Who composed the music for the first two seasons of The Mandalorian?

Ludwig Göransson composed the music for the first two seasons of The Mandalorian.

Göransson was announced as the series’ composer in December 2018 after director Jon Favreau sought a sound that felt distinct from John Williams’ Star Wars film scores. The music combines Western and samurai-film influences with bass recorder, guitar, piano, drums, orchestra, and electronic processing.

The composer created the main theme by experimenting with a bass recorder and digitally altering its sound. A 70-piece orchestra was used for the first season, while pandemic restrictions meant that musicians for the second-season score were recorded remotely or in smaller groups.

Joseph Shirley provided additional music during the first two seasons, which can cause confusion. He later composed the main score for season three while using Göransson’s established themes. Göransson therefore remains the canonical answer for the first two seasons, including their central musical identity and principal score.