Arabic version: كيف تشكّل موسيقى «ذا ترايترز» مشاعر المشاهدين

According to BBC News, the music of The Traitors is designed to influence how viewers interpret suspicion, humour and treachery, while also sometimes misleading them. Sam Watts, who composed the opening theme and much of the incidental score, said he wanted the programme’s sound to be “dark but fun” after seeing footage of Claudia Winkleman and the castle.

Watts said the BBC had initially been reluctant to consider a show with murder as a main feature, so he did not want the music to become too dark. The 44-year-old, whose earlier work includes Planet Earth and The Sarah Jane Adventures, aimed to create a memorable title theme that would signal the start of the show and strengthen its identity. The piece was recorded with a full orchestra and enhanced with dozens of electronic elements.

The composer wrote about 20 other pieces for the series, which are also used in dozens of international spin-offs. He used trailer-music techniques, including the “Braam”, a klaxon-like sound associated with Christopher Nolan’s Inception, to sustain a heightened atmosphere. Producer Sarah Fay said the production wanted the reality programme to feel like an edge-of-your-seat cinematic drama, with elements of Succession and Knives Out.

Additional music came from film-trailer composers, including Hans Zimmer’s company Bleeding Fingers, alongside dramatic cover versions of familiar songs. German writer-producers 2wei created versions of Britney Spears’ Toxic and Tears For Fears’ Mad World, without knowing at first that the tracks had been used in the show. Co-founder Simon Heeger said music for commercials and trailers must convey emotion quickly, a quality that suits cliffhangers and unexpected moments in The Traitors.

Watts said some of his music has “a wink in it” and is deliberately a little silly and over the top. That approach, he said, helps make the programme’s darker themes of murder and plotting feel more fun.