Our selection of royalty-free cinematic music with an emphasis on tension, danger, nerve, and a sense of unease. Sometimes more subtle and sneaky music, other times more overt threatening music and soundtracks for critical situations, this music is made for action thrillers, police operations, stakeouts, spy / undercover agents, dangerous missions, hurricane-chasing and more.
Impending doom that builds with cinematic awe to a climactic chasm at 01:09. Suspenseful, tense, foreboding, nervous. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 130 BPM]
A melody of spacious strings & soprano voice quickly descend into darkness & mystery. Fantasy, sci-fi, adventure. Perhaps magic or mysterious intrigues. Amazement, wonderment. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 0 BPM]
Fast and urgent orchestral action music, coloured with electronic drums. Great for actions and thrillers. A sense of pressure is very prominent, with pounding brass, stabbing strings and thunderous percussion. [Tempo: Fast / 160 BPM]
A dark, grand orchestral climax, dominated by brass and strings. Great to use in a horror scene where the bad guy gets killed, as there is a hint of victory about it, left with a question mark with the tracks abrupt end. Also good for dramatic scenes of emergency, rescue, fire and real-life dangerous situations etc. The track 'takes off' at about 45 seconds in. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 0 BPM]
A slow, brooding warning of trouble ahead. Has a dark mysterious but ominous and unsettled feeling to it. Simple piano lines combine with evolving strings and cool drum loops to make you grimace at what might unfold. [Tempo: Slow / 71 BPM]
Ever felt that you were being watched by someone? Your every move being monitored from afar. A sinister, fevered, twisted and unnerving piece. Contains violins, cellos, xylophones, string plucks and some quite twisted melodies that slowly unfold, creating lots of tension. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 75 BPM]
Soothing, tranquil and yet slightly mysterious and uneasy orchestral piece. Unusual blend of piano, strings and ambient synth sounds to make this track a little journey through different moods. Contains piano, strings, synths and drums. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 70 BPM]
Dark, grand, glorious, glorifying soundtrack piece. Rising up, epic, dominant, malevolent. Low choir voices. Pounding rhythm. Staccato brass stabs. Powerful, determined. [Tempo: Medium / 100 BPM]
Dark, grand, glorious, glorifying soundtrack piece. Rising up, epic, dominant, malevolent. Low choir voices. Pounding rhythm. Staccato brass stabs. Powerful, determined. Perhaps a dark temple, evil wizard, sorcerer or religious cult, sect, religion, ritual. [Tempo: Medium / 70 BPM]
Epic, powerful and grand orchestral rock track with many sonic colours that starts quietly and beautifully but gradually builds into a monster as guitars crash in like a tidal wave. Would suit high drama/cinematic projects. [Tempo: Medium / 100 BPM]
Suspense soaked riff rocker which uses simple berimbau lines, clean atmospheric guitars and great big dirty guitars. Great repeated build and release. The last time has a soaring lead guitar solo. In parts, slightly reminiscent of Failure and even Nirvana. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 92 BPM]
Imagine walking through the ruins of a haunted castle at night, never knowing what night be round the next cobweb covered corner. A very black and sinister piece. Slow with a building tension. Contains synths, drum kit, guitars and bass. [Tempo: Slow / 68 BPM]
Sinister, disturbing track full of malevolence and high tension. Trancey bass and drums begin to creep towards you with evil intent... [Tempo: Fast / 124 BPM]
Uniquely suspense-filled, filmic track with Eastern plucked strings mixing with flutes, tribal drums and orchestral strings. Very cinematic and intense. The tune grows in power as it goes with string motifs joining the tribal drum grooves. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 96 BPM]
A huge great bouncy meatball of a tune. Pulsing synth bass and syncopated drum groove make this one swing large. Various parts come and go but the beat must and will go on. Contains synths, drums, choirs and eastern oboes. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 133 BPM]
This track is Jekyll and Hyde. The tense intro has techno beats and synth sequences which build in intensity until all hell breaks loose and the guitars enter with a hellishly ferocious and relentless riff. Contains synths, drum machines, guitars and bass. [Tempo: Medium / 127 BPM]
A glimpse into the twisted mental circuits of an alien robot killer on the prowl. Synth pads, noises and basslines overlay an edgy drum groove to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand-up. In space no one can hear you beg for mercy. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 130 BPM]
Spacey, tripped out, dazed and yet with innate momentum and drive. Soundtrack to a midnight sleepwalk in a big city. Contains piano, synths , bass and drums. [Tempo: Medium / 112 BPM]
A lumbering and hypnotically simple riff-laden tune. The slow, doomy beat slowly creeps towards you with evil intent as strings, Leslie guitars and synths colour the track. Contains guitars, bass, drums and strings. [Tempo: Slow / 80 BPM]
A dark, tense and dramatic, textured film score piece. Very slight eastern European feel, but certainly not limited to that region. [Tempo: Slow / 0 BPM]
Tense, horrific survival music, blending hard percussion with orchestral elements. Changes between pensive, nervous parts and more action filled parts for chase, action scenes. Nervous, slightly chaotic, disoriented. [Tempo: Medium / 95 BPM]
A sneaky and creepy semi-orchestral soundtrack piece. Twitchy and nervous strings, scattered piano notes, metal clanks, subtle pulsating rhythms. Suitable for horror/scifi as well as for documentary, forensics, murder investigation etc. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 96 BPM]
An intense epic action cue that starts mysterious and builds to full out action with driving percussion rhythms, orchestral energy, and big drums, underscoring anything from a fast car chase to a battle between man and machine. Very much in the vein of John Powell's "Bourne" movies and the scores of Hanz Zimmer and Steve Jablonsky ("Batman Begins" and "Transformers"). [Tempo: Fast / 138 BPM]
Sneaky and darkly pensive underscore for drama or dark mystery. Perhaps crime scene investigation, criminal activity, lurking danger. Suitable for documentary, film score, TV drama or nervous tense moments of reality show etc. Sneaking pads, dark bass undertow, unnerving and twitchy strings. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 0 BPM]
A medium intensity underscore track for film or TV drama. A sense of mystery and passing time. Perhaps crime investigation, mysterious discoveries or waiting anxiously for the next development. Pensive, with a understated, slow rhythm. [Tempo: Slow / 78 BPM]
A short film or television drama cue, suitable for crime thriller, mystery or an intense. Ticking rhythm, pensive movement, building to a crescendo. Perhaps a terrible realization or a gruesome discovery. [Tempo: Medium / 112 BPM]
A pensive, rhythmic underscore for a dark thriller, drama, crime mystery or documentary. The percussion carries a slightly ethnic or tribal feel, while the wailing, screeching metallic pads give the track a sense of fear, anxious waiting or nervous movement. Great for film, television drama, crime scene investigation, reality show and much more. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 86 BPM]
An ambient film soundtrack cue with a very mysterious edge. Pensive, slowly moving soundscape, like hiding, sneaking, or breaking and entering. A subtle rhythmic element enters about half way through along with a deep drone, giving the track a darker, more ominous edge. Great for crime thriller, investigative documentary, a tense moment during reality show or forensic investigation, etc. [Tempo: Slow / 109 BPM]
Dramatic and mysterious piano, accompanied by harp and strings. Inspired by soap opera music cliches. [Tempo: Medium / 0 BPM]
Unique blend of regal strings and horns and hefty guitars. The verse is a slow grooving electro beat which builds slowly via a b section of clean swirling guitar and lamenting vocal loops into an explosion of guitars and drums. Very filmically dramatic, intense and quite unexpected. [Tempo: Slow, Fast / 75 BPM]
Huge, wide-ranging score of epic proportion - last warrior on a blood-soaked battlefield pulls himself out of the mire only to discover that he is the last man standing. He gathers his strength and returns to his village in triumph but with a broken spirit. This score contains mystical elements, bombastic outbursts, scenes of total destruction and unimaginable tragedy and despair, with a driving rhythmic second half building to a heroic climax and eerily subdued final resolution. Good for epic battle, blood-soaked battleground, action/adventure. This track is recorded with a real live philharmonic orchestra. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 0 BPM]
A cold, tense, lonely and mysterious sounding track with sparse synth pads, white noise and a kick drum that represents a heart beating. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 50 BPM]
A serene string introduction grows into a hybrid orchestra with asian instruments playing an energetic passage. A hypnotic electric guitar takes over and brings the music to a peaceful, uplifting ending. [Tempo: Medium / 124 BPM]
This aggressive cinematic piece starts with a chaotic string crescendo, and abruptly changes to a dramatic and forceful orchestral texture. Great for action trailers and sequences. [Tempo: Fast / 143 BPM]
Dark and ominous event, eerie sounds, threatening and edgy, sustains with aggressive internal percussive events. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 100 BPM]
Pulsing energetic percussive beat, dark and solemn , threatening, tense, and powerful, perfect for a war action scene. [Tempo: Medium / 83 BPM]
Staccato and nervous, orchestral tension underscore. Undercover, dangerous mission. Few French horns notes mixed with symphonic elements and a pulsating rhytmic backdrop. Movement, getting into position, primed and ready for action. Great for spy, mystery, thriller, crime, secret mission, military. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 97 BPM]
This is a film soundtrack with an epic vibe. Orchestral arrangement with a lot of tension and energy. Ideal for war, battle and fight themed films with a brooding feel. Emotional and Heroic feelings that bring a lot of inspiration to the listener. [Tempo: Medium / 84 BPM]
This ambient music track features scattered sounds, signals and rhythms textures. Highly distinctive, unique and somewhat futuristic, perfect for horror, sci-fi or thriller. [Tempo: Slow / 96 BPM]
Adventurous orchestral percussion score takes you flying over vast landscapes. An orchestral underscore piece with a military styled theme. Serious, intense mood good for productions involving war, battles, plotting, planning, strategy, historical etc. [Tempo: Slow / 0 BPM]
Tense, indecisive, foreboding, listless and restless. Swell near end delivering to lingering tension that can resolve or be left hanging. Good for drama, intrigue, moral dilemma, daytime drama, troubled romance. This track is recorded with a real live philharmonic orchestra. [Tempo: Slow / 0 BPM]
A lively, ominous and busy music track with a dark atmosphere, made only with orchestral instruments. The structure is divided into several parts, all connected and in the same mood. Bustling / Tension / Drama Music. [Tempo: Medium / 60 BPM]
A dark, dramatic and war like music track, made with big epic classical orchestra. World War theme. All parts connected, same mood. Army March with variations. Doom laden music. [Tempo: Medium / 120 BPM]
Pulsing and bouncy music track, featuring introspective piano and rugged synthesizer that create intrigue and mystery. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 120 BPM]
A slowly building suspense music track featuring cinematic mood of orchestra, ambience and mandolins, all of which give this track unique sonic touch and a chilling, moving feel. [Tempo: Medium / 90 BPM]
Big, powerful and epic music track made with big orchestra, epic choir and drums. Two parts, ending with big hit, suitable for trailers. Dramatic / Epic / Orchestral Music. [Tempo: Medium / 150 BPM]
Epic, big and dramatic music track made with orchestra, epic choir and epic drums. Dark, forceful and awe inspiring. Rising structure / Trailers / Dramatic Music. [Tempo: Medium / 0 BPM]
A Percussion Only track, with big pounding drums in various more and less intense patterns. Useful for sound design, film scoring, games and more. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 150 BPM]
A Percussion Only track, with big pounding drums in various more and less intense patterns. Useful for sound design, film scoring, games and more. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 0 BPM]
A Percussion Only track, with big pounding drums in various more and less intense patterns. Useful for sound design, film scoring, games and more. [Tempo: Medium / 150 BPM]