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.
Use of Eastern percussion to bring across the clash of the titans on the battlefield, coming face to face with your adversary. Gearing for war, high impact, action, battle, fight, conquest, confrontation, combat. Recorder, shakers, dufflis, duff, dhol. [Tempo: Fast / 135 BPM]
World percussion, strings, low pianos, synth. A piece full of thrills. thriller, chiller, dangerous situation, hair raising, spine chilling, adventurous. Chase, urgent, stressed. [Tempo: Slow, Fast / 135 BPM]
A rather dark and ominous amazement / drama track. Chanting choir, stabbing brass and percussion, a sinister undertone tells of perhaps religious rituals, cult, majestic uprising, dark magic or sacrifice, determined evil powers gathering. Dark history, mystery, mythology. Foreboding, threatening. [Tempo: Medium / 83 BPM]
A strong, powerful, menacing, epic filmscore track. Symphonic orchestra and choir mixed with techno/industrial elements to create a feel of futuristic or modern warfare, mechanoids, space battle, transformers fighting, brawling or stand-off. Suitable for future / sci-fi / metal and glass, fire and destruction, dramatic trailers, battle / chase / conflict / war scenes. Also available as a Rock Mix with added power guitars and rock drums, and as an alternative version without the choir. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 123 BPM]
An ominous, edgy, tense, semi-orchestral and semi-industrial action soundtrack. Orchestra with epic percussion, majestic sounding choir. Glorious / glorifying but also tense / terror / dark power, with a technology / mechanical edge. Good for dramatic trailers, modern and futuristic warfare, battle / fight, sci-fi and fantasy, action adventure, raw/violent sports footage and more. Also available as a Rock Mix with added power guitars and rock drums, and as an alternative version without the choir. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 136 BPM]
Majestic and dark, this fantasy inspired passage canters towards wavering violins at 00:41. [Tempo: Very fast / 110 BPM]
Tensile, unearthly washes stretched over a deep sonic rumble. Ominous, discordant & menacing. Very uneasy, sneaky, mysterious, a little bit psychotic. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 0 BPM]
A sense of impending doom builds from distant bells to sinister cellos, drums & a climax at 2:45. [Tempo: Slow / 85 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]
Film / TV Series / Game underscore track. Both ambient and rhythmic, the track has a strong sense of a stealth mission. Sneaking, hiding, sniping, etc. In addition to the main mix, there is also an 'alternative mix' that cuts out some of the instruments, leaving a more sparse sound, perhaps even better for background use. Of the 8 loops available, the first 5 are taken from the main mix and the last 3 from the alternative mix. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 108 BPM]
A dark, pensive and very tense film underscore track using staccato string section, unintelligible whispers, ethnic percussion. A very serious tone which sets the scene for crime, thriller, international conspiracies, terrorists, etc. [Tempo: Medium / 80 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]
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]
Dark, eerie, mystical soundscapes, with a tribal, ethnic, jungle feel. Mystery / Suspense / Tension. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 0 BPM]
A dark, cinematic and dramatic piece. Inspired by film noir and classic horror stories, as well as newer dark and quirky films by Tim Burton or soundtrack work by Danny Elfman. A tasty slice of evil... Strings, oboe, piano, toy musical box... [Tempo: Slow / 64 BPM]
A quirky and odd production music track with naive bells and a slight 'medieval' touch of harpsichord. Like an old house with secrets, perhaps something that would go in a dark comedy, a Halloween related production or a haunted house music. [Tempo: Medium / 105 BPM]
"Constructing the Machine". A pulsing and building orchestral thriller montage cue underscoring anything from working mathematical formulas to constructing a time machine. Rhythmic percussion, brass, strings, ambient fx, electronic instruments. [Tempo: Medium / 128 BPM]
A pensive and mysterious underscore, suitable for crime investigation, dark drama or documentary. Nervous and with a sense of movement, ticking time, hidden clues waiting to be discovered. [Tempo: Medium / 80 BPM]
A foreboding and ominous film soundtrack underscore. Deep drums, atmospheric swirls and drones create a ticking, pensive, rhythmic background highly suitable for crime thriller, dark drama, investigative mystery. Hidden clues, a dangerous situation, or perhaps unveiling a dark secret? [Tempo: Medium / 81 BPM]
Underlying tension. A dark and creepy underscore track for horror or dark drama, criminal documentary or crime scene investigation. What gruesome discovery lies behind the next turn? A nervous, pensive background track. Clanky percussion, deep drones and a serious, tense undertow. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 115 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, crime scene investigation, etc. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 0 BPM]
An unsettling and nervous film or television underscore cue. A repetitive rhythm gives the piece a pensive feel and the uneasy drones and pads brings a sense of terrible realization or an unfolding mystery. Great for crime investigation, horror, dark drama, documentary and more. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 91 BPM]
Funky yet slightly sinister bouncey dance track. Synth basses, leads and drum loops. The chorus brings uplifting string and electric piano stabs and lines. Like Kraftwerk jamming with Earth, Wind and Fire... if only. Would suit thriller, spy/sci-fi or action projects. [Tempo: Medium / 100 BPM]
Live chamber orchestra, string section playing a classical / filmscore theme with a sense of urgency and development. [Tempo: Fast / 122 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 twisted, dark and discordant waltz opens this dynamic epic track of courage and determination that also shows a sad and tragic emotional side. Voices create a medieval undertone. The track finishes with dark orchestral stabs and hangs on a barely resolved violin phrase. Good for dark battle, epic defeat. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 0 BPM]
This dynamic track starts with unsettling intrigue and suspense, and develops into a flight-for-life. A broad orchestral theme tugs at the heart as the prey is mercilessly pursued. A sustained chord at the end leaves this track unresolved. Good for suspense, drama, thriller, horror. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow, Medium / 0 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]
Tense orchestral track that starts ominously, suggesting something evil is lurking then suddenly it grabs you. Powerful and bone chilling perfect for horror, nature documentaries and Jaws sound-alikes. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 67 BPM]
A creature from beyond time and space appears, accompanied by massive, cinematic, trailer-style orchestra and choir! [Tempo: Fast / 151 BPM]
A percussion driven track, good for a military march scene. Note: This track starts *very* quietly and grows in a very slow crescendo. You will hardly hear anything until it starts to build up enough volume around 00:30 onwards. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 98 BPM]
A wide, brooding cinematic soundscape featuring spacey pads, a rhythmic topline and deep, distant drum fills. Evoking images of distant horizons, infinite space or world changing natural events. Suggests documentary style programming covering ecology, science & technology, future cataclysmic events and large scale discoveries. [Tempo: Medium / 123 BPM]
An intense electronic action track. with massive drums, synth sounds and drones, an action-packed thrill-ride track perfect for emphasizing your next movie project. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 120 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]
An eerie track with elements of dark dub, hip-hop and downtempo ambient music. Has a unique sound / style and a cool hip hop beat with echoing female voices. Rough / Cool / Mysterious. Good for analysis, rough background groove, corporate use, inner city dark vibes, etc. [Tempo: Slow, Very slow / 79 BPM]
This track is recorded with a real live orchestra. A dramatic, at times disturbing, urgent and very nervy track for action, horror, chase, monsters, epic trailers, fantasy fight scene and more. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 0 BPM]
Is this business as usual or a front for an illegal operation? Suspenseful underscore, featuring odd-meter orchestral/electronic rhythmic vamp which gives the feeling of a working process, but at the same time of mischief, something not-quite-right. Good for mystery films and documentaries on crime. Key of D, 104 bpm. [Tempo: Slow / 103 BPM]
Edgy and dramatic percussive impact. Tense and aggressive music, with a tribal feel. Trailer / Battle / Epic Futuristic Music. [Tempo: Fast, Very fast / 130 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]
Robert Schumann, Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26, IV. Intermezzo in E-flat minor. Performed live in studio by renowned concert pianist Vadim Chaimovich, exclusively for Shockwave-Sound.com. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 0 BPM]
A Percussion Only track, with big pounding drums in various more and less intense patterns. Useful as music for sound design, film scoring, games and more. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 80 BPM]
Edgy and suspense cinematic music track made with orchestra, synths and other various effects. Action / Spy / Tension Music. [Tempo: Medium / 120 BPM]
Warm and ambient music, featuring pulsing bass patterns and smooth textures that create a mood of intrigue. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 120 BPM]
Heavy and edgy music, featuring a gritty electric guitar riff, driving drums, buzzy synth, epic piano and percussive hits that create a bold and rebellious mood. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 120 BPM]
Dark and pulsing music track, featuring tense strings, electronic textures and sparse punchy percussion creates a foreboding and fearful mood [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 120 BPM]
Floating and building music track, featuring pulsing electronic elements, dark atmospheric textures and dramatic percussion that creates tension. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 128 BPM]
Dark and gritty music featuring an introspective piano melody and underlying guitar riff and drone textures that create a reflective and suspenseful mood. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 112 BPM]
A dark and intense music track, slowly building from a quiet and suspense atmosphere. Evolves into a big, and powerful track loaded with orchestral and hybrid sounds, accompanied with choir. Epic / Sci-Fi / Future Music. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 75 BPM]
A mystical and quirky track made with orchestra and sound design. No divided parts, soundtrack styled. Background music / horror / tension / spooky / eerie / quirky. [Tempo: Slow / 120 BPM]
A dark, cinematic music track filled with ambience and mystical drone sounds, which slowly evolve into a massive epic track . It is a combination of machine sounds, synths and classical orchestra, featuring symphonic choir at the end of the music track. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 120 BPM]