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 unsettling track. Oboe and prepared piano weave their way through dark foghorn stabs and unearthly choral textures. (Stem files available.) [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 100 BPM]
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]
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 pulsing synthesizer sets the tone for a dark atmosphere in the beginning. Drums with a hint of bit-crushed distortion build up and then quiet down before a massive drop. The main drop hits with a huge impact of drums and low bass. Layered in electronic melody gives the track a modern and edgy feel, but keeps a serious tone. Resembles "Tron Legacy" soundtrack. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 70 BPM]
Atmospheric horror. For dark, brooding scenes, especially sci fi. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 0 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]
Cinematic style track built from loops. Cold piano is layered with percussion, horns, strings, and organ to create a driving mood. (Stem files available.) [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 99 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, edgy and suspenseful music track featuring epic percussion ensemble, strings and brass. Suitable for tension building and dramatic events. Brooding / Ominous music / Urgent / Threat. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 90 BPM]
Action oriented hybrid orchestral track, with a lot of metallic percussion and powerful blasts. Starts off with distorted electronic percussion and mystery strings, then develops into a powerful tense motif. Good for spy, military, invasion and high octane action. [Tempo: Medium / 110 BPM]
Deep, ominous and distorted opening into hard-hitting orchestral and electronic impacts. Violent. Epic / Action / Trailer Music. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 120 BPM]
A orchestral hybrid royalty free music cue, the use of 70's / 80's synths in combination with the common orchestra, this piece has a modern Sci-Fi feel with an A-list Hollywood production. The use of orchestral hits throughout this cue gives momentum and pace to any scene, as the piece concludes it ranges in dynamics to give the most dramatic end. Dramatic / Tension / Apocalypse Music. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 120 BPM]
Horror Mystery Soundtrack. Sickly / Underworld / Twisted Voices / Plague / Cold. [Tempo: Slow / 0 BPM]
An edgy and tense action track. Pounding percussion and staccato strings provide the forward-driving energy, and occasional blaring horns and an ethnic lute join in from time to time to provide additional drama and a bit of ethnic mystery to the intense action music. Suitable for tension, action, urgent operations, etc. (Stem files available.) [Tempo: Fast / 125 BPM]
The Third Reich is to Hitler what the Imperial March was for Darth Vader. It begins with a simple staccato violin pattern and flute melody until the call of horns introduces the ground-shattering beat, synonymous to the force of military tanks. When you thought things were rough, an epic finale kicks in. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 60 BPM]
Pulsing energetic percussive beat, dark and solemn , threatening, tense, and powerful, perfect for a war action scene. [Tempo: Medium / 83 BPM]
A dark and tension building cue, with a sense of urgency and imminent danger. Like a stalker on the trail of his prey. [Tempo: Medium / 101 BPM]
Percussion only track / Battle drums. Tracks with Drums only are useful for action sequences, fight scenes, war and battles, macho sports and exertion, powerful imagery, dramatic trailers and more. Also available as seamlessly looping Drum loops / Percussion loops. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 97 BPM]
Orchestral action piece with huge brass and drums implying suspense and building tension. Think espionage-laden chase. [Tempo: Slow, Fast / 90 BPM]
Somber and mysterious. An hypnotic and suspenseful piano with dark and shadowy strings. Great for suspense documentaries or crime scenes depiction. [Tempo: Slow, Fast / 120 BPM]
This track combines strange noises with unusual, repeated, freaky piano melodies. This would work well as part of a freaky dream or nightmare sequence. It also could work quite well in the horror genre or during a haunting. Also quite perfect for Halloween and haunted houses. [Tempo: Slow / 0 BPM]
A rather intense mix of orchestral and electronic music. It's progressive construction makes it a pretty good fit to any story based energetic montage. [Tempo: Medium / 88 BPM]
A rhythmic, dark, orchestral track of amazement and tension. Similar to the style/sound of Hans Zimmer music, this cinematic piece has a strong sense of nerve and drama.
[Tempo: Medium / 100 BPM]Pulsating low bass, rhythmic low percussion toms. Merging the aesthetics of tension with trailer music elements. Conveys a sense of threat, uncertainty, and horror. Suitable for dystopian sci-fi, action thrillers, crime dramas, spy / undercover agent, military operations or horror movie trailers. (Stem files available.) [Tempo: Medium / 100 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 / 9 BPM]
Intense piano and strings are soon joined by heavy urban drums. For setting an ominous, serious mood. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 84 BPM]
Epic, powerful and grand orchestral rock track with many sonic colours that starts quietly and beautifully but gradually builds into a monster as guitars crash in like a tidal wave. Would suit high drama/cinematic projects. [Tempo: Medium / 100 BPM]
Imagine walking through the ruins of a haunted castle at night, never knowing what night be round the next cobweb covered corner. A very black and sinister piece. Slow with a building tension. Contains synths, drum kit, guitars and bass. [Tempo: Slow / 68 BPM]
A lively, ominous and busy music track with a dark atmosphere, made only with orchestral instruments. The structure is divided into several parts, all connected and in the same mood. Bustling / Tension / Drama Music. [Tempo: Medium / 60 BPM]
A stormful, staccato, orchestral / cinematic piece for drama, tv, documentaries, period drama, nature and more. Urgent, active, dramatic, turmoil. [Tempo: Fast / 180 BPM]
Opening with a simple ambient piano motif, this track soon explodes into a dark, passion fuelled combination of distorted guitars and driving percussion - Dramatic / Aggressive / Futuristic. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 110 BPM]
The tension is high, preparations are place for the heist. All is going to plan but time is running out... will the robbers make it out in time before the authorities arrive? Orchestra, electric guitars, choir and synth. Music gets epic, trailer style with grinding processed guitars. For trailers, promos and action scenes (especially those involving a heist!). [Tempo: Fast / 148 BPM]
A menace lurks in the shadows, slowly creeping towards it's victim. OR: Someone enters a house, to make a gruesome discovery... Full orchestra with synth horror atmospherics. Ends with a big bang! [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 55 BPM]
A short track that tells of darkness and sadness. [Tempo: Medium / 90 BPM]
Atmospheric Thomas Newman-style trailer music drone that slowly builds up to an action climax with cinematic drums and staccato synthstrings. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 140 BPM]
Pulsing and bouncy music track, featuring introspective piano and rugged synthesizer that create intrigue and mystery. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 120 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]
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]
A powerful, ominous, epic royalty free music track featuring a pulsating clock, suspense ambience, and uprising force of the orchestra and large mixed choir. Suitable as music for epic and battle scenes. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 80 BPM]
Ominous thriller underscore. Piano theme joined by slowly rising strings and a low level rhythmic pulse. Subtle but serious -- suitable for political drama or thriller, law, action, crime or mystery. A sense of tragedy or serious consequences. [Tempo: Medium / 94 BPM]
Orchestral hits and numerous rises and falls make this a dramatic track that tells a story. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 125 BPM]
An epic orchestral track, great for scenes of a grand adventure, action, new discoveries, a fantasy world, an epic journey. It has a dramatic, awe-inspiring feel with a heroic and cinematic sound. [Tempo: Medium / 120 BPM]
A truly grand and epic track. Hybrid orchestral, with electronic percussion and electric guitar and a choir joining in later. A sense of high drama and epic journeys. Amazement / Heroic / Determined / Grand. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 125 BPM]
A huge great bouncy meatball of a tune. Pulsing synth bass and syncopated drum groove make this one swing large. Various parts come and go but the beat must and will go on. Contains synths, drums, choirs and eastern oboes. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 133 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]
Tense orchestral piece. Pulsing drums and strings, abrasive brass and drums, haunting textures and an overall suspenseful pursuit. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 98 BPM]
Dark and mysterious Score track with strings, horn section, sound effects and energetic percussions. Very atmospheric, dramatic and highly diversified. Ideal for thriller and all kinds of suspense. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 165 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]
A tense, ominous, brooding underscore for action, thriller, sci-fi and more. Pounding percussion, dark pads and sweeps. Urgency / Danger. Also available in a version without the drums, which represents a more sneaky / dark ambient feel. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 120 BPM]
Driving Score track with e-guitars, effects and heavy drum/percussion sounds. Edgy, menacing and aggressive. Good for action, pursuits and thrilling fight scenes. [Tempo: Slow / 120 BPM]
