John Carpenter, who previously wrote music for the first three installments of the Halloween franchise, returned for the sequel. His involvement was confirmed in late 2017. He was assisted by his son, Cody Carpenter, and collaborator Daniel Davies for the film score. Many of Carpenter's themes from the original 1978 film, including the title theme, were re-created with modern sounds and technologies. The album was released by Sacred Bones Records on October 18, 2018, in a limited release through iTunes. This was followed by a wide digital and physical release on October 19, coinciding with the film's release. The film score received critical acclaim, with John Carpenter's modernized composition being met with praise.
Vinyl editions of the soundtracks were issued by Sacred Bones and Waxwork Records in four different pressings, and multi-colored variants. On October 18, 2019, nearly a year after its theatrical release, Carpenter released the extended edition of the soundtrack, which consisted of additional music not featured in the film. It was made available through the online music distribution platform Bandcamp, and also released in two-disc vinyl formats.