John Williams composed the film's score and won an Academy Award for it, and was later ranked sixth among the best film scores of all time by the American Film Institute. The dominant "Shark" theme consists of a simple alternating pattern of two notes, often called "E and F" or "F and F?", becoming a classic of suspense music and approaching danger. synonym for. Williams described the subject as "as instinctive as a shark; a sixth sense, relentless, unstoppable, coming at you." This theme is performed by tuba player Tommy Johnson. Johnson once asked Williams why the melody was not played on a more appropriate French horn, and Williams stated that this was to make the theme sound "a little more menacing." When the composer first presented his idea to the director, he played just two notes on the piano, and Spielberg reportedly laughed, thinking it was just a joke. In Williams' opinion, "Jaws" has certain similarities with pirate-themed movies, so he used "pirate (style) music" in other parts of the soundtrack, saying that although such music is "original, but It’s fun and entertaining.” In addition, the score also includes fast-playing percussion, which is closely related to Achille-Claude Debussy's "La mer" and Igor Stravinsky's "The Sea". "The Rite of Spring" echoes.

There are many different interpretations of the meaning and effect of this musical theme, and many critics consider it one of the most famous themes in film history. Music scholar Joseph Cancellaro believes the two notes mimic the heartbeat of a shark. According to Alexandre Tylski, this theme is related to Bernard Herrmann's creations for Taxi Driver, North by Northwest, and especially Mysterious Island. The theme music is similar and represents human breathing. He further stated that the strongest motive in the score is actually "tearing, breaking" - the sudden and dramatic interruption of the theme, when Chrissy is killed by the shark's jaws. The relationship between the vocal and silent parts of the score also leverages the audience's understanding and acceptance of the shark theme to create a stronger effect, as is the case in the climactic final sequence when the shark suddenly appears without musical foreshadowing.

Spielberg later said that half of the success of "Jaws" was due to Williams' music. Williams also said that this was a leap forward in his career. He had previously composed the score for the director's feature film debut, "Rampage," and he composed the music for almost all of Spielberg's subsequent films. In 1975, MCA Records released a recording of the Jaws soundtrack, followed by a CD in 1992, which included about half an hour of music re-recorded by the composer for the record.

In 2000, Decca Records and Universal Records re-released the film's soundtrack on the 25th anniversary of the film's DVD release, including all 51 minutes of the original soundtrack. Varese Sarabande Records also released a re-release of the soundtrack. Recorded version, performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, conducted by Joel McNeely