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.
Epic, dramatic and aggressive trailer music track made with massive hybrid sound design, aggressive cinematic orchestra and hard hitting epic drums. Trailer structure, three big parts with many stopping points for easier editing. Dark / Aggressive / Dramatic Music. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 0 BPM]
A slowly building suspense music track featuring cinematic mood of orchestra, ambience and mandolins, all of which give this track unique sonic touch and a chilling, moving feel. [Tempo: Medium / 90 BPM]
A Percussion Only track, with marching snares, military march. Occasional big drum strikes. Useful for scenes of battle, chase, urgency, action. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Very fast / 95 BPM]
Synth and orchestra, in the style of modern thrillers like the Bourne movies. The music keeps the suspense going yet doesn't get big or overly busy. Perfect under dialog. Perhaps someone is being followed, without their knowledge. Things are quiet now, but conflict looms ahead. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 87 BPM]
A Percussion Only track, with big pounding drums in various more and less intense patterns. Useful for sound design, film scoring, games and more. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast, Very fast / 150 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 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]
Stalkers, serial killers, crime scenes, murder, twisted plots and Investigation Discovery shows. The chaotic and evil sounding prepared piano and sound design creates evil thoughts of Halloween, ghosts, cults and the supernatural. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 120 BPM]
A suspenseful, tense theme. Orchestral hybrid that features a simple haunting cello solo. The piece grows over time and incorporates an ethereal piano and high whispered strings. Fitting for a modern suspense thriller or horror movie. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 70 BPM]
Pensive, ominous orchestral film soundtrack. Secret mission, danger, impending hostilities, undercover or covert mission, military build-up, international conflict, serious consequences. The second half of the track has a much busier mood and more percussive production, and can be used for a separate cue, or as part of the main track. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 118 BPM]
Soothing, tranquil and yet slightly mysterious and uneasy orchestral piece. Unusual blend of piano, strings and ambient synth sounds to make this track a little journey through different moods. Contains piano, strings, synths and drums. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 70 BPM]
Electric track with drone type of sound. Dark / Sci-fi etc. [Tempo: Medium / 120 BPM]
Soundtrack / Sci-fi / Space / Fantasy. This dark and ominous track suggests that there is danger around the corner. Could work in scenes involving exploration or tension. The climax in the middle could be used to denote some type of discovery. [Tempo: Slow / 103 BPM]
Classic horror flick type material, with mystical chords and stabbing rhythms. Hypnotic feel. The creepy crawlies are out to get you! [Tempo: Slow / 84 BPM]
This track has an eerie and deranged mood. It has hints of psychosis and insanity and features the main melody played on a detuned toy music box. It would be well suited for footage and video games about horror, suspense, fantasy and paranormal subject matter. [Tempo: Slow / 0 BPM]
A Percussion Only track, with big pounding drums in various more and less intense patterns. Useful for sound design, film scoring, games and more. [Tempo: Medium / 150 BPM]
Dramatic and mystical film score/soundtrack made with orchestra and synths. Spy / Mystery / Crime / Action Music. [Tempo: Medium / 100 BPM]
Action, dramatic and epic track made with percussion, orchestra and more. Great for creating tension and a dramatic atmosphere in your project. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 70 BPM]
A mysterious cloud of sounds made up of guitar effects and synths creates a sense of subtle uneasiness. About halfway in, the action intensifies with big drums ushering in a sense of urgency. The music later dissolves to the same sense of mystery it started with. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 95 BPM]
Methodical pulsating bass, ethnic percussion, and a powerful deep kick. Methodical and cold, with an atmosphere of dystopia, suspicion, foreboding and mystery. Suitable for hacker documentaries, crime series, undercover operations, investigations, etc. (Stem files available.) [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 100 BPM]
High-intensity, electronic film trailer music, with strong, unrelenting bass and drum tracks and an ever-building array of orchestral instruments. The grand instrumentation and driving energy provide a clear sense of urgency that climbs until the very final moments of the piece. [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]
Dark, aggressive Score track with hard, distorted e-guitars, synths and metallic industrial drumsounds. Energetic and menacing. Good for action and suspense. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 120 BPM]
Deep, ominous and distorted opening into hard-hitting orchestral and electronic impacts. Violent. Epic / Action / Trailer Music. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 120 BPM]
Pattern based 20th Century minimalist music. Surreal, Rhythmic, Underscore, Tension. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 132 BPM]
Sneaky, slow, somewhat dark "spy funk" track with electro / dub influences and occasional lead guitar lines. Good for Crime in Progress, Spy / Agent, Secret Mission, undercover police operation, forensic investigations etc. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 130 BPM]
Dark, atmospheric and eerie music track made with hybrid synths. Suitable for a main theme or as a part of the soundtrack. Scifi / horror / thriller music. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 120 BPM]
Brooding and ominous, this dark tension & horror track grows from a quiet drone and builds to an intense atonal conclusion. (Stem files available.) [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast, Very fast / 0 BPM]
A feeling of suspense and eerieness. Chase, suspense, urgent, uneasy, tension, anticipation. Sneaky tension. World percussion, strings, horns, synths. [Tempo: Medium / 83 BPM]
A dark and ominous underscore with ambient guitar sounds. Mysterious and with a feeling of unbearable heat, or a dark, damp place. Think Breaking Bad, Banshee or other modern western, or doom laden TV / Film music. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 90 BPM]
Action-packed orchestral chase scene with traditional Arabic musical influences. Harmonic minor scale. Featuring dramatic strings and drums, with the occasional sting of the dulcimer. Perfect for a fight, race, or epic battle scene. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 118 BPM]
A pulsating tension track, combining electronic and orchestral elements. Serious, suspenseful, tension building and with a feeling of awe. The intensity increases throughout the track. Something big is approaching, as this cinematic music moves toward a strong conclusion. (Stem files available.) [Tempo: Medium / 0 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 dark, suspenseful track for horror and grisly scenes - made with dark, edgy, violent sound design and epic drums. [Tempo: Slow / 65 BPM]
Mystery or investigation underscore track. Spatial and transparent in sound. Good for science, analysis, forensics, crime investigation, information technology, biology, chemistry, medicine, info-tech, investigative journalism. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 110 BPM]
Ever felt that you were being watched by someone? Your every move being monitored from afar. A sinister, fevered, twisted and unnerving piece. Contains violins, cellos, xylophones, string plucks and some quite twisted melodies that slowly unfold, creating lots of tension. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 75 BPM]
A slow building, pulsating futuristic track in the style of Batman, Tron, Watchmen and Star Trek. Deep percussion and flowing strings make this track dramatic and dark yet inspiring and uplifting. In the style of Steve Jablonsky, Hans Zimmer, John Williams and James Horner. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 152 BPM]
A stirring and uneasy, urgent feeling, underscore for film/drama. Tension / Unease / Urgency / Foreboding. Great for things like a courtroom drama or perhaps police, detective work, crime in progress, etc. (Stem files available.) [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 70 BPM]
Electronic underscore with warm piano, spacey synthesizer and lush pads. Explorer, keep moving forward feel. Mystical, eerie. [Tempo: Medium / 120 BPM]
A dark, pulsing tension piece. Orchestra mingling with electronic loops and huge drums support a possible military/espionage narrative or just as easily, a dark hero's charge into the inevitable. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 94 BPM]
Neo-classical music for film, videos, cinematic storytelling and other media. Uneasy / Urgent / Danger building. Orchestra with piano, a timeless classic movie sound. Great for film noir, mysteries, jealousy, crime drama etc. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 132 BPM]
A Percussion Only track, with big pounding drums in various more and less intense patterns. Useful for sound design, film scoring, games and more. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 140 BPM]
Starting small with a sense of isolation and tension, the drama gradually intensifies, ending with an epic final note. A modern combination of piano, guitar, synths, percussion and strings. [Tempo: Slow / 90 BPM]
A mysterious cinematic thrill ride with tense edgy percussion, strings, harp, brass, pizzicato. Good for reality television, trailers, action, adventure, advertisements, and any production needing relentless heart pounding excitement. [Tempo: Fast / 121 BPM]
An epic, rising track. Suspenseful, with deep bass, risers, whooshes and ominous strings. This track has a serious, foreboding feel and a powerful orchestral + percussion sound, with some hybrid / digital elements too. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 90 BPM]
A dark, mysterious track with an unusual instrumention of a jazz group. Classic, old school Horror type cue. The Zodiac Killer would probably listen to this as he stalked his next victim. [Tempo: Slow / 110 BPM]
Sneaky, suspicious, ambient track with a sense of future, sci-fi, space. Could be good for a scene of exploring a dangerous place, abandoned spaceship or warehouse, strange alien planet, etc. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 47 BPM]
For sinister characters with murder on their minds or other scenes of darkness and danger this track fits the bill. Features percussion, harp, piano and various sfx. Perfect for TV dramas such as Dexter, Criminal Minds, CSI etc. [Tempo: Slow / 90 BPM]
Energetic percussion opens the track, soon replaced with an epic, heroic melody performed by orchestra and choir. Music grows in intensity. Final section soars with high stings and climaxes with a patriotic, militaristic heroic melody. [Tempo: Medium / 140 BPM]
Tense, building free jazz underscore. Pulsing,hypnotic,and intense low-tempo track,with atmospheric synth sounds and a slow build up. It brings to mind a sense of danger and anticipation. Nice for productions that require a dense, dark and a bit scary backdrop, such as features and TV shows. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 130 BPM]
