Previously, the soundtracks on Steam were usually sold as additional content, but now a new type of application, the Soundtrack, has appeared in the store. Thanks to this change, users can:
- buy soundtracks without buying the game itself;
- download soundtracks without downloading the game itself;
- Find downloaded and purchased soundtracks and manage them in the new Steam library;
- configure the / music / folder on Steam, where all soundtracks will be saved so as not to search for them by subfolders in games.
As for developers, they can now download and manage soundtracks completely through an affiliate site, as well as sell soundtracks even in regions where the game itself is not for sale.
Users who purchase soundtracks as additional content will become owners of the new version after game developers transform existing content.
Innovations
Firstly, soundtracks now support several levels of quality. Each soundtrack will contain a set of standard MP3-files, but now you can add high-quality audio (for example, FLAC or unprocessed WAV) to the storage.
Secondly, the Steam library has a new interface for soundtracks, with which you can play, search and organize content.
Third, soundtracks can now include related content (such as cover art and annotations). They can be seen on the details page of the soundtrack in the Steam library.
