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Reference
Soundtrack style reference
Film, TV and trailer cues: orchestral drama, hybrid action, noir, documentary underscore and end-title themes.
How to use this list
Each row pairs a style term with a cue line written in the same grammar: what the music is, what plays it, roughly how fast, and how it feels. Copy the cue, then change one thing at a time so you can tell which token moved the result.
Soundtrack cues describe function and emotion as much as instrumentation, which makes them easy to brief against a scene.
Combining entries
Underscore should stay out of the way: ask for no melody, sustained textures and low dynamic range when dialogue sits on top.
If a take drifts away from what you wanted, remove tokens rather than adding more. Long prompts dilute; short, specific ones steer.
| Epic orchestral trailer | epic trailer music, massive brass ostinato, taiko and braams, choir swells, rising tension to hit, 140 BPM, heroic and overwhelming |
| Adventure orchestral | adventure score, sweeping string melody, fanfare horns, snare rolls, harp glissando, 112 BPM, soaring and optimistic |
| Dark hybrid score | hybrid score, distorted synth bass pulses, orchestral low strings, industrial percussion, 100 BPM, ominous and modern |
| Minimalist piano score | minimalist film score, solo felt piano ostinato, sparse cello lines, room noise, 70 BPM, tender and reflective |
| String quartet drama | dramatic string quartet, tight tremolo builds, pizzicato tension, aching cello melody, 92 BPM, intimate and urgent |
| Sci-fi synth score | sci-fi score, analog synth arpeggio, glassy pads, low drone, sparse percussion, 108 BPM, cold and futuristic |
| Horror score | horror score, atonal string clusters, prepared piano scrapes, sub-bass rumble, sudden silence, no fixed tempo, terrifying and unstable |
| Suspense underscore | suspense underscore, ticking clock percussion, sustained dissonant strings, rising drone, 96 BPM, taut and anxious |
| Western score | western score, twangy tremolo guitar, lonesome whistle, trumpet call, sparse percussion, 96 BPM, dusty and mythic |
| Fantasy score | fantasy score, celtic whistle and harp, soaring choir, warm strings, timpani, 100 BPM, magical and grand |
| Heist / caper score | heist score, walking upright bass, muted trumpet, finger snaps, tight vibraphone, 124 BPM, sly and stylish |
| Romance score | romance score, lyrical solo violin, warm string bed, gentle piano, 68 BPM, tender and cinematic |
| War drama score | war score, mournful solo horn, low string swell, martial snare, distant choir, 72 BPM, heavy and elegiac |
| Superhero theme | superhero theme, bold brass fanfare, driving ostinato strings, epic percussion, 130 BPM, triumphant and powerful |
| Documentary underscore | documentary underscore, soft piano arpeggios, sustained strings, light pulse, unobtrusive, 88 BPM, thoughtful and neutral |
| Nature documentary score | nature score, delicate woodwinds, shimmering harp, wide string pad, gentle percussion, 84 BPM, awe-filled and serene |
| Noir jazz score | film noir score, muted trumpet over minor vamp, brushed drums, upright bass, distant strings, 70 BPM, shadowy and seductive |
| Period drama score | period drama score, chamber ensemble, harpsichord and strings, restrained dynamics, 96 BPM, elegant and wistful |
| Animation comedy score | cartoon score, mickey-moused orchestral hits, pizzicato strings, xylophone runs, tuba accents, 140 BPM, playful and frantic |
| Sports / hype score | sports hype score, pounding toms, aggressive brass stabs, driving synth bass, crowd energy, 135 BPM, motivating and explosive |
| Emotional montage | montage score, building piano and strings, soft driving drums, layered swell to climax, 100 BPM, hopeful and moving |
| Meditative end credits | end credits score, slow solo piano with orchestral bloom, reverb tail, 60 BPM, reflective and bittersweet |
| Cyberpunk score | cyberpunk score, gritty synth bass, glitch percussion, neon arpeggios, low choir pad, 112 BPM, dystopian and sleek |
| Post-apocalyptic ambient score | post-apocalyptic score, bowed metal textures, decaying piano, wind noise, distant drone, slow and desolate |
| Video-game boss theme | boss battle score, frantic orchestral ostinato, choir shouts, double-kick and taiko, 168 BPM, intense and climactic |
| Main title theme | main title theme, statement brass melody, full orchestra, timpani hits, cinematic wide mix, 110 BPM, iconic and bold |
| Chase sequence | chase cue, relentless 16th-note strings, percussion loop, brass punctuation, rising modulation, 150 BPM, breathless and kinetic |
Raw data: /guide/reference/lists/soundtrack-list.json · 27 entries
FAQ
How do I get a trailer build?
Ask for risers, braams, hybrid percussion and a clear escalation, then mention the length of the build in seconds.
Do I have to use the whole soundtrack cue line?
No. The lines are built from independent tokens, so you can keep the two or three that matter and drop the rest without breaking the grammar.
Can I mix this list with another one?
Yes — keep one rhythm description, one lead instrument, one production word and a single tempo. Competing rhythm descriptions are the usual cause of muddled results.