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 lonely music box melody builds to a full orchestra before ending as it begins. Dark, tense and climactic but not too scary, family oriented horror. Good for trailers, video games, cartoons, halloween, quirky Tim Burton type films and even commercials. [Tempo: Slow / 70 BPM]
Useful for animation and short animated story. To show the character or main hero who looks out and trys to find enemies or bad guys lurking somewhere out. Mysterious and enigmatic, with percusive ethnic instruments, more agressive and dynamic in second part, preaparing for some kind of climax part which has will happen soon after... a battle or combat. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 88 BPM]
Dramatic, hypnotic & edgy electro-rock track with great nervous tension and forward momentum. Would suit medical / spy / mystery / thriller type drama projects. [Tempo: Medium / 97 BPM]
Spacious, cinematic, beautiful, ethereal, dramatic & magical music using plucked strings, choir, synth & percussion to create an dreamy, edgy, nervous soundscape with sinister, brooding & haunting overtones. Thoughtful, atmospheric, climactic & sometimes a little scary. Come out from behind the sofa. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 110 BPM]
Beginning with a dark and eerie bass drone filled with suspense and intrigue and accompanied by old west style guitar licks, this down-tempo trip hop trickle evolves into a full scale torrent of aggressive, slamming rock guitar driven mayhem. Ideal for gaming - especially cut scenes - but also great for use in extreme sports and advertising. The tension rises... this can only end one way! [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 58 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 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]
Urgent and dramatic electro underscore. Powerful yet unobtrusive. [Tempo: Medium / 120 BPM]
A Percussion Only track, with marching snares, military march. Occasional big drum strikes. Useful for scenes of battle, chase, urgency, action. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 100 BPM]
Epic and massive music track featuring big cinematic orchestra and powerful energetic drums. The structure is made of one piece (loopable, no divided parts). Epic / Battle / Determined Music. [Tempo: Medium / 120 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]
Neo-classical, film score, cinematic type soundtrack based on staccato strings, piano and bells. Determined, pensive, with an underlying energy, like a developing story, or piecing together clues and information. [Tempo: Medium / 128 BPM]
A dark dystopian landscape with a driving rhythmic bass, pounding drums and blistering feedback. Resolves at 1:10 with a huge sweeping chord. [Tempo: Medium / 100 BPM]
A mystical and ethereal track that will work for scenes of fantasy, dreaming and fantasy. [Tempo: Slow / 75 BPM]
Restrained aggression boiling over and unleashed, creates a state of panic. Ideal tool for sci-fi, extreme sports, mystery, crime, fight, chase and action scenes. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 84 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]
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]
Fast and urgent orchestral action music, coloured with electronic drums. Great for actions and thrillers. A sense of pressure is very prominent, with pounding brass, stabbing strings and thunderous percussion. [Tempo: Fast / 160 BPM]
Electronic underscore with large percussion, warm synth tones, buzzy synth appregios and complex Moog undertones. Sports, Crime, Automotive. [Tempo: Medium / 120 BPM]
Orchestral tension, movie soundtrack underscore. Tension, disturbing, anxious. [Tempo: Medium, Slow / 115 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]
Dark and cinematic cue with a reflective beginning and builds to a tense and emotional climax. Starting with simple piano before strings and horns slowly creep in. Great for movies and documentaries. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 120 BPM]
A somewhat dark and mystical, edgy, cinematic trailer type track. Fluttering and deliberately "broken", this track has the sense of something uneasy, unstable, simmering just beneath the surface. Think demon worship, the occult. The track changes from mystical / foreboding passages to more aggressive, staccato, percussive parts, with sudden stops and starts that can be used as edit points. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 84 BPM]
These dark horror cues can be classed either as "music cues" or "sound effects", as in reality they function as both. They are all recorded with a large, live symphony orchestra with the same quality as any soundtrack from big budget movies. The effects are easy to loop and edit, and can be tailored to fit any cue, as they can be used from virtually any point. Consider them a construction kit to score horror, mystery and dark drama. Recorded, mastered, and delivered to you in pristine 24-bit audio. Also look for YS Horror Cues 21-40 and YS Horror Cues 41-60. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow, Medium / 0 BPM]
Driving string ostinatos begin this tension filled track, featuring cool synth lines, ambient pads, piano, and grooving drum beats. Good for an adventurous reality game show or an action packed thriller. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 86 BPM]
A foreboding and tension-building music track combining Cinematic and Electronic elements, using a blend of synths and symphonic sounds combined. Suitable for mystery and dramatic scenes. Awe / Amazement / Mystery / Drama / Darkness Music. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 80 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 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]
Minimal piano leads into an ominous, dark, heroic orchestral music theme. Tension / Dystopia / Edgy music. [Tempo: Slow, Fast / 150 BPM]
A full on dramatic action track, great for big superhero style trailers, or modern powerful sci fi films. Mixing traditional scoring orchestral elements with modern futuristic glitched style synths, this track is perfect for that big budget trailer sound, or for an epic dramatic action film. [Tempo: Slow / 78 BPM]
Action thriller track made with synths, effects, orchestra and percussion. Atmosphere, tension, suspense and action - with a modern or futuristic feel. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 90 BPM]
A swing jazz band playing on top of a bed of scary string tremolos and SFX. A pause at 1:42. Afterwards, brass instruments return with some crazy noodling. Unsettling, a bit psychedelic, perhaps losing grip on reality. [Tempo: Medium / 115 BPM]
Quiz show, tension music bed, building up to the name of the winner being announced. The style is reminiscent of 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' quiz show or 'The Weakest Link'. Tension building underscore, perfect for revealing who the winner is or whether that cash winning answer is correct. [Tempo: Medium / 112 BPM]
Horns and percussion build tension, joined by an urban beat and strings. Could be perfect for any kind of preparation for a sports game, college exam, or just to illustrate someone's determination and will to succeed. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 125 BPM]
Jazzy Experimental abstract track with a cinematic touch . [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 95 BPM]
A dark, pulsating and suspenseful track featuring dramatic strings, brass, percussion. A feeling of urgency, tension and dangerous situation. Brooding / Tense / Uneasy / Apprehensive. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 140 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]
Atmospheric piano intro growing in epic powerful music and percussive orchestral theme. Dark / Strong / Epic music / Powerful. [Tempo: Slow, Fast / 150 BPM]
Tense, indecisive, foreboding, listless and restless. Swell near end delivering to lingering tension that can resolve or be left hanging. Good for drama, intrigue, moral dilemma, daytime drama, troubled romance. This track is recorded with a real live philharmonic orchestra. [Tempo: Slow / 0 BPM]
A spooky and mysterious cinematic music composition with ever-evolving harmonies and scary vibe, with a tongue-in-cheek / fun mystery vibe. Great for Halloween-related videos, films and projects, magic music and mischief! [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 130 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]
Suspense ambient track. It features dark soundscapes, synth melody and electronic loops. [Tempo: Medium / 95 BPM]
Sneaky, gloomy, pensive, dark and suspenseful underscore. Subtle, pulsating percussion, mystery guitar notes, low key staccato strings and occasional subtle marching snare. Nervous strings. Great for spy, thriller, mystery, undercover or secret missions - hiding, sneaking. [Tempo: Slow / 91 BPM]
A tense, dark battle between 2 opposing sides, fighting till the end. Strong use of strings with a mixture of synthesis to give the track a technical edge. Dynamic conclusion of epic instrumentation and frantic drums to bring the track to the end. [Tempo: Slow / 120 BPM]
An epic blockbuster track featuring suspense orchestra combined with big risers and trailer impacts. Suitable music for epic trailers and powerful, high impact footage. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 90 BPM]
Eerie, tense, percussive soundscape with a relentless spooky melody, dark metalic FX and flute sweeps. Atmospheric with a sense of suspense and imminent danger. Menacing and sinister. 48 hours, The Mentalist, Castle, Alien Invasion, crime drama, horror, Sci-Fi. [Tempo: Slow / 78 BPM]
Dark and pulsating, mystery or thriller underscore. Ominous, suspicious, with pulse bass alternating with bass guitar, and echoey percussion. Great tension track for use with police investigation, spy thriller, criminals / crime in progress, break-in, stake-out, clandestine mission, etc. (Stem files available.) [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 76 BPM]
Majestic and dark, this fantasy inspired passage canters towards wavering violins at 00:41. [Tempo: Very fast / 110 BPM]
Disturbing, distorted, uneasy and malevolent. Highly suitable for scifi, game, thriller or action film. String lines nervous and staccato, dissonant string stabs with busy percussion. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow, Medium / 112 BPM]
A dark, edgy and suspenseful music track featuring a hybrid sound of orchestra and electronics, with big percussion. Dangerous / Threatening / Tension building music. [Tempo: Medium / 164 BPM]