For film, game & launch trailers · Online, cinema & TV · License once from €29.90
Trailer Music Licensing — Epic Cues for Your Trailer
A trailer outlives its edit: the same cue ends up in the teaser, the social cut-downs, the paid ads and — if the film, game or book takes off — a cinema or TV spot. These are epic and hybrid orchestral trailer cues hand-picked by composer Paul Lorenz, each licensed once for €29.90 for every one of those places: worldwide, with no expiry, client work included, with an instant WAV download and a licence certificate.
Curated by Paul Lorenz — composer, arranger & conductor · his Violin Concerto No. 2 recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios · Vienna State Opera
500M+ streams · Gold & Double Platinum · Instant download · Lifetime worldwide license
Trailer Music Licensing — Epic Cues for Your Trailer: hand-picked & sync-ready
Listen, then license: €29.90 per track, one-time · worldwide, for life · instant WAV download
The Person Behind the Platform
Paul Lorenz
Founder & CEO · Composer
“I spent 30 years inside the music industry — Abbey Road, the London Symphony Orchestra, the major labels — and watched composers get paid fractions of their worth. Artyfile is the platform I wished existed: investment-grade music, owned outright, with composers who finally share in the upside.”
- 30 years in music — over 500 million streams across his catalog
- Collaborations with Universal Music, Sony Music & Warner
- Composes for the London Symphony Orchestra — his Violin Concerto No. 2 recorded at Abbey Road Studios
- Founder-owned: a named composer behind the catalog, not an anonymous library
Trailer cue matcher · pick your trailer
Which trailer cue fits what you are cutting?
A festival trailer, a 15-second teaser and a Steam trailer need different cues — and each runs in different places, which decides what your licence has to cover. Pick your format: we give the usual length, where the hit lands, the cue type and the edit — and name two cues from the trailer collection.
Film trailer (festival, VOD, cinema)
Usual length
Usually about 2 minutes — the voluntary cinema guideline since 2014 is 2:00, with rare exemptions up to 3:00
Cue type
One building cue with clear sections, or two cues stitched at the act break
Where the hit lands
Three waves: a quiet setup, a build under the conflict, the biggest hit on the title card, then a short button after it
How to cut it
Lay the music first and cut picture to it. Put dialogue in the gaps between rises; a half-second of silence before the final hit makes it land harder.
What the licence has to cover
Online, festival screenings, paid social and — if it gets there — cinema and TV. A trailer is an advertising film; one Artyfile licence covers every medium — a cinema or festival screening itself is licensed by the venue with its collecting society.
Try these cues
Redrum Trailer (Paul Lorenz · Artyfile Orchestra) · Falling Skies (Paul Lorenz, 72 BPM)
The trailer-music cheat-sheet: length, hit, cue type and cues by trailer format
| What are you cutting? | Usual length | Where the hit lands | Cue type | Try these cues |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Film trailer (festival, VOD, cinema) | Usually about 2 minutes — the voluntary cinema guideline since 2014 is 2:00, with rare exemptions up to 3:00 | Three waves: a quiet setup, a build under the conflict, the biggest hit on the title card, then a short button after it | One building cue with clear sections, or two cues stitched at the act break | Redrum Trailer (Paul Lorenz · Artyfile Orchestra) · Falling Skies (Paul Lorenz, 72 BPM) |
| Teaser & social cut-down (15–60 s) | 15, 30 or 60 seconds — vertical cut-downs of the main trailer | In the first seconds — there is no time for a slow setup; end on a hard button | Driving, high-energy cue that starts strong | The Opener (Paul Lorenz) · Gambling (Paul Lorenz) |
| Game trailer (Steam, console, crowdfunding) | Announcement 60–90 s; gameplay trailers often 1–2 min | On the logo reveal and on the release date / wishlist call | Dark build or hybrid rock-orchestral drive that matches the game’s tone | Stormy (Paul Lorenz, 65 BPM) · Heavy Ways (Paul Lorenz) |
| Drama, documentary & series trailer | About 1:30–2:00 | An emotional peak rather than an explosion — the swell under the key line of dialogue | Melancholic, slowly building cue; a voice or choir layer for the turning point | Revenge (Paul Lorenz) · Swet (David Whitman, 128 BPM) |
| Book trailer, thriller & mystery promo | 30–90 seconds | On the title or the cover reveal at the end | Suspenseful, mysterious cue with a dark pulse | The Black Masks Of Venice (Paul Lorenz) · I'm The Boss (David Whitman) |
| Product launch & brand promo | 30–90 seconds | On the product reveal, then a confident ending on the logo | Uplifting, majestic cue — epic without menace | Branding Trailer Music (Paul Lorenz · Artyfile Orchestra) · Bach Air Recomposed (J. S. Bach / Paul Lorenz) |
| TV & streaming spot (15 / 30 s) | Mostly 30 seconds, plus 15-second versions | Twice at most — one mid-point hit and the closing button | A cue with a clear, short edit point — or the main trailer cue cut down | The Opener (Paul Lorenz) · Branding Trailer Music (Paul Lorenz · Artyfile Orchestra) |
| Event, sports & season promo | 30 seconds to 2 minutes | On the date, the line-up or the season opener | Energetic, driving cue with drums and a hook | Heavy Ways (Paul Lorenz) · Swet (David Whitman, 128 BPM) |
Trailer licence · cost & scope
What does a trailer music licence cost — and what does it have to cover?
At Artyfile, €29.90 once per cue. That one licence covers the trailer, every teaser and cut-down, paid ads, cinema, TV and streaming spots — worldwide, with no expiry, for your own film or as client work. Trailer music houses, by contrast, usually license per campaign and on request through music supervisors, and many stock “standard” licences stop exactly where a trailer goes: broadcast or a theatrical release.
Under the Artyfile Terms (§8.1) a trailer is an advertising film for your film, game or product — so what matters is not the genre of the music but where the cut ends up running.
Where your trailer runs — and which source covers it
| Use | Famous film score / chart song | Subscription library | Stock “standard” licence | Artyfile Basic (€29.90) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website, YouTube, Vimeo | Only with a sync licence from the publisher + a master licence from the label, negotiated individually | Yes, if published while subscribed | Yes | Yes — worldwide, for life |
| Paid social ads, pre-roll | Only with advertising clearance from both rights holders | Often higher tiers only (Artlist Social: no advertising) | Usually yes (online) | Yes — advertising films are expressly permitted |
| Festival screenings | Individual | Depends on tier | Usually yes | Yes for the sync — the festival or venue licenses the screening itself |
| Theatrical release / cinema advertising | Individual, usually expensive | Usually Enterprise only (Epidemic Pro: “excluding cinema”) | Often no (AudioJungle Standard: no theatrical release) | Yes for the sync — the cinema reports the screening to its collecting society |
| TV & streaming spot | Individual | Usually Enterprise only (Epidemic Pro: excludes TV ads) | Often no (broadcast is a separate tier) | Yes — cue sheet for the broadcaster, we supply the details |
| New cut after the subscription ends | — | No — videos published after cancelling are not cleared | Sometimes one project only (PremiumBeat Standard) | Yes — unlimited own projects, no subscription |
| Trailer for a client (studio, publisher, brand) | Individual | Usually Pro/Business only | Depends on licence | Yes — client work permitted; the licence stays with the licensee |
As of October 2026, from the official licence pages of the providers named (sources below). Licence terms change — check the current version before you buy.
The film-score trap: “Can I use Hans Zimmer or Two Steps From Hell in my trailer?”
- Not without two permissions: the sync licence for the composition from the music publisher and the master licence for the recording from the label. Both are negotiated individually — fan trailers included.
- The well-known trailer music houses do not sell through a shop: Two Steps From Hell, for example, has its licensing handled by Extreme Music; prices on request.
- Crediting the composer or owning the album is not a licence — YouTube lists both explicitly as invalid reasons to dispute a Content ID claim.
- The alternative: a cue in the same tradition — building, hybrid orchestral, with clear hits — where composition and recording are licensed from one source.
What the licence is not — honestly
- Cinema: the licence covers putting the music in your trailer. The public screening in a cinema is reported and paid for by the cinema operator to its collecting society (in Germany GEMA tariff T-F, which expressly includes cinema trailers) — not by you as the advertiser.
- YouTube: Artyfile uses Content ID with a monetization policy. A claim may appear; it is not a copyright strike. With Basic, the music’s ad revenue goes to Artyfile. If an official trailer channel must run without a claim, talk to us before release — a licence does not automatically release a claim.
- Not exclusive: a catalogue cue can also appear in other projects. Exclusivity, a buyout or a cue of your own only by individual quote.
- Not transferable: if a trailer house or agency cuts for a studio, it holds the licence; the finished trailer can be delivered, but the client’s independent use needs its own licence.
For trailer houses, studios and campaigns
For a major campaign we license a cue exclusively or as a buyout, or Paul Lorenz — whose Violin Concerto No. 2 was recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios — composes a cue to your brief. Production scope depends on budget; individual quote, usually within one business day.
How much does it cost to license music for a trailer?
At Artyfile a trailer cue costs €29.90 once — and that is the whole price for the trailer, every teaser and cut-down, paid social, cinema and TV spots, worldwide and without an expiry date. There is no per-territory surcharge, no renewal and no per-campaign fee. The table above compares that with the usual routes: the famous trailer music houses quote per campaign through music supervisors, subscription libraries keep cinema and TV ads in their enterprise tiers, and many stock “standard” licences stop at broadcast or a theatrical release.
If you need a cue exclusively, as a buyout or composed to your picture, that is an individual quote — see exclusive licensing.
What makes a good trailer cue?
Trailer music is written to be cut. A cue that works in a trailer usually has three things:
- A setup you can talk over — a sparse opening that leaves room for the first lines of dialogue or the logo.
- Rises that point somewhere — ostinatos, percussion and swells that escalate in clear waves, each one a few seconds longer or louder than the last.
- Hits and a button — impacts you can land a title card on, and a short, hard ending instead of a fade.
Modern trailer music is hybrid: orchestral strings, brass and choir for scale and emotion, synths and percussion for drive. That is also what this collection is — with two cues, Redrum Trailer and Branding Trailer Music, recorded by the Artyfile Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios.
Which cue for which trailer?
- Film and festival trailer — dark, building orchestral drive: Redrum Trailer (full orchestra with choir and timpani), Falling Skies (72 BPM, slow tension build)
- Teaser and social cut-downs — starts strong: The Opener, Gambling
- Game trailer — Stormy (65 BPM), Heavy Ways (hybrid rock-orchestral) — more on music for video games
- Drama, documentary and series — Revenge, Swet (128 BPM, with a female vocal)
- Thriller, mystery and book trailers — The Black Masks Of Venice, I'm The Boss (choir and strings)
- Product launch and brand promo — Branding Trailer Music, Bach Air Recomposed
Need something darker for horror? See scary music for video. Need a full score rather than a trailer cue? See cinematic music and music for film.
Can I use the music in a cinema trailer and a TV spot?
Yes. The Artyfile licence covers advertising films, feature films and TV productions in all media, worldwide and in perpetuity — so a theatrical trailer and a TV spot are included. Two things work as they do with any music: for TV broadcasts a cue sheet is filed with the collecting society (we supply the details), and the screening in a cinema is reported and paid for by the cinema operator under its own collecting-society licence — not by you.
Trailers for indie films, games, books and launches
Most people who search for trailer music are not studio trailer houses but filmmakers, game developers, authors and marketing teams cutting their own trailer — for indie films, a Steam page, a book launch or a product reveal. For them the deciding questions are price, whether the cue covers the ads, and whether it is still covered next year. A one-time licence with no expiry answers all three; our pricing page has the full comparison of Basic and Limited Edition.
Who composed and recorded this trailer music?
Most of the cues are by Paul Lorenz — composer and arranger with more than 500 million streams and Gold and Double Platinum records; I'm The Boss and Swet are by David Whitman. Two cues are recordings by the Artyfile Orchestra, our studio-orchestra project, at Abbey Road Studios; the others are hybrid productions of orchestra, synths and percussion. Everything is composed and produced by people, never AI-generated. The standard behind it: Paul Lorenz's Violin Concerto No. 2, recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios under Donato Cabrera. For an original cue composed to your picture, see exclusive licensing.
Instant quote
Calculate your license cost
How many tracks?
Your one-time cost
€29.90
one-time · lifetime · worldwide
What this covers
- ✓Lifetime, worldwide commercial license for 1 track.
- ✓With Basic, music revenue claimed through YouTube Content ID goes to Artyfile. With Limited Edition, you participate according to your master share in this recording’s worldwide Content ID revenue, including other creators’ videos. A claim may appear; it is not a copyright strike. Since 24 September 2026, new YouTube Shorts longer than one minute and up to three minutes with an active Content ID claim are no longer blocked automatically and can stay playable; the claim itself still applies. For Shorts campaigns, contact us before buying; a licence does not automatically release a claim.
- ✓Use across YouTube.
- ✓Sync + master rights cleared together — no additional GEMA or collection-society fees.
Same flat price for every platform and commercial use — no per-use upcharge, no subscription.
What it costs to license music, by use case
| Use case | Artyfile | Typical elsewhere |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube video (monetized) | €29.90 / track · lifetime | Subscription €120–300 / year |
| Instagram, TikTok & CapCut | €29.90 / track · lifetime | Personal-use-only "free" libraries |
| Podcast | €29.90 / track · lifetime | €10–50 / track or subscription |
| Client / corporate video | €29.90 / track · lifetime | €50–500 / track |
| TV commercial / advertising | €29.90 / track · lifetime | €10,000–500,000 for known songs |
| Film / festival | €29.90 / track · lifetime | Per-project quote |
One flat price for every use and platform. Sync + master rights cleared together, worldwide and for life — no GEMA upcharge, no renewals.
Artyfile vs subscription libraries vs sync houses
| Artyfile | Artlist / Epidemic | Musicbed / Songtradr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | One-time €29.90 / track | €120–300 / year, recurring | Per-project quote |
| Keep rights if you stop paying | Yes — forever | No — revoked | Varies |
| Recording | Real LSO / Abbey Road | Mostly MIDI / library | Famous songs |
| Extra GEMA / society fees | None | Often unclear | Separate |
| YouTube | Monetize claim possible — no strike | Varies | Varies |
| Ownership option | Yes (Limited Edition) | No | No |
Why Artyfile
Hybrid orchestral, built to cut
Build, hit, release: cues with clear rises and impacts. Two of them (Redrum Trailer, Branding Trailer Music) were recorded by the Artyfile Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios — the rest are hybrids of orchestra, synths and percussion. Composed by people, never AI.
Everywhere a trailer runs
One licence covers your website, social, paid ads, cinema, TV and streaming spots — worldwide, no expiry, client work included. For TV broadcasts we supply the cue-sheet details.
One licensor, no rights puzzle
Sync and master rights directly from Artyfile — most cues composed by Paul Lorenz. No additional collection-society fee on the licence. A Content ID claim may appear; it is not a copyright strike.
€29.90 once, no subscription
Instant 44.1 kHz WAV download with a licence certificate. Exclusive for a campaign, a buyout or a commissioned cue: individual quote.
Need it exclusively for your campaign?
Every catalogue licence is non-exclusive. For a brand-critical spot, trailer or campaign we can license a track exclusively, transfer the master entirely, or compose original music for you alone — individual quote, usually within one business day.
Frequently asked questions
How much does trailer music licensing cost?
At Artyfile, €29.90 once per cue (Basic licence). It covers the trailer, every teaser and cut-down, paid ads, cinema and TV spots — worldwide, in perpetuity, client work included. An exclusive licence, a buyout or a commissioned cue is quoted individually.
Can I use the music for a theatrical trailer and TV spots?
Yes. The licence covers advertising films, feature films and TV productions in all media. For TV broadcasts the broadcaster files a cue sheet and we supply the details; the screening in a cinema is reported and paid for by the cinema operator under its collecting-society licence, not by you.
Does one licence cover the trailer, the teasers and the social cut-downs?
Yes. A Basic licence is not limited to one project: you can use the cue in the trailer, every teaser, cut-down and ad version, and in new edits years later — without a subscription that has to keep running.
Can I use Hans Zimmer or Two Steps From Hell music in my trailer?
Only with two permissions negotiated individually: a sync licence from the music publisher and a master licence from the label — fan trailers included. Crediting the composer or owning the album is not a licence. A cue in the same building, hybrid orchestral tradition, licensed once with composition and recording from one source, is the practical alternative.
Is Artyfile trailer music royalty-free?
You pay once and owe Artyfile nothing further — no royalties per view, territory or year, and no additional collection-society fee on the licence. For TV broadcasts a cue sheet is still filed (a reporting duty of the broadcaster), and public screenings are licensed by the cinema or venue as with any music.
Will my trailer get a Content ID claim on YouTube?
It can. Artyfile uses YouTube Content ID with a monetization policy: a claim may appear; it is not a copyright strike. With Basic, the ad revenue claimed for the music goes to Artyfile. If an official trailer channel has to run without a claim, contact us before release — a licence does not automatically release a claim.
Can a trailer house or agency license the music for a client's trailer?
Yes. Client work is expressly permitted. The licence stays with the trailer house or agency that bought it; the finished trailer can be delivered to the client, but the client's independent use of the music needs its own licence.
Can I license a trailer cue exclusively or have one composed?
Yes, on request. A catalogue cue can be licensed exclusively or bought out for a campaign, or Paul Lorenz composes a cue to your brief. Each is quoted individually, usually within one business day.
Is the trailer music recorded by a real orchestra or generated by AI?
It is composed and produced by people, never AI-generated. Two cues — Redrum Trailer and Branding Trailer Music — are recordings by the Artyfile Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios; the others are hybrid productions of orchestra, synths and percussion, which is how most modern trailer music is made.