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thumb|Sambuugiin Pürevjav of [[Altai Khairkhan playing a morin khuur]]

Music is an integral part of Mongolian culture. Among the unique contributions of Mongolia to the world's musical culture are the long songs, overtone singing, and morin khuur, the horse-headed fiddle. The music of Mongolia is also rich with varieties related to the various ethnic groups of the country: Oirats, Hotogoid, Tuvans, Darhad, Buryats, Tsaatan, Dariganga, Uzemchin, Barga, and Khalkha Mongols.

Besides the traditional music, Western classical music and ballet flourished during the Mongolian People's Republic. Among the most popular forms of modern music in Mongolia are Western pop and rock genres and the mass songs, which are written by modern authors in a form of folk songs.

Traditional music

Overtone singing

Overtone singing, known as höömij (throat), is a singing technique also found in the general Altai area. This type of singing is considered more as a type of instrument. It involves different ways of breathing: producing two distinctively audible pitches at the same time, one being a whistle like sound and the other being a drone bass. The sound is a result of locked breaths in the chest.

In Mongolia, the most famous throat-singers include Khalkhas like Gereltsogt and Sundui.

Khalkha singers have conceptualized Mongolian lyrical xöömei into several different styles while kharkhiraa remains a separate technique.

  • uyangiin xöömii /melodic or lyrical xöömii
  • uruulyn / labial xöömii
  • tagnain /palatal xöömii
  • xamryn/ nasal xöömii
  • bagaIzuuryn, xooloin / glottal, throat xöömii
  • tseejiin xondiin, xeviiin / chest cavity, stomach xöömii
  • türlegt or xosmoljin xöömii / xöömii combined with long song

Long song

"Long songs" (Urtyin duu) are one of the main formats of Mongolian music. Firstly, when Genghis Khan first united Mongolia (13th century), many different tribes were brought together, and this allowed sharing of music that had not happened before. The song "Ertnii Saikhan" was a popular song at weddings and imperial meetings, and the song "Oyunt Khuu" was a popular song. The most distinguishing feature is that each syllable of text is extended for a long duration; a four-minute song may only consist of ten words. Other features are a slow tempo, wide intervals and no fixed rhythm. The richer and longer hold a singer has, the more appreciated the singer. Lyrical themes vary depending on context; they can be philosophical, religious, romance, or celebratory, and often use horses as a symbol or theme repeated throughout the song. Eastern Mongols typically use a morin khuur (horse-head fiddle) as accompaniment, sometimes with a type of indigenous flute named limbe. Oirat groups of the Western Mongols typically sing long songs unaccompanied or accompanied with the igil.

Court music

In neighboring China's autonomous region of Inner Mongolia, 15 notated chapters of the court music of the last Mongolian Great Khan Ligdan (1588–1634) was found in a temple near the ruins of his palace Chagan Haote (Ochirt Tsagan Khot). It was already known that the Qing Dynasty of China greatly valued Mongol court music and made it an integral part of its royal ceremonies, especially at feasts.

thumb|[[Playtime Festival, Mongolia's largest annual music festival]]

Largely unknown outside of Mongolia, there is a thriving popular music scene centred in the city of Ulaanbaatar, often subdivided into pop, contemporary R&B, EDM, rock, reggae, hip hop, and alternative (consisting of alternative rock and heavy metal).

The pop/R&B/EDM scene includes solo artists, such as the renowned Ariunaa, also Altantsetseg (a.k.a. Altaa), Ankhmaa, Bayartsetseg, Bold, BX, B.Azzaya, Chuluunchimeg, Delgermörön, Erdenechimeg, Erdenetsetseg, Gangaa, Hishigdalai, Jargalsaikhan.D, Khaliun, Maraljingoo, Michelle, Onon, Sarantuya (a.k.a. Saraa), Serchmaa, Uka, Zaya and others, the mixed-gender group Classic Gem, boy bands like Camerton, Nomin Talst and Motive, and girl groups like 3 Ohin, Anemone, Extacy, Foux, Gala, HoneyMoon, Kiwi, Lipstick, Sound of Kiss, SweetYmotion and The Wasabies.

Early bands include Khar Tas and Khar Sarnai. The latter two groups represented the beginning of rap in Mongolia. Their techno-rap compositions mostly stressed social issues, philosophy and rebellious ideas. A later generation consisted of bands and solo artists who had appear at the second half of the 1990s like 2 Khüü, Dain ba Enkh, Ice Top, Lumino, MCIT, as well as during the first decade of the 21st century like 4 Züg, B.A.T, Big Gee (a.k.a. Gee), Click Click Boom, Digital, Enkhtaivan, Epoch, Erkh-Chölöö, Gangsta Service, Metune, Mon-Ta-Rap, NC, Aka Odko, PacRap, Quiza, Rokit Bay, Seryoja, Tatar, Tempo, ThunderZ, Tsetse, URMC, Vainquish, Vande, XL, Young Mo'G, and female rappers Gennie, Hulan, Mvchi, Babynna, and N.M.N.