Like most Squid Squad music, Ink or Sink features a blend of rock and electronic music, starting with an intro that places emphasis on the synthesizers and guitars, before moving to a section with alternating vocals in the Inkling language. During the chorus, the song abruptly switches to heavy metal, with deeper vocals by Quinn, before switching back after looping. It is one of the five battle songs released with Splatoon at launch, and like all battle songs, it has a random chance of being played during online matches. It can also be heard in Squid Beatz, and it is included in Splatune. In Splatoon 3, this song can sometimes play in the Battle Lobby.
During a Splatoon 2 event that took place from 12 July 2019 to 15 July 2019 in Tetris 99, getting 100 or more points awarded the player with a Splatoon theme, changing the graphics, music, and sound effects to those from the franchise. When this theme is applied, Ink or Sink is heard when there are 50 players left in the match, switching from Splattack!. It continues to play until there are 10 players left in the match when the music switches to Now or Never!.
Through the fictional interview contained in the Splatune booklet, it was revealed that Ink or Sink was the first song Squid Squad wrote after Splattack!, and features Murasaki using his many spines as sticks on the drums.
Etymology
The name Ink or Sink comes from the phrase "swim or sink".