The Jet Set Radio soundtrack includes an eclectic array of original and licensed songs combining the musical genres of J-pop, hip hop, funk, electronic dance music, rock music, acid jazz, trip hop, and in the North American version, metal. The high-definition port omits "Yappie Feet", "Dunny Boy Williamson Show" and "Many Styles" for licensing reasons. The Game Boy Advance versions features shorter samples of six of the game's songs.
Vice described the music as "energetic, rhythm-heavy and defiant ... an eclectic mixture of hip-hop, dance pop, ska, and Japanese rock, a multicultural melange of youth culture and an irrepressible, joyful sense of revolution. Every moment thrums to its soundtrack, which is, on the default settings, emphasized almost more than the in-game sounds, positioning it as a central consideration of play.