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.
Homage to Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone. Heroic western theme. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 120 BPM]
Weird underscore soundscape for thriller, dark drama, crime scene investigation or documentary. Hints of screeching metals, deep thuds and strange twisted melodies from a dark place. A disturbing sound montage like a hidden evil or searching for clues to a gruesome discovery. Great for film, TV or in-game use. [Tempo: Medium / 83 BPM]
A feeling of rising tension pervades this epic TV drama style track. Think 24. [Tempo: Medium / 124 BPM]
Dramatic rising cinematic track driven by powerful percussion. The track begins calmly and builds to a powerful conclusion. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 70 BPM]
A Percussion Only track, with marching snares, military march. Occasional big drum strikes. Useful as music for scenes of war, war preparation, battle preparations, etc. [Tempo: Medium / 120 BPM]
A mystical and ethereal track that will work for scenes of fantasy, dreaming and fantasy. [Tempo: Slow / 75 BPM]
Dramatic and ominous, this orchestral / symphonic theme could suggest the rise of a great evil, or a world under threat. It might particularly be suited to scenes where a hidden danger is revealed. Dramatic / Fantasy. [Tempo: Medium / 112 BPM]
A magical, sweeping, cinematic piece with a 'lurking' feel. Good as background music for fantasy and adventure, this track uses a full orchestra with bells. Pensive chord progressions. A sense of mystery and intrigue. Amazement and wonderment. Somewhat "Harry Potter-esque". Very craftfully produced orchestral sound. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 0 BPM]
A gritty, semi-industrial Hybrid action music track, with a dark, violent edge and a rough, doom laden feel. Hard, edgy, danger, tension music. [Tempo: Medium / 90 BPM]
Heavy bass drums and a string bass set the tone for this dark and menacing track. The familiar refrain then plays, but is made expressive and almost violent as it is played on several string basses and cellos. Screeching dark, electronically chattery. Nightmarish. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 120 BPM]
A dark, mysterious track using a combination of electronic and orchestral elements, that starts out ominous and foreboding with synth arpeggio, strings and slow drum pulse. The track speeds up at 1:14 when fast electronic percussion loops join in. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 155 BPM]
A subtle orchestral film soundtrack underscore, nervous and dark with a feeling of mystery and hidden truths. Delicate, frail strings, mysterious woodwinds, sneaky backdrop. Good for drama, exploration, danger, lurking and sneaking, unfolding story. Dark and pensive, but not openly horror or terror. More suspicion, exploration in a dark place. Good for film and TV, also for adventure games etc. [Tempo: Very slow / 81 BPM]
This orchestral piece conveys the feeling of being swept away. The has a turbulent feel that lends it to working well in scenes of storms, tornados or general mayhem. [Tempo: Fast / 122 BPM]
War influenced track, with a cinematic aura. Powerful world percussion combined with middle eastern melodic phrases, full of anticipation and drive. Think Homeland and Syriana, or any tense drama with an Eastern / Arabic feel. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 110 BPM]
This 80's-drenched, but also futuristic track is inspired by synth-heavy, 80's sci-fi action and mystery movies. Its arpeggiated bass and fluid synths invoke slightly shifting moods as the track progresses. There's a feeling of danger and adventure, perfect for road driving or flying type programming, crime in progress / criminal enterprise, emotive dramas, and flyovers. Outrun / Sparse / 80's Sci-fi. [Tempo: Medium / 131 BPM]
A piano track with a repeated / ostinato piano pattern, and a sense of tension and intrigue. Developing story, building up to a major event. Pensive, secretive, mysterious. Good for drama / tension. Performed live on an old upright piano, with a nostalgic, organic sound. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 85 BPM]
Dark and gloomy, powerful and pensive action thriller underscore. Nervous and understated rhythmic pulse, dark, twitchy strings. A deep sense of danger and dark forces. Great as a soundtrack for film, tv or game, mystery thriller, undercover mission, etc. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 96 BPM]
A tense musical sound texture combining percussive elements and dissonant orchestral sweeps. Suspenseful, intense, ominous. Conflict/Danger. Film soundtrack, game soundtrack or documentary / reality drama etc. [Tempo: Fast / 124 BPM]
An intense and powerful blend of orchestral and metal music, with loud, heavy metal drum section. Forceful / Tense / Dark music. [Tempo: Medium / 85 BPM]
A cinematic track in four sections. Thin, ambient opening. Wood blocks, bells, and chimes sparkle, while powerful string and brass sections drive the piece forwards. Soft, gentle resolution. (Stem files available.) [Tempo: Slow / 64 BPM]
Menacing, ominous underscore track for dark, futuristic scene or opening sequence in sci-fi or horror film/game. Mix of electronic and orchestral elements, occasional fragments of unintelligible radio messages with static. [Tempo: Medium / 75 BPM]
A dark, cold and evil, orchestral soundtrack influenced by classic horror movies. Sneaky, then violent. Foreboding, then murderous. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 60 BPM]
A very dark and disturbing horror / scifi / mystery track, with harsh, metallic pads and percussion counterpositioned against a fragile soprano voice. Can be both Ancient and Futuristic. Tense / Nervous pulse. Action thriller / Undercover / Sci-fi / Mystical. Also available without the drums, which makes it a more Ambient / Dark Underscore type track. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 100 BPM]
A dark, suspenseful and tension building music track. Hybrid orchestral / electronic with nerve and a sense of urgency. Spy, secret agent, thriller music, crime in progress, danger situation, etc. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 110 BPM]
Music with a hurried, urgent, active and bustling feel. Rush, chase, stress, high activity level. Time running out, things being done in a hurry. Neo-classical music, orchestra with piano. [Tempo: Fast, Very fast / 136 BPM]
Wide drums, reverberated and distant strings give this track an open and mysterious feel. An underlining bass pulse brings a constant feel of tension. The track builds up to a big drum drop with effects that resemble a monster growl. Big hits layered with low bass following a wide and atmospheric opening theme create a strong impact. This track is good for movie and game trailers, scenes of investigation and spy scenes. [Tempo: Slow / 70 BPM]
This track combines pulsating synthesizers with full orchestra and a solo soprano voice. Solemn and emotional, this track has a sense of impending drama, or setting off on a dangerous journey, not knowing what to expect. Both fragile and determined, with a sense of sorrow. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 68 BPM]
A driving piece with a powerful and dramatic solo cello backed by anthemic rock drums and guitar. Serious, cinematic and powerful. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 95 BPM]
Epic orchestra meets electronic music in this huge sounding track. Think Interstellar or Gravity. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 129 BPM]
Up-tempo and exciting pop-rock / indie-rock music. Fresh, youthful and positive, with a good energy level. Good as music for sport, lifestyle, excitement, good news, etc. [Tempo: Fast / 135 BPM]
A mysterious track creating magical atmosphere. Multilayer composition featuring a variety of sounds: orchestral parts, strings, big choirs and opera voices, jazz type of percussion with symphonic drums and various sounds effects. Perfect for black humor movies or animations, entertainment projects as well as Halloween productions. [Tempo: Medium / 139 BPM]
A slow, pulsating, rather ominous and pensive rhythm sets the scene for a track that develops into an expansive, open aural vista. It has a sense of something important happening, something amazing approaching. It keeps growing into a glorious crescendo until finally all is revealed at the climax. A great track for when you want to build expectation and excitement towards the revealing moment. [Tempo: Medium / 120 BPM]
Cinematic retro synth wave; this track was created using only two vintage hardware synthesizers; a Moog Minimoog model D and a Prophet 5. Strangely futuristic and vintage at the same time. Ambient / Eerie / Synthetic / Retro / Mystery. [Tempo: Medium / 110 BPM]
Dark, twisted electronic track full of foreboding. Sinister synth pads and bass combine with simple spacey piano lines and lush strings. The chorus blooms into a soft peaceful section, a release from the foreboding mood of the verse. [Tempo: Medium / 116 BPM]
Jazzy Experimental abstract track with a cinematic touch . [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 95 BPM]
Rising and mysterious track featuring tense strings, swelling brass lines, electronic textures, piano and sparse punchy percussion. Mystical X-Files / Marvel feel. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 100 BPM]
A dramatic, staccato, pounding track featuring orchestra and epic percussion. Situation critical, imminent danger. Rhythmic and dark, this track starts with a somewhat mystical tone and then grows and develops into a hard, stormful, tense march. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 140 BPM]
Ominous, epic royalty free soundtrack piece with an orchestral/electronic arrangement. Dark, foreboding, like dark tales from a city or sci-fi horror. Rich on texture and melody with a sense of foreboding and tension. [Tempo: Slow / 0 BPM]
A combination of ethnic instruments and modern cinematic orchestra and synth layers, this track is perfect for livening any project with an Eastern setting. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 100 BPM]
Hip Hop styled theme to the urban underworld. Groovey beats combine with plucked strings, synth pads and leads to make a hypnotic and unnervingly atmospheric soundscape. Don't look behind you. [Tempo: Slow / 90 BPM]
A dark, sneaky, and malevolent sounding underscore for sci-fi, mystery and horror. For the most part dark ambient, but two sections with pounding drums that can be edited into place for a more action based bed track. Horrific / Extreme danger / Otherworldly. Also available without the drums and with / without the vocal. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 90 BPM]
A determined, rhythmic, neo classical / film soundtrack for drama and storytelling. Dark and pensive, with a sense of building tension, perhaps building up to conflict or trouble. The rhythm is a slow march, and the music builds up slowly, with a sense of mystery, the pressure building. [Tempo: Slow / 104 BPM]
Tense combination of sound designer sounds with ambient synth textures and a hard hitting techno backdrop. action, drama, dramatic, chase, crime, police, battle, war, futuristic action and suspense. [Tempo: Fast, Very fast / 100 BPM]
Melodic, emotional film score music, highly suitable for drama, opening sequence or underscore during emotional, thoughtful scenes of sorrow or soul searching. Semi-orchestral, semi-electronic arrangement. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 93 BPM]
A dramatic, dark and suspenseful Trailer track made with hard hitting effects, synths, orchestra and powerful, big and massive drums. Violent, dark, foreboding and at times disturbing, this track packs a heavy punch. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 110 BPM]
An upbeat action thriller track with a modern Filmcue vibe: Suspenseful pending build up. Rich in cinematic texture. Great for various cinematic use, ominous background, action suspense segments etc. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 160 BPM]
Enhance your scenes of long and dark winters, loneliness, mystery, broken hearts or breathtaking nature with this brooding, urban downtempo track featuring piano, pads, bells, bass and drums. Creates a real feeling of space and emptiness over a relaxed funky groove. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 77 BPM]
A futuristic, blockbuster style music track featuring pulsating basses, big, epic orchestra and large mixed choir, giving a powerful touch to its climax part. Interesting time signature in 7/8ths throughout. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 100 BPM]
Dark and foreboding sound design elements building with percussion and threatening strings. Violent and edgy. Epic / Trailer / Tension Music. [Tempo: Very slow, Fast, Very fast / 126 BPM]
A classic dashing romantic track in the style of Max Steiner and MGM films that will work for scenes of adventure and romance with a hint of danger. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 60 BPM]
