitude to you all, for July was the biggest month for NOWPLAYING. The site had more visitors in 30 days than between April and June combined. Thank you very much for stopping by!
