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.
Jazzy, abstract intro. Grows in intensity as it goes along, and introduces new elements. Works well as an intro to something with high expectation. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 160 BPM]
This track is is an action filled cue that works well for escalating fight scenes, action sequences and something requiring a cue that builds wiht intensity. It begins with overtones of Asia and the Middle East, reminiscent of a kung-fu, or ancient ruins etc, and escalates into a cinematic techno hybrid that is energetic and thrilling. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 101 BPM]
A cinematic orchestral piece that evokes fear, sadness, anxiety, and magic. This track could work in scenes involving threat, supernatural forces or otherworldly and awe-inspiring locations. The middle section is quite dramatic. [Tempo: Medium / 92 BPM]
Ambient background track with an uneasy, pensive feel. Dark, ominous and threatening, this track suggests danger and death. The track could suit scenes in a graveyard or other dark place, or tense scenes where a character is sneaking around, trying to avoid being caught. Exploring at night, dangers lurking. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 0 BPM]
An epic and rousing track for fantasy, adventure, epic trailers. Emotional and lively, this track features big percussion, full orchestra and choir. Valiant and heroic. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 77 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 disturbing and horrific piece of music for use with horror, fright, terror and tension. Available in various different versions / mixes / lengths. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 150 BPM]
Sinister orchestra over an urban beat and retro style theremin. Spooky and atmospheric perfect for contemporary halloween and horror projects. [Tempo: Slow / 80 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]
A dark, rhythmic, orchestral track suitable for conflict, battle, chase or impending action. A methodical rhythm creates a sense of something relentless, malevolent. Builds to a climax towards the end. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 163 BPM]
Dramatic accented strings, heavy percussion, blasting brass and pulsating synths give this track a dramatic, epic and futuristic vibe. Intended for epic promos, video games, sports, trailer and dramatic radio cues. Also ideal for breaking news, tragedy, turmoil, tension and struggle in reality TV shows like Celebrity Apprentice, The Ultimate Fighter, Survivor, Fear Factor and The Bachelor. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 120 BPM]
A soundtrack that builds from deep anticipation into filtered drums, scattered instrumentation and an uneasy, thrilling sensation of discovery. Top & tailed with twisted, eerie strings giving a climactic feeling of fear & forboding. similar in style to US & Scandanavian TV crime drama scores or science & technology documentaries. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 100 BPM]
Cold, dystopian music. Foreboding. Ambient, haunting beginning and end parts and a more harsh middle section with violent, distorted stabs. Methodical, lost, spacey. Good for scifi, dark futures, space music, extraterrestrial exploration, etc. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 75 BPM]
Starts with an ominous repetitive low horn blow, and builds up towards a full orchestral and choir theme. Dark and powerful trailer music, inspired by mind bending, psychological and twisted up sci-fi action thrillers. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 100 BPM]
This cue is eerie and haunting with an epic and ominous, cinematic tone. It has a distinct mood that would be excellent in sci fi, espionage and projects requiring a hi tech cinema score. It features strings brass and cinematic percussion, synthesizers and action packed impacts and would make excellent a opening title, cinematic underscore or futuristic film trailer. It fuses influences from composers such as Hans Zimmer and John Powel and versatile enough to work in horror, suspense, psychological thrillers or video calling for a cue with a tense and mysterious nature. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 140 BPM]
This dark, suspenseful track builds tension with a combination of synth elements, huge percussion, and piano. Perfect for a reality TV show elimination scene, in which someone gets voted off, or a chase scene in a horror movie. [Tempo: Slow / 81 BPM]
Ethnic flutes and duduk, orchestra and percussion. Someone is on a long journey and is in a cold and foreign land. Great for travel documentaries or suspenseful scenes in TV and film. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 91 BPM]
A feeling of rising tension pervades this epic TV drama style track. Think 24. [Tempo: Medium / 124 BPM]
A dark, evil and emotive score. Very climatic, brilliant, intense and epic. Available with or without the dramatic choir section. [Tempo: Slow / 64 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]
A dark, gloomy, emotional and sorrowful underscore for sci-fi, thriller, mystery, or action drama. Conflict, unease, with an ethnic / world mystery undertow. Available with or without drums, and with or without a wailing, sorrowful, ethnic solo vocal. Desolate / Tense / Uncertain. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 90 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, sneaky, and malevolent sounding underscore for sci-fi, mystery and horror. For the most part dark ambient, but a section 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 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]
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]
A very dark and threatening orchestral soundtrack, featuring repeating waves of foreboding, ominous, menacing swells. Highly dramatic and spine chilling. Apocalypse / Emergency. [Tempo: Slow / 70 BPM]
An orchestral / Cinematic cue with a growing, increasing intensity throughout. Suitable for a scene that starts off suspiciously or tentatively, then activity increases and finally all is revealed. Good for adventure, fantasy, family movies, magic and mischief, exploration and more. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 70 BPM]
Strings and relentless edgy drums lead the way, building tension to a contemplative, dreamy middle section. It would be perfect for documentaries, films and advertising. Big ending would be great as a finale to a montage or action scene. The ending could also work well in an elimination scene in a reality show like Survivor or The Amazing Race. [Tempo: Slow / 91 BPM]
A mysterious, brooding opening soon gives way to an epic, dark track featuring orchestra, drums and choir. Huge climactic ending - great for trailers. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 95 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]
A percussive, suspenseful and threatening track with plenty of rhythmic synths and bass drops. Powerful brass theme creates a heroic mood, while electronic synths create an unusual mysterious sound. [Tempo: Medium / 130 BPM]
Opening with moving electronic sounds, and pounding drums, this is a powerful and cinematic track which creates a heroic and huge sound. An unusual mix of electronic and orchestral sounds which creates a dark and determined feeling. [Tempo: Medium / 100 BPM]
A cue consisting mainly of electronic sounds and synths. Large "bram" sounds from brass mixed with epic sounding strings which create a large cinematic sound. Distorted drums and driving guitars make this a huge sounding track. [Tempo: Medium / 110 BPM]
Opening with epic strings and huge sounding synths, this is a massive sounding track complete with risers and boomers for transitions. Perfect for an epic trailer - a huge sounding female choir joins in for the main theme. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 85 BPM]
Ominous synths with pounding drums set the scene, while solo violin creates a lyrical and emotional mood. Huge brass section enters at 0:55 to create a massive sounding theme along with violins and booming crunchy drums. Epic in every sense - good for a movie trailer. [Tempo: Slow / 125 BPM]
A dark piece with swelling tension and pounding drums. Your anti-hero will thank you. [Tempo: Slow / 80 BPM]
The massive brass and string stabs in this intense modern orchestral track will bring an epic jolt of energy to any production. Good for promos, commercials and trailers. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 144 BPM]
Big trailer style orchestra and choir. Starts small and moody and builds to an epic ending. Perfect for trailers, promos or epic battle scenes. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 120 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]
A tribal and primal sounding peace built on percussion grooves and mysterious, drone like synth pulses. Influences from ancient world cultures come together with futuristic, sci-fi type sounds, to create a fusion of past, present and future. Ominous, mysterious, tense. Think tribes, jungle, rainforest, world beat / mystery. [Tempo: Medium / 120 BPM]
A quirky, dark and staccato, almost broken-up piece of orchestral fantasy music, inspired by the styles of Tim Burton & Danny Elfman. Playful in a playfully dark, wicked way. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 102 BPM]
Inspired by 80's sci-fi and horror films revived today by Stranger Things. Ominous blend of synthesizers and orchestral tones, with a repetitive tense motif. Cinematic, Thriller, Suspense, Terror, Sci-Fi, Retro. [Tempo: Slow / 84 BPM]
Big, rugged action track, with mystery. Evokes a feeling of a inspired group marching toward a common goal. Also good for crime / crime in progress / criminal investigation, etc. Features large Epic Percussion. [Tempo: Medium / 120 BPM]
A tense, rhythmic, staccato track for secret missions and high pressure situations. [Tempo: Medium / 125 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]
Orchestra underscore. Cello and bass synth drive pace with piano, forboding brass and string lines. Espionage, spy theme feel. Crime, mystery, investigation. Dark, edgy. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 120 BPM]
Crime, drama underscore - eerie and dark with distorted undertones, bit crushed bass and piano. Uncomfortable and Tense. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 128 BPM]
An epic music track with a dark atmosphere and uprising mood. The track opens with a dark analog synth, layered with moody piano notes and effects. Cinematic strings and taiko drums help build tension to the main reveal. The main part of the track explodes with huge distorted drums, a call to action melody and epic string section. Suitable as music for video game and movie trailers, action scenes, scenes of battle or hero struggle. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 155 BPM]
A dark and pulsating blockbuster track, combining synth sounds with orchestral music. Suitable for movie scenes, thrillers, blockbusters, intense scenes and epic material. Cinematic / Heroic music / Amazement. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 125 BPM]
Serious, pensive, cinemematic underscore music with strings, piano and subtle beats. Foreboding / Suspenseful Music. [Tempo: Slow / 80 BPM]