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.
An understated, darkly pensive, semi-orchestral, cinematic soundtrack with a sense of mystery, danger and ancient cultures. Great as a background for adventure, ethnic/world footage, mysterious worlds, dangerous journeys. [Tempo: Very slow / 0 BPM]
Nervous soundtrack underscore for a classic western style duel. A mysterious lone ranger rides into town, will there be another shootout at the OK Corral? Interspersed with occasional mexican flavors. [Tempo: Slow / 70 BPM]
A sneaky and creepy semi-orchestral soundtrack piece. Twitchy and nervous strings, scattered piano notes, metal clanks, subtle pulsating rhythms. Suitable for horror/scifi as well as for documentary, forensics, murder investigation etc. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 96 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]
Military / Science fiction soundtrack style. A slow, pensive and mysterious opening gives way after a couple of minutes to a pompous, staccato horn stabs and marching snares and all-out battle with horn stabs and fast congas. Sci-fi and battle/chase scenes. Ominous, dramatic, conflict. [Tempo: Medium / 80 BPM]
Staccato strings and synth pulse arpeggio. Military or science fiction cinematic sountrack style. Spluttering synthesizers, orchestral horn stabs, timpani, congas and snares. First half sneaky and building, dissonant, arm-up. Second half all-out battle, chase, action. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 100 BPM]
A darkly ambient, threatening and unnerving underscore. Suitable for tense and pensive drama scenes, reality show, documentary, dangerious situations, nervous undertow. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 103 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 very dark film soundtrack underscore cue featuring bowed metals, drones and a subdued percussion section with a tribal feel. A few well placed spanish guitar tones adds a sense of drama and emotion. Great for thriller, crime mystery, documentary, urgent situation. [Tempo: Slow / 108 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 strange and unsettling semi-orchestral film underscore. Nervous and uncertain, swirling and clangy. Suitable for a very tense and pensive moment in a dark drama, horror, crime thriller or documentary. Carries a sense of hidden evil or a disturbing truth. [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]
Sneaky and darkly pensive underscore for drama or dark mystery. Perhaps crime scene investigation, criminal activity, lurking danger. Suitable for documentary, film score, TV drama or nervous tense moments of reality show etc. Sneaking pads, dark bass undertow, unnerving and twitchy strings. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 0 BPM]
A medium intensity underscore track for film or TV drama. A sense of mystery and passing time. Perhaps crime investigation, mysterious discoveries or waiting anxiously for the next development. Pensive, with a understated, slow rhythm. [Tempo: Slow / 78 BPM]
A transparent film or movie underscore, ambient but with a hint of emotion or personal intrigue. Good for a dark drama, mysterious or understated scene of discovery or reflection. [Tempo: Slow / 65 BPM]
A short film or television drama cue, suitable for crime thriller, mystery or an intense. Ticking rhythm, pensive movement, building to a crescendo. Perhaps a terrible realization or a gruesome discovery. [Tempo: Medium / 112 BPM]
A pensive, rhythmic underscore for a dark thriller, drama, crime mystery or documentary. The percussion carries a slightly ethnic or tribal feel, while the wailing, screeching metallic pads give the track a sense of fear, anxious waiting or nervous movement. Great for film, television drama, crime scene investigation, reality show and much more. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 86 BPM]
An ambient film soundtrack cue with a very mysterious edge. Pensive, slowly moving soundscape, like hiding, sneaking, or breaking and entering. A subtle rhythmic element enters about half way through along with a deep drone, giving the track a darker, more ominous edge. Great for crime thriller, investigative documentary, a tense moment during reality show or forensic investigation, etc. [Tempo: Slow / 109 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]
A building and pounding action cue with driving percussion rhythms, orchestral energy, and big drums, underscoring anything from a heist getaway to a battle between man and machine. Very much in the vein of John Powell's "Bourne" movies and the scores of Hanz Zimmer and Steve Jablonsky ("Batman Begins" and "Transformers"). [Tempo: Fast / 75 BPM]
An intense epic action cue that starts mysterious and builds to full out action with driving percussion rhythms, orchestral energy, and big drums, underscoring anything from a fast car chase to a battle between man and machine. Very much in the vein of John Powell's "Bourne" movies and the scores of Hanz Zimmer and Steve Jablonsky ("Batman Begins" and "Transformers"). [Tempo: Fast / 138 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]
Orchestral tension, movie soundtrack underscore. Tension, disturbing, anxious. [Tempo: Medium, Slow / 115 BPM]
Pensive and mysterious, rhythmic film/drama underscore. Science, technology, investigation, perhaps forensics or chemistry. Finding solutions, interpreting clues, maybe building up to something. [Tempo: Medium / 80 BPM]
A subtle underscore for film, drama, war/documentary, cultural, historical etc. Has a dark nerve, with a slightly Oriental sounding motif around the 1 minute mark, which is followed by a sorrowful, desolate piano theme and a crescendo at about 2 mins. [Tempo: Slow / 55 BPM]
A pair of brooding, dark, ominous pieces. Perhaps a dark sorcerer... Suitable for black magic, fantasy/sci-fi, visual presentations and more. Each one climaxes towards the end. [Tempo: Very slow / 94 BPM]
Suspenseful track with nervous strings and solemn, dignified brass. Like a hero in waiting, or awaiting onset of a battle. Foreboding, forewarning. Honor and valor. Also good for war documentary, etc. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 0 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]
A dark, stressed battle or conflict track. Pulsating, big ethnic percussion, darkly twisted orchestral textures, vocal chants. Danger, tense situation. Rock guitar enters the mix at about 02:40. [Tempo: Medium / 87 BPM]
A series of 4 pieces of textural, ambient, musical soundscapes. Suitable for documentary, cultural, history, archeology, travel and exploration, mystery and more. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 0 BPM]
Live chamber orchestra, string section playing a classical / filmscore theme with a sense of urgency and development. [Tempo: Fast / 122 BPM]
Sneaky, threatening, pensive, semi-orchestral rhythmic underscore. Use to illustrate danger, lurking enemies, suspicion and uneasy feeling, the sense of a threat hiding behind the next turn. Dangerous situation. Ominous, foreboding and sinister. Good for action-adventure, dramatic reality-TV, fantasy- or action games, spy thriller, police drama, and more. [Tempo: Medium / 90 BPM]
A swarm of rogue Robots is loose in the city: will our hero save the day? Orchestral, electronic and rock elements build a SciFi atmosphere with dynamic and tension shifts. Good for opening credits or action sequence score. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 123 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]
Predators are closing in, tension builds, an attempted escape, a chase. This is an fully orchestral cinematic score of underlying horror and suspense that builds up. Key of D, 120 bpm. [Tempo: Slow / 57 BPM]
Military style battle music for underscore, TV or video game. Features low brass, percussion and strings. [Tempo: Medium / 104 BPM]
Action build-up / Gear-up / Hollywood action/tech/scifi. A pensive and at times grand, heroic orchestral film soundtrack piece which blends electronic instruments and symphony orchestra for a technology / futuristic feel. This rather long track goes through various stages, some of which are pensive and foreboding, others more heroic, more regal and grand. This track will go well with any high-tech / sci-fi / war- or action film. (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 / 61 BPM]
Monolithic / Uprising / Doomsday / Awe / Amazement. Grand orchestral soundtrack depicting the rise of an awesome power. Judgment day. The hour of truth. Very ominous, malevolent, powerful. Dark, but triumphant, conquering. Good for fantasy, action, sci-fi, horror and adventure. (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: Slow / 60 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]
A grand, epic track that is not very aggressive or dark, but rather more illuminating, sacred, expectant. Rousing and regal, with a victorious / triumphant 'resolve' at the end. Good for fantasy, sci-fi, historical/cultural, grand entry, rising force, etc. Amazement / Heroism / Illumination / Uprising. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 150 BPM]
Pensive, percussive track with World / Ethnic undertones. Good for adventure, peril, expeditions and mystery. Travel show, documentary / history / geography / mythology etc. World heritage, with an element of danger and nerve. [Tempo: Medium / 110 BPM]
Pulsating sound design track with subtle but nervous percussion. Expectant, foreboding and slightly menacing. Good for use in thriller, action / adventure, sci-fi and sci-tek, future warfare, technology or suspense / action. Tense. Starts to build in intensity from 2:00 onwards and reaches a climax / crescendo at 02:55. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 115 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]
Driving and energetic orchestral/electronic track. Broody suspense building mood music for chase scenes and action sequences and high intensity situations. Suitable for film, TV and DVD documentary. CSI Miami, NCIS and Criminal Mind type music. Instrumental, Action Music, Action Thriller Electronic. [Tempo: Slow, Fast / 85 BPM]
A catchy, forward moving orchestral/electronic track suitable for action/thriller, featuring groovy drums and a powerful sub bass line that will give your project a nice touch. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 130 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]
Ambient, semi-orchestral track with suspended strings and deep percussion hits. This tense music cue has a sense of historic drama, lurking danger, impending tragedy, conflict and betrayal as war plots being brewed. Highly suitable as a soundtrack for historical documentary, drama, as medieval/fantasy material, be it films, fantasy games, TV specials or other installations. Easy loopable and editable. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 0 BPM]