The Ys series is particularly known for its original soundtracks by Yuzo Koshiro, Mieko Ishikawa, Hideya Nagata and various others. Their works have been remixed for each subsequent release of Ys I and II, for instance, by Japanese computer musician Ryo Yonemitsu for Hudson Soft's Ys I & II and Ys III: Wanderers from Ys releases for TurboGrafx-CD.The TurboGrafx versions made very early use of Red Book audio in video games.

Consequently, the Ys series is seen in the video game music industry as some of the finest and most influential role-playing video game scores of all time, demonstrated by an extensive series of CDs based on the series' music, with numerous variations on its themes. It also inspired video game composers outside of Japan, such as Chris Huelsbeck who cited it as a direct influence.