Marco Herbert is a German film composer and sound designer based near Frankfurt, Germany, with more than 20 years of professional experience in music production, composition and scoring for visual media — and almost 40 years as an active musician and keyboard player.
His musical journey began as a keyboard player, working across different musical styles before developing into songwriting, composition and music production. He later studied composition for symphonic orchestra with a focus on film music, followed by further training in Cinematic Composition, sound design and composition for video games, as well as songwriting and production in rock and pop music.
His education has been complemented by mentoring with Alex Pfeffer and masterclasses with Michael Whittaker of Scorecraft, HOFA, Cinematic Composing and Marc Jovani.
Today, his main focus is film music for psychological and emotional drama, thriller, mystery and horror. He is particularly drawn to character-driven stories, inner conflict, psychological tension and atmosphere.
Over the years, Marco has scored numerous short films, including many director and graduation films. This has earned him a strong level of trust among emerging filmmakers and led to repeated collaborations and long-term working relationships. His experience also includes feature films, trailers and teasers, as well as commercials, corporate and image films and podcast jingles.
Alongside film scoring, Herbert creates music for video games, including adaptive music designed to respond dynamically to gameplay and the player's experience, with seamless loops, layered arrangements and changing musical states.
He also works as a composer, orchestrator and arranger for other artists, with credits spanning neoclassical, cinematic music, rock and progressive metal.
His background as a keyboard player, composer, orchestrator, producer and sound designer allows him to move naturally between traditional orchestration, modern production and sound design — adapting the musical approach to the story and the medium.
Music for what is unsaid.
The best score doesn't simply follow the story. It understands what lies beneath it.
For me, composition begins with dramaturgy. I look beyond the individual scene and keep the larger picture in view: the arc of the story, the development of its characters, the rhythm of the edit and, above all, the emotional journey of the audience.
I approach every scene by asking what is really happening beneath the dialogue and the image. Where is the hidden tension? What remains unspoken? What should the audience sense before they consciously understand it? These questions shape my musical decisions and help me find the right balance between what is seen, what is felt and what is left to the imagination.
Music should never exist for its own sake. Sometimes it needs to reinforce the image; sometimes it can create a subtle friction by suggesting something the picture does not. Harmony, texture, rhythm and sound can gradually draw the audience deeper into a scene without demanding their attention.
And silence is part of the score. Knowing when not to write, when to hold back or when to let a cue disappear earlier than expected can be just as powerful as adding music.
I don't simply ask, “What music does this scene need?” I ask, “What does the story need here?” That perspective keeps the music connected to the film as a whole — not just to the scene in front of me.
| Step | Focus | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Briefing | Story, tone, schedule, technical needs. | A clear overview of your project, references and constraints. |
| 2. Spotting | Where music should live—and where it should stay silent. | A shared cue sheet or scene list with emotional notes. |
| 3. Sketches & themes | Finding the musical language of your world. | Short demos or suites exploring texture, harmony and pacing. |
| 4. Cues & revisions | Building the score in dialogue with picture and feedback. | Versioned cue deliveries with clear naming and change logs. |
| 5. Final delivery | Technical precision and future-proof organization. | Stems, mixes and project documentation delivered to spec and on time. |
FROM THE FIRST IDEA
I enjoy being involved in a project from the very beginning — ideally as early as the screenplay, before the first frame has even been shot.
This early stage offers the opportunity to think about the musical identity of a project while the story is still taking shape. I can share ideas, explore possibilities and develop musical concepts alongside the filmmakers, giving the score enough time to evolve and allowing us to find what truly serves the project best.
But not every project starts that early — and that is no problem. Whether I join during pre-production, editing or at a later stage, I can quickly immerse myself in the story, understand its needs and become part of the creative process.
Whenever I enter a project, my goal is the same: to understand the bigger picture and contribute whatever the story needs.
2020
Moon Secret Entertainment: Es Weihnachtet sehr (Shortfilm: horror)
Mathias Spengler: Traumfrau (Shortfilm: comedy)
Mathias Hirsch: Verfolgt (Shortfilm: thriller)
Mathias Hirsch: Traumatisiert (Shortfilm: thriller)
Das Zeichen: BlueGen (Commercial)
Das Zeichen: Bildungsmesse Hemer (Commercial)
Moon Secret Entertainment: Blinder Himmel (Shortfilm: horror)
Moon Secret Entertainment: Blinder Himmel Trailer (Trailer: horror)
HOFA: Judge special award X-Mas-Remix Contest 2019
2021
Dominik Stark: Night of the witch burning (Teaser: horror)
Claudia Cappelletti: Hey Hey (Pop-rock song)
SimpleSamplesAudio: Horror Harp (official Library Demo)
HOFA: Judge special award X-Mas-Remix Contest 2020
2022
Taim M. Adams: The Secret (Shortfilm: thriller)
Taim M. Adams: The Secret (Trailer)
Das Zeichen: Volta (Commercial)
Das Zeichen: REWE-Regional (Commercials)
Dianne Holmes: When I look to the sky (Pop-rock song)
Feigenbaumpunkt: TU Darmstadt (Jingles-package)
Moon Secret Entertainment: Herr und Knecht (Shortfilm: psychological thriller)
Das Zeichen: Top Spot Award 2022 (Commercial)
Benjamin Kurz: Beethoven Orchester Hessen „Die 4 Jahreszeiten“ (Mixing live session)
Mora Hecate: At hopes end (Cinematic epic song)
Marco Herbert: Jason´s Suite (Epic drama / cinematic Track)
HOFA: Judge special award X-Mas-Remix Contest 2021
2023
Dianne Holmes: Feels like home (Pop-rock song)
Markus Köhler: Erstkontakt (Podcast Jingle-Package)
Das Zeichen: Bauunternehmung Verfuß (Corporate film)
Chris Higgins: Torn up letters (Rock song)
Feigenbaumpunkt: UNITE Universität Helsinki (Jingle-Package)
Moloch Mathias Schmidt: Seelenheil (Director diploma film)
Yahya Nazari: Lysistrata (Director pre- diploma: medieval drama)
Moon Secret Entertainment: Help! (Shortfilm drama thriller)
Mathias Schmidt: Der einzige Freund (Shortfilm drama)
DAS Theater Hemer: Heimatlos (Theater production / episodes / historical drama)
Peter Malek: Thank you (Rock ballad)
2024
Luca Herbert: Zauberlehrling (Musical version of Goethes famous poem)
Chis Higgins: Learn how to father (Rock ballad with children choir)
Hauke Kranz: „Best-of-Album” (Orchestration & arrangement neo-classicals)
Yahya Nazari: Kalte Wohnung (Shortfilm: drama)
Moon Secret Entertainment: The Hut (Shortfilm: horror)
Mathias Hirsch: Verfolgt remake Trailer (Horror)
Mathias Hirsch: Non-Responder Trailer (Thriller)
Mathias Hirsch: Verfolgt remake (Shortfilm Horror)
Micky Graeter: The Maze (Shortfilm horror)
Micky Graeter: The Maze Trailer (Trailer horror)
Taim M. Adams: Podcast / YouTube (Modern trailer)
Marco Herbert: Desire (Cinematic piano ballad)
Mathias Schmidt Moloch: Death Tape (orchestration & arrangement main theme: horror)
HeldenTheater: Theatre podcast (Jingle Package)
Markus Köhler: Erstkontakt Podcast (Jingle- Package)
Apollo Multiplexkino: Welcome trailer (Cinema trailer)
Sebastian Theiss: Meeresrauschen (Dialog editing)
Taim M. Adams: After Ivan Trailer (Emotional drama)
HOFA: Judge special award X-Mas-Remix Contest 2023
2025
Julius Foxx: Ich bin ein Astronaut (Orchestration & arrangement)
Mathias Hirsch: Showreel 2025 (Producer showreel)
Mathias Hirsch: Traumatisiert remake Trailer (Trailer thriller)
Moloch Pictures: Totenunruhe (Director diploma horror)
Yahya Nazari: Die Hochzeit (Director diploma dark comedy drama)
Emin Mikaylov: Bad Trip (Screenwriter and director diploma: drama psychological thriller)
Emin Mikaylov: Bad Trip Trailer (Trailer)
Taim M. Adams: After Ivan (Feature film: emotional drama)
Marco Herbert: Dreams (EDM track)
Marco Herbert: Remnant Vol. One (Suspense vgm asset package for UNREAL & UNITY)
2026
Taim Adams: Salz der Erde (Documentary drama)
Das Zeichen: Crime scene (Actors demo: crime)
Andreas Arnold: Arnold hält nach Podcast (Jingle-Package)
HOFA: Judge special award X-Mas-Remix Contest 2025
Work in progress:
Josh : Virtual reality film: proof of concept (Score und Sound design horror)
Amar: Memoire Phantom (Director Diploma Sci-fi-drama-thriller)
Stevie : Dunkel in mir (Shortfilm / Featurefilm horror)
Emanuel: Echo (Psychological drama)
MSE: Die Maschine (Shortfilm sci-fi)
DZ: Felsenmeerbad Neubau (Documentary)
Marco Herbert: Remnant Vol. Two (Suspense vgm asset package for UNREAL & UNITY)
Marco Herbert: Album Alone (Emotional drama tracks for sync)