Royalty Free Dark / Somber Music

Looking for something different, with more than a touch of dark pop? Here we go - brooding atmosphere with sultry male vocals and a synth heavy backdrop. Deliberately disjointed with its constant tone changes but masterfully linked together with its memorable leads, rhythmic muted guitar and resonant synth frequencies, it's sexually super-charged and mystically erotic with a tense underlying grit. Hot. And sweaty.

It all depends on how you're feeling. On the one hand, this is a deep, soul searching soundscape of profound, inner vibrations - an electronic soup of slowly evolving tones, drones and unresolved mutations that leads you to mysterious places and intriguing discovery, safe in the knowledge that at this pace, you'll have the time to fall into it's myriad hypnotic states. On the other hand, it's the soundtrack to your worst, most isolated horror nightmares and the darkest, creepiest underworld you never want to visit. The choice is yours - it's just a question of context.

Lonesome acoustic track - either revelling in its tranquil solitude, or slowly sinking into its desperate acceptance of perpetual loneliness, depending on your point of view. In any case, it's a gentle acoustic guitar/harmonica track with a country, cowboy flavour beautifully crafting a special atmosphere of the remote Wild West. Or remote anywhere for that matter.

Dramatic orchestral hybrid. Epic percussion, soaring strings and aggressive brass combine for a theme that's as mysterious as it is glorious. A delicate midsection of keyboard, strings and textures provides a serene contrast and a vehicle to build the music to its intense climax of percussive hits, string runs and fast brass passages. Subtly finished with a light arpeggiated piano theme, it's a dynamically diverse piece covering many moods, but always within the realm of intense cinematic action.

An instrumental electro sci fi track with a familiar 80s style. Vintage arpeggiated lead and bass synth tones move us forward, backed by a rich electro beat and enhanced by percussive and tonal effects. A delicious grit in the pulsing bass and an ethereal quality to the choir and organ give a contrasting texture to this other-worldly piece of retro-future music, mysterious and transcending in equal measure.

A moving orchestral cinematic piece featuring a piano lead, orchestral strings and overall somber, nostalgic feel

A gentle yet powerful aural representation of calm expanse. Lilting piano and smooth strings meander through the space backed by darker underlying sonic textures, creating an ambiguous mood - somewhere between mesmerisingly tranquil and ominously infinite. Not long, but just enough to act as a builder thanks to it's smooth riser and epic, ethereal tonal qualities.

Slow building, cinematic orchestral piece. Immediately dramatic and intense, through single repeated piano notes and suspenseful violin harmonics, there's an ethnic edge in the instrumentation merging with strings and oboe as the piece turns darker with rich bass and dissonant textures. Ambient and brooding throughout with a tragic, heroic feel to the second half due to a sweeping string and brass melody accompanied by added timpani and rhythm, it remains a calm yet slightly unsettling piece with outstanding tension.

Hauntingly tense piano based track. Dark and atmospheric from the start, using a simple repeated piano theme, and enhanced by subtle, dissonant strings and choir to create suspense, the piece remains stable but varied throughout - synth pulses and percussion add movement, cello adds melancholy, glockenspiel adds lightness. The slow pace adds to the dramatic tension so you're left in no doubt that something must be lurking nearby.  

High intensity rock track. Pulsing synth chords, electric guitar riffs and an animated bass line form the basis of this energetic piece, developing with guitar solos, piano accompaniment and synth textures, all over a pounding drum beat. Bluesy at times, funky at others, with a hint of techno sprinkled in, it maintains a gritty suspense and determined moodiness throughout.

Creepy melodies, weird sounds and disturbing noises designed to create a send of dread. Featuring scary strings, music box and rhythmic synths to drive it on, it lies somewhere between a deranged ethnic ensemble and a contemporary, cinematic action tension builder. A little bit different, and all the better for it, whilst maintaining its roots in the cinematic horror camp.

Electronic horror-themed track with arpeggiated keyboard, underlying light trap beat and synth pulses

Calm ambient guitar track. Heavily reverbed and delayed clean electric guitar laments over a soft bed of synth pads, bass and gently pushing kick drum and percussion while textures build tension all around. Lo-fi effects add an introspective feel, aided by the cinematically arthouse stylings for a track that is full of wonder and soothing tranquility.

Slow burning trailer epic capturing all the tension and drama of a high end action blockbuster. Cinematic piano, drones and pulses lay a deeply atmospheric foundation for the string ostinato, big brass and electric guitar to swarm all over, steadily building in a wave of suspense and intrigue to a thrilling and energetic, all out action theme.

Tense and edgy cinematic track with a battle-ready feeling. A marching, percussive crescendo with short string stabs leads us into the full theme - string ostinato, shorts and a macabre sense of doom from the gothic choral chanting. Add in a few risers, sound design effects and tribal drums and the effect is complete: high intensity action with a sinister edge.  

Epic rock instrumental for any uplifting situation. Starting with a fast, arpeggiated piano theme, the full band soon drops in - clean electric guitars, solid bass and energetic drums generating a modern and full rock sound. Split into subtly distinct sections, but never losing its flow due to the continuous piano theme, it tells a story of determination, achievement and optimism.

Hard hitting orchestral hybrid teaser. Short, and very direct, it launches distorted synth missiles into our ears while pounding us with industrial cyber drums. Sweetening the pain with some fast violin ostinato won't save us, just increase the intensity until our insides disintegrate from the final sub bass drop. All very dramatic, you'll agree.

Orchestral hybrid tension builder. Starting purely synth based with rapid arpeggiated chords, the intensity subtly and gradually increases with added electro bass, then choir, then industrial drum beat. String and brass stabs highlight the dramatic mood, swells enhance the suspense and the ceaseless underlying rhythm racks up the tension til the end. Cinematic action with a strong electro presence.

Emotional, sentimental and dramatic piano and orchestra instrumental music. Heartfelt, romantic and evocative underscore.

Background horror soundscape incorporating orchestral clusters and swarms, choral effects and various textures in order to create a tense atmosphere. Also using slow building risers and hits makes this more than just an ambient piece, giving a useable, more diverse track to match visuals to. Dark and agitated, perfect for horror, suspense and thriller genres.