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.
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]
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]
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]
Huge stabs give way to twisted maniacal anguish and haunted voices. Tragic theme introduces a grim march propelled by determination and grit. The theme is presented at the end in a burst of triumph and heroism. Good for epic battle, fight to the finish, dark action. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow, Medium, Fast / 0 BPM]
A fast, dramatic and powerful blockbuster music track featuring an aggressive string section, large brass ensemble and loud, epic mixed choir. Very epic and awe inspiring music. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 80 BPM]
A ghoulish groove shrouded in mystery, atmospheric and forward moving. Ideal music for scenes in the sci-fi, horror or mystery genres. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 104 BPM]
Imagine a word at the edge of the galaxy, dark with mysterious creatures. This music sets a Hollywood space scene, the use of vintage synths give a strange feel to the cue. Strong use of drums towards the later end of the song increases the mysterious feel and dynamic rage for an epic climax. [Tempo: Medium / 127 BPM]
Pulsing and bouncy music track, featuring introspective piano and rugged synthesizer that create intrigue and mystery. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 120 BPM]
Battle drums / marching percussion. A combination of orchestral percussion and ethnic / tribal drums. Suitable for battle, fight, chase, conflict, etc. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 102 BPM]
Cinematic action/adventure score starting with just horns before intense percussion, string motiff and dissonant orchestra lead the chase with a sense of urgency. Good for battles, racing against the clock, tense dramas, danger and peril ala Snow White, Hunger Games etc. [Tempo: Fast / 120 BPM]
A pensive and mystical, semi-orchestral music track with staccato strings and a sense of tension building. Dramatic / Thriller / Crime Music. [Tempo: Medium / 80 BPM]
An epic and rousing track for sci-fi, adventure, epic scenes. Features actual live performed orchestral instruments in combination with samples. Strong, valiant feel, with a methodical, slow march rhythm. Amazement / Glory. Good for science fiction. Big orchestral sound with choir. [Tempo: Slow / 90 BPM]
A somewhat mystical and intriguing, orchestral score for drama, family adventure, fantasy or storytelling. Slightly quirky and stormy, this piece has a sense of intrigue, wonder - and perhaps a new angle? [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 120 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]
A suspenseful and intense cue which creates an ominous, threatening and foreboding feeling. Distorted guitars, piano and electronic elements all come together to create a tense and apocalyptic sound. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 120 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]
Mystery / Intrigue / Suspicion. Subtle rhythm loop with gloomy electric piano and uneasy strings. Perhaps analysis, clues, mystery, or a story taking a dark turn… [Tempo: Slow / 86 BPM]
A dark, brooding underscore for mystery and tension. Sci-fi / Futuristic; can also be desert / wasteland, abandoned warehouse or other location. Doom laden, cold, desolate. Threatening / uneasy. There is also a "No Drums" version which works well as a dark ambient background track. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 90 BPM]
Percussive rhythms and undulating synths create a fresh and exotic, dark vibe well suited to post-apocalyptic scenes as well as technology and sleek design advertising. [Tempo: Medium / 96 BPM]
Cinematic dramatic action track with deep and dark vibe and growing tension. Good for jungle and forest scenes, ambush in the battle, war and special military operations, spy films and videos. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 120 BPM]
A dark, foreboding choir and plaintive harp suddenly explode into a torrent of sound that spirals through distortion before returning to the choir and harp once again for the final bars. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 110 BPM]
Atmospheric Thomas Newman-style trailer music drone that slowly builds up to an action climax with cinematic drums and staccato synthstrings. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 140 BPM]
A dark, cold and damp TV or film underscore cue. Pensive, unnerving and unsettling, this piece is suitable for a scene in a crime mystery, horror flick or perhaps a criminal documentary featuring evil or the occult, gruesome discoveries in forensics. Soundscapes. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 85 BPM]
Brooding atmospherics as a distant vocal drifts across a deep menacing soundscape. At 1:38 soaring chords take the forefront offering hope & dignity. The track resolves with a feeling of pride and optimism. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 0 BPM]
A track that slowly crescendos, building on a foundation of synth and horns, accented with violin ostinatos. A powerful, resolute statement. (Stem files available.) [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 78 BPM]
Dark, eerie, ominous, brooding, evil, atmospheric, determined, moody, haunting electro-cinematic rock track with a great sense of suspense, drama & foreboding. mix of synths, drum loops & guitar samples. Would suit action / filmic / halloween / horror / thriller type projects. [Tempo: Medium / 110 BPM]
Dreamatic, slightly dark, cult music, eerie, sinister undertones, alternative. Electric guitar, rhythm, synth, strings, choir, horns. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 116 BPM]
Dark and ominously hybrid tension music with electronica elements, pulsating rhythm, deep, impactful taiko percussion, and ambient pads. Suitable for suspenseful film scenes, thriller documentaries, and crime investigation podcasts. (Stem files available.) [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 100 BPM]
Deep, dark and brooding synths combine in a strange rhythmical glory. Weird and wonderful, works great with technology advertising and futuristic scenes. Electronic / 80's / Future Music. [Tempo: Medium / 110 BPM]
A busy, whimsical and mischievous orchestral cue. Playful, but a bit naughty or evil. Good energy level. A fun, filmscore, orchestral romp! Inspired by Tim Burton / Danny Elfman. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 161 BPM]
Tough to describe in words. A hypnotic dance throb runs through this fairly avante garde track as various synth leads come in and out. Very spacey and yet relentlessly trance inducing. Brings visions of an underground pumping, sweaty nightclub scenario to mind. [Tempo: Medium / 111 BPM]
Modern rock tune featuring a bass guitar riff and sparse synths with a serious attitude. Dark and mysterious. This track almost has an eerie feel with an infectious groove. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 86 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]
Horror Mystery Soundtrack. Rhythmic / Twisted / Tribal / Chase / Urgent. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 0 BPM]
A subtlely dark, stealthy and mysterious track that is also smooth and flowing. A versatile atmospheric background template. Foreboding / Fiction / Unknown. [Tempo: Slow / 80 BPM]
An open, transparent underscore music with a somewhat mysterious, pensive tone. Echoey guitars over a slightly dark drone. Thoughtful and reflective, perhaps regret or waiting for something. The end part takes on a more assertive, gloomy, doom laden feel. Also available as an Underscore version, and as a version without the drums. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 90 BPM]
Dark, eerie, mystical soundscapes, with a tribal, ethnic, jungle feel. Mystery / Suspense / Tension. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 0 BPM]
This track is a frightening dark ambient music bed that is well suited for horror, thrillers, suspense, fantasy footage, as welll as video games. It has haunting overtones that make a nice tension builder. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 0 BPM]
Full of atmospheric soundscapes, this cinematic music track is rich with retro synths, and creative sound design drones. Futuristic / Dark / Eerie / Emotional music. [Tempo: Slow / 80 BPM]
A sparse track with a dark, grimy, gloomy, foreboding, raw, naked sound. Features heavily distorted guitar and ambient percussion. [Tempo: Slow / 104 BPM]