Most major game soundtracks are created by dedicated composers who join a team late in development. Stardew Valley was different. Eric Barone, a University of Washington Tacoma graduate with a degree in computer science, taught himself music composition from scratch out of necessity. He couldn't afford to hire a composer.
Eric Barone created the entire score using , a digital audio workstation. Notably, Barone has no formal musical training and composed the tracks intuitively by clicking notes into a sequencer with a mouse rather than using MIDI keyboards. He describes his workflow as "music-guided game development," often composing the music first to establish a scene's mood before animating the visuals.
The soundtrack has transcended the game itself, frequently used as focus music for studying or meditation. It has been physically released on vinyl and CD by Fangamer and has even been adapted into a full orchestral performance titled performed by groups like the Budapest Symphony Orchestra. Fans often cite the music as a "hero" of the indie game world for its ability to build an immersive world through sound.