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.
Useful for animation and short animated story. To show the character or main hero who looks out and trys to find enemies or bad guys lurking somewhere out. Mysterious and enigmatic, with percusive ethnic instruments, more agressive and dynamic in second part, preaparing for some kind of climax part which has will happen soon after... a battle or combat. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 88 BPM]
Music for a showdown at high noon. Begins tense and sparse, building in energy through several stages as the gunfighters size each other up, it finally ends with a climax as a gun fires and one of the men falls. [Tempo: Slow / 87 BPM]
A powerful mix of syncopated synths, dramatic, fast accented strings and breakdown beats. Ideal for reality TV cues when firing contestants as well as other dramatic cues such as Celebrity Apprentice, Survivor and Hell's Kitchen. Mob hits and urban chase scenes with bad guys on the move. [Tempo: Medium / 130 BPM]
Deep world percussion and fast strings, brass and huge drum accents. Good for heavy tension and struggle, dramatic reality TV cues such as Survivor, The Apprentice, Hell's Kitchen, Design Star and The Bachelor. [Tempo: Slow / 86 BPM]
A reality TV type tension track featuring bells, synths, and percussion. Builds throughout for a sense of forward motion while maintaining intensity. Think of any reality TV series where elimination rounds are involved. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 84 BPM]
This piece of electronic music is suitable for any scene of rushing or urgency within a hospital or medical facility. It could also be used for a chase scene within a hospital. Included in this track is the beeping and ticking sound of a typical heart and blood pressure monitor at bedside - which completes the tension felt when listening. [Tempo: Medium / 120 BPM]
A dark, percussive piece. Low, swelling strings and steady drums lead into an intense pulsing action cue. A hero's theme of determination. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 97 BPM]
A broody, dark, cinematic track with a slight military / operation feel. Barely audible lo-fi telecommunications over dark beds of mangled and distorted synth pads and guitars. Undercover operation, military or space / sci-fi material. Sneaky, suspicious and ominous. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 75 BPM]
Ominous and powerful theme music featuring distant trumpet, orchestral trumpet and strings creating an enticing atmosphere. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 104 BPM]
A tense and dark trailer-style track led by orchestra and synths while featuring electronic drums and driven guitars at points. Epic and powerful, with a clock-like pulse. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 120 BPM]
Orchestra and percussion accompany bassoon playing a very mysterious, almost seductive melody. Perhaps someone is making a deal with a shadowy character who has a dark and sinister plan. [Tempo: Slow / 67 BPM]
A dark suspense piece with a haunting quality. Tension builds amidst huge drums and orchestra with an abnormal sense of determination. [Tempo: Medium / 143 BPM]
Inspired by classic role playing video games, the noble orchestra of this piece creates a heroic mood as its sets the stage for dark challenges in a dangerous dungeon. [Tempo: Slow / 65 BPM]
Mysterious electronic underscore, for moments of uncertainty and problem solving. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 85 BPM]
An intense orchestral piece. Dark and ominous choral sounds combine with heavy brass, strings, and percussion to create a dark and nerve wracking overall vibe. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 82 BPM]
Fantasy or sci-fi oriented, dark and ominous orchestral film score. Subtle, threatening pulses, growing in intensity. Foreboding, otherworldly, suspenseful. Impending doom or conflict. Reminescent of the Star Wars soundtrack. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 0 BPM]
A dark, orchestral suspense track made with epic orchestra and drums. Ominous, foreboding. [Tempo: Slow / 100 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 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]
Urgent and dramatic electro underscore. Powerful yet unobtrusive. [Tempo: Medium / 120 BPM]
Intense and atmospheric, this track would be great for setting an ominous, chaotic, evil mood. Filled with advanced string performances and an eerie choir. (Stem files available.) [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 0 BPM]
A conniving, dramatic string movement. It starts with a solo cello and viola, playing a static, offset melody. It grows into an epic, sneaky orchestral bombardment. It would work well as a period piece, or in a documentary. (Stem files available.) [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 92 BPM]
Battle drums. Pounding percussion. A combination of orchestral percussion and ethnic / tribal drums. Suitable for battle, fight, chase, brawls and action scenes. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 68 BPM]
Orchestra and drums pound out an aggressive theme perfect for a super villain, or a tense scene in a film or TV show. Could work well for sports action: down but not out, making the final push against adversaries. Or also a street battle brewing in a dark and sinister city late at night.Choir blasts in the last section to add an epic swell right before the music abruptly ends, in the style of film trailers. [Tempo: Medium / 97 BPM]
Fantasy style orchestral soundtrack. Dark, gloomy and ominous. Big horn sections, mysterious melodies. Great for fantasy, epic adventures, dark times, horror, impending doom and conflict. Occasional deep vocal grunts and chants. This piece plays for over 6 minutes with plenty of variation, and can be used for several different cues, or used all together as background atmosphere. [Tempo: Slow / 75 BPM]
A dramatic, and very dark soundtrack cue, which keeps building and growing, getting closer as the tension grows higher. Dark / Threatening / Scary. [Tempo: Slow / 80 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: 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]
Atmospheric and spacey trailer music track, with a powerful melody and emotional build up, Epic hits, retro synths and orchestral elements create an uplifting heroic feel. Dramatic, dark, gritty and futuristic music. [Tempo: Slow / 75 BPM]
A mystical and amazing track featuring full orchestra, choir and a solo female voice with a very exotic, foreign, strange and alluring tone. Dramatic and intense, the orchestra sweeps and swoops, whilst the voice provides a strange and unusual quality; is she wailing in sorrow or spinning a web of intrigue and temptation? Also available without the vocals. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 160 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: Slow, Medium / 100 BPM]
A mystical tension, suspense / action track with orchestral and hybrid elements. Simmering tension, with a dark atmospheres. Ominous, foreboding. [Tempo: Slow / 75 BPM]
Dark and pulsating tension underscore. Intense rhythmic nerve. A sense of danger, risk, and urgency. Malevolent / Anxious / Dangerous. (Stem files available.) [Tempo: Medium / 87 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]
A powerful and grand / regal orchestral / symphonic soundtrack piece, driven forward by Taiko like percussion. Pounding drums combine with dramatic string sections to create a sense of imminent battle, dangerous situation. Perhaps a sea rescue, a dangerous missing on enemy territory, or the rise of an awesome fighting force. Military / Fantasy / Action / Conflict / Fight. (A note about the version described as 'Stage Mix': This version is recorded with the reverb/ambiance of a concert hall, making it sound somewhat more 'distant' from the listener and, some would say, more 'live') [Tempo: Medium / 75 BPM]
Atmospheric horror. For dark, brooding scenes, especially sci fi. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 0 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]
Hard-hitting, relentless hybrid industrial trailer production music track with some Hip Hop influence - leading to a victorious crescendo. Tons of electronics, piano, guitars and sound design elements. Edgy / Tension / Big. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 128 BPM]
A brooding theme for a dystopian world. Unsettling, yet strangely evocative. Would suit a TV thriller style title sequence, Sci-Fi game or futuristic commercial. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 90 BPM]
Battle drums / marching percussion. A combination of orchestral percussion and ethnic / tribal drums. Suitable for battle, fight, chase, conflict, etc. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 70 BPM]
Dark pulse. Evil / Malevolent. Sneaky / Suspicious. Horror / Gothic underscore. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 90 BPM]
This horror underscore has hellish overtones and would be well suited for, horror, thriller, or fantasy footgae about paranormal and occult subject matter as well as video-games and trailers. Its' slow, slithery pace has suggests something evil lurking, and makes for a nice tension builder that features an intense, climactic riser. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 0 BPM]
Exotic, futuristic and atmospheric track made with various synths, percussion and erhu. Mystical and Eerie, with a sense of ancient history meets distant future. [Tempo: Slow / 90 BPM]
Soundtrack / Sci-fi / Space / Fantasy. An atmospheric and unsettling piece that utilizes orchestral effect textures to evoke an otherworldly sense of fear. Could be useful in scenes where the characters encounter something alien or scenes of paranormal horror. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 109 BPM]
A gloomy, doom laden, pensive underscore for action thriller, sci-fi, mystery and horror. Nervous, dark ambient, pulsating rhythms and sneaky / suspicious sounds. Serious / Exotic / Mystical. Can be an ethnic place, or general dark / ominous ambience. Also available in a "No Drums" version which has a more ambient / dark background / ethereal feel. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 90 BPM]
An intense modern action instrumental with high-tech synthetic elements. Focused determination great for productions involving suspense, spying, chases, etc. Nice for escalating crime in progress scenes, action sequences and high intensity situations. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 120 BPM]
A pensive, tense, ominous orchestral track with an an undercurrent of conflict, suspicion, malevolence. Like two enemies stalking each other, measuring each other up for a fight. Also good as a general film score cue for tense moments, time running out, perhaps manhunt, etc. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 130 BPM]
Tires squealing, sirens blaring, adrenalin flowing. The Chase begins. Dramatic, suspenseful, powerful track mixing electronic and orchestral elements. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 81 BPM]
A tense and spooky scene is evoked with orchestra and an optional piano track. Creepy and evolving, suitable for dark, evil passages. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 0 BPM]
Stereotypical Wild West or Spaghetti Western track featuring all the usual suspects: The bad hombre, the unlikely hero, the duel at dawn, the musky saloon. The good and the bad. Music similar to the classic Western movies we know and love. (Stem files available.) [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 113 BPM]