Adventure

Adventure is the mood of setting out. It has the movement of action, but not its harshness, and the scope of epic, but not its weight. What defines it is anticipation.

How to recognize it

By a singable melody, usually in brass or high strings, with rising fourths and fifths. By a buoyant pulse — often dotted rhythms or a six-eight time that feels like riding. And by major with coloring: pure major would be joyful, pure minor would be somber; adventure music thrives on the shift between the two.

Also typical are woodwinds as a countermelody. They give the music a lightness that the orchestra alone lacks.

What it's suited for

For anything that's setting off: travel and outdoor films, family entertainment, fantasy and medieval settings, sailing, mountain, and expedition footage, image films about new beginnings, kids' and youth formats, game trailers with an exploration feel.

What it's not for: serious subjects. Adventure music implies things will turn out well — for topics that don't support that, it comes across as inappropriately upbeat.

No PRO registration

Royalty-free and GVL-free, both rights sides cleared. For travel and outdoor formats running across multiple channels at once, that means license once and you're done. The Cue Sheet is generated automatically, and pricing starts at €1.49 per license, no subscription.

Related: hopeful for the calmer departure, mysterious for the unknown along the way, heroic for the arrival. Genre page: Cinematic and epic music.