Uniform Ag nanoparticle (NP) films were synthesized by a modified photocatalytic method on TiO2 films with Ag seeds for surface-enhanced Raman scattering, which combine the advantages of the spurting method (high nucleation density) and the traditional photocatalytic method (suitable particle size). The Ag seeds were prepared by magnetron sputtering with different time, which would adjust the distribution and transfer of electrons on the surface of TiO2 film in the process of photocatalytic reduction. The distribution and morphology of Ag NP films can be adjusted by the sputtering time and the UV irradiation time. The Raman enhancement of as-prepared Ag NP films was calculated by finite-difference time-domain to validate the experiment data. It is found that the Ag NP films synthesized on TiO2 films with suitable pre-deposited Ag seeds exhibit a much higher Raman enhancement activity than the optimum Ag NP film synthesized directly on the TiO2 film without Ag seeds. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.