Shows / 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Hosted by working composer and long-time professor Dave Kropf, the 52 Cues Podcast takes you inside the real world of production music, library music, and sync licensing – breaking down cues, unpacking industry insights, and sharing candid conversations with fellow composers and publishers.
Weekly episodes deliver practical strategies, creative inspiration, and insider information to help you land more placements and build a sustainable career in sync.
Episodes
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Are You Too Old to Start a Music Career?
On today’s show, I sit down and chat with longtime 52 Cues member, and now recent Full Sail graduate, Greg Fellman, who left his career in social work to…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
4 Ways To Be A Better Composer (Without Focusing on Composing!)
When we set out to get better as composers, we often think of all the music theory or technical aspects we need to tackle. But what if I told you there are…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Will Artificial Intelligence Ever Replace Composers?
Why do we get such anxiety over how technology and AI might one day make us all obsolete? To help us understand why we might get so wound up about the threat…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
5 Career-Killing Habits You Should Stop Now!
I thrive when I’m able to work a routine, but one of the down sides of being a creature of habit is when bad habits start to undermine both your productivity…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
All About the Production Music Association with Morgan McKnight
Today, I sit down and chat with the executive director of the Production Music Association, Morgan McKnight, who answers questions about the organization, what…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Never Say Never (or Always)
It seems like a lot of professionals in the music industry like to deal in absolutes, so on today's episode I thought it’d be a good idea to talk about why we…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Making Music Income with Eric Copeland
I recently had a chance to sit down and talk with Eric Copeland from Make Music Income who has made it his personal mission to help other composers find the…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
The Truth About "Passive" Income
If you’ve done any research on building a music career, chances are you’ve come across the idea of “passive income," which sounds great! The idea of cranking…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Do We Really Need to Know Music Theory?
We’ve heard of very successful composers who’ve made great careers for themselves without really knowing how to read music (Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Tips and Strategies for Maximizing Taxi
There are a lot of mixed feelings about Taxi with some claiming it’s a pay-to-play scam while others sing their praises across the Internet. Either way…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Soundcloud vs Reelcrafter vs Disco
What is the best way now to put your music out there to pitch to libraries? On today's episode, I take a look at the three biggest players in the catalog…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Keeping It Real with Jesse Josefsson of Sync My Music
If you’ve been digging around YouTube for Production Music resources for any length time, then I can almost guarantee you’ve come across Jesse Josefsson and…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
The Best YouTube Channels for Media Composers
Back in week 10, I warned about subscribing to educational services that seem to overpromise but will probably underdeliver. Today, instead of talking about…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Should Composers Ever Work for Free?
We all have to start somewhere, and building a career in any creative industry often involves paying your dues, but does that mean we should be giving our…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Are Audio Software Subscriptions Worth It?!
The Internet of things has meant an explosion of opportunity for composers, but with that companies have started to think of new ways of doing business and a…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Sound Design and Soundtracks with The Unfinished's Matt Bowdler
Soundsets from Matt Bowdler have quickly become a staple in my synth toolkit, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to chat with the imagination behind…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
SOLVED! Which DAW is the Best?
On today's episode, I finally lay to rest which is the best DAW for production music composers! Plus, we listen to a lo-fi cue by Kris Claerhout. 00:00 – Intro…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
How to Write Titles that Get Placements!
Before a music supervisor ever listens to a note of your cue, they’re going to read the title! What are some of the best practices we should be using for our…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
The New 52 Cues!
The 52 Cues Community has grown to nearly 1000 members over the last 3+ years, but we've now outgrown what we can do on Facebook. On today's episode, I talk…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Nice Guys Finish First (with Marlon Gibbons)
Who says the music business had to be cutthroat? This week, I sit down with production music's nicest Canadian, Marlon Gibbons and we discuss how being nice…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Another Q&A Episode!
How do we tackle transitions and loops in our cues? Where can we find a list of libraries to pitch to? Should we track our cues with Tunesat? What about…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Back Up Everything, Then Back Up Your Backups!
If you're not backing up your system and client files on a regular basis then you are playing with fire while wearing gloves soaked in gasoline. On this week's…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
My Path to Production Music
There are many paths to the journey to becoming a production music composer. Today, I thought I'd share my journey to how I came to get my music on TV. Plus…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
We Need to Talk About Splice
Pull up a chair, friends. We need to talk about Splice, how I feel it is getting unfairly maligned, and the trend of prohibiting the use of any Splice sounds…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
How to Handle Criticism Like a Pro
As media composers we all have to learn how to handle getting feedback on our work, and on today's episode I run down the four ways that I personally handle…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Why "52" Cues with Dan Graham
On this week's podcast episode, I sit down with composer, publisher, and Gothic Storm founder Dan Graham as we discuss the origins of the "52 Cues" concept…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
5 Things Many Students Get Wrong About Being a Composer
I talk about the 5 things I've discovered over my 21 years in higher eduction that students tend to get wrong about being a composer. Plus, we take a listen to…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
How To Use References Responsibly
As production music composers we often get reference material from our publishers and clients, but how do we actually use these references? And how can we keep…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Quality vs. Quantity: Is One Cue Per Week Enough?
Is writing just one cue per week enough to have a career in production music? We talk about that, how to balance quantity vs. quality, and we listen to a…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
So You Want To Make Sample Packs?
If you've ever had an interest in making and releasing your own sample packs, then you don't want to miss my interview with producer, composer, and beatmaker…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
I Wrote at Least One Cue Per Week for a Year – What I Learned
Here we are at the end of our journey! How'd I do on my quest to write at least 1 cue per week? What are the lessons I learned along the way? What's next for…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
You Need These Two Items If You Write Tension Music!
If you write any kind of tension music, you need these two items in your arsenal. Plus, I unpack an intrigue tension cue titled, "Incision Decision" on my week…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Is This Job Even Fun for Me Anymore?
Deadlines and clients and gigs, oh my! I focus so much on deliverables that it's got me asking myself, "is this job even any fun anymore?" I discuss this as…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Does Expensive Gear Really Make a Difference?
Does having the fanciest audio interface, most expensive mics, or nicest instrument have a real, meaningful impact on your production music process? I discuss…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Why I Use So Few Plugins when Mixing and Mastering
I do the vast majority of my mixing and mastering with only a handful of plugins! On my week 48 check-in I talk about my simple approach to getting a good…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Over Promising and Under Delivering
On my week 47 check-in, I discuss how I found myself over-promising and under-delivering when I allowed a lucrative new gig to create the perfect storm of…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
I Quantize Everything (and So Should You)
I quantize all of my MIDI, and I'm not ashamed to admit it! On my Week 46 check-in, I discuss quantization and how I keep things from sounding too mechanical…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
How I Use Ozone for Quick and Easy Mastering
I was terrified of mastering until I embraced Izotope's Ozone mastering plugin. On my Week 45 vlog, I take you through my entire mastering process as I use…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
I Use This Song Form on (Nearly) Every Cue
On my week 44 check-in, I discuss why I use the same song form on nearly every production music cue, and I unpack that form on a recent flamenco-infused…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Production Music Isn't Art
Is production music art? I talk about that, discuss my guiding philosophy that helps to drive my output, and break down a trap-infused dramedy cue on my Week…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Chopping Samples in Serato Sample for Production Music
I'm talking all about samples on my Week 42 vlog check-in and discussing how the Serato Sample plugin allowed me to incorporate skills and techniques from my…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Organize Your Catalog (or Else)!
On my Week 42 vlog check-in I go over how I organize my catalog and files, I discuss some tools I use to keep large projects organized, and I share a…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Learning That This Career Is Not For Me
I'm exhausted after an intense Week 40 which found me working in a field I *thought* I wanted to explore more. Then I breakdown a recent dramedy cue that…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Get More Placements by Thinking Like an Editor!
On my Week 39 vlog check-in, I discuss why we as composers need to think like an editor and the things we can do to make their life easier (and get us more…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Answering More of Your Industry Questions
On this week's super-sized vlog check-in, I answer more of your questions about the production music industry, then I unpack my Week 38 cue which features…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
The One Thing I Do To Add Realism To All My Cues
On my Week 37 vlog check-in, I talk about the one thing I do to add realism to nearly every cue, and I unpack a dramedy tension cue! Watch this episode on…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Get It In Writing: Work-For-Hire and Co-Writer Contracts
It’s a supersized vlog check-in for Week 36 as I unpack, line-by-line, the Work-For-Hire and Co-Writer contracts I use for my cues. Plus, I go over a recent…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
How to Find the Right Sounds Fast!
On my Week 35 vlog check-in, I answer a viewer question about how to best go about finding the sounds you need for your cues. Then I unpack another intrigue…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
How Many Hats Do Production Music Composers Wear?
As production music composers, we're often forced to wear many hats. On my Week 34 vlog check-in, I discuss all of the various aspects of this career that have…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
How Many Hats Do Production Music Composers Wear?
As production music composers, we're often forced to wear many hats. On my Week 34 vlog check-in, I discuss all of the various aspects of this career that have…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Honesty Is the Best Policy (Duh!)
On my Week 33 vlog check-in, I share a story of having to disappoint a client but still deciding that being honest is the best way to maintain the professional…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Honesty Is the Best Policy (Duh!)
On my Week 33 vlog check-in, I share a story of having to disappoint a client but still deciding that being honest is the best way to maintain the professional…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Where do ideas come from?
On this week's check in, I talk about sustainable creativity and where most of my ideas come from. Plus, I unpack a drumline-infused high energy hip-hop cue…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Where do ideas come from?
On this week's check in, I talk about sustainable creativity and where most of my ideas come from. Plus, I unpack a drumline-infused high energy hip-hop cue…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Why Should I Be Using a Template for My Cues?
On this week's 52 Cues check-in, I talk about how I use templates to streamline my composing process, plus I unpack a cue featuring all Omnisphere sounds…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Why Should I Be Using a Template for My Cues?
On this week's 52 Cues check-in, I talk about how I use templates to streamline my composing process, plus I unpack a cue featuring all Omnisphere sounds…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
What’s the one thing I wish I'd known about having a career in music?
On this week's 52 Cues check-in, I answer the question, "what the one thing I wish I'd known about having a career in music?" Then I unpack a brooding light…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
What’s the one thing I wish I'd known about having a career in music?
On this week's 52 Cues check-in, I answer the question, "what the one thing I wish I'd known about having a career in music?" Then I unpack a brooding light…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Don't Throw Away Your Unused Cues!
On my week 29 vlog check in, I discuss what to do with unused/unpublished cues, and I unpack a hip-hop tension cue from a recent livestream. Watch this episode…
- 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
What's the Best Mouse for Music Production?
On this week’s 52 Cues Check-In, I discuss which is the best mouse for use in the DAW. Then we look at an urban contemporary hip-hop cue from Week 28. Watch…