52 Cues - A Production Music Podcast
By Dave Kropf
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Episodes: 264
Description
Your weekly insight into all things production music, library music, and sync licensing!
Hosted by Dave Kropf, a production music composer, podcaster, and educator based in Orlando, Florida.
His credits include CBS Sports (NFL, PGA, NCAA and more), NFL Network, The Golf Channel, FOX Sports, ESPN, ABC, Netflix, Sony, Amazon, Showtime, Disney, Discovery, Animal Planet, OWN, TLC, The History Channel, USA, TBS, E!, Bravo, TNT, TruTV, and many others.
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
|
Writing Melodies That Work
|
Sep 19, 2025 |
|
Unlocking the Secrets of Reference Cues
|
Sep 11, 2025 |
|
Must-Know Tips for Music Conferences
|
Sep 04, 2025 |
|
How to Write Investigative Tension Cues
|
Aug 28, 2025 |
|
Vacation Fails & Life Lessons
|
Aug 21, 2025 |
|
Prep Like a Chef: The Composer’s Mise en Place
|
Aug 14, 2025 |
|
The 4 Stages of Learning Any DAW
|
Aug 07, 2025 |
|
Chomp and Circumstance
|
Jul 31, 2025 |
|
Your Sync Questions, Answered!
|
Jul 25, 2025 |
|
5 Failures That Kill Your Creative Output
|
Jul 10, 2025 |
|
How I Think About Light Tension
|
Jul 03, 2025 |
|
Sync Terms You Should Know (But Were Afraid to Ask)
|
Jun 19, 2025 |
|
Give Your Cues an Edge That Beats AI
|
Jun 12, 2025 |
|
Composers, It’s Time to Leave SoundCloud
|
Jun 05, 2025 |
|
Ask Dave Anything (LIVE)!
|
May 30, 2025 |
|
Why Your Metadata (Probably) Sucks (with Mrs. 52 Cues)
|
May 22, 2025 |
|
Pomp and Circumstance – Composer Quest LIVE!
|
May 16, 2025 |
|
Even More Inconvenient Truths About Production Music
|
May 08, 2025 |
|
The Four "C's" of Success
|
May 01, 2025 |
|
These 5 Small Choices Can Mean Huge Growth
|
Apr 24, 2025 |
|
An Editor Tells Why Great Cues Get Cut! (with Biagio Messina)!
|
Apr 17, 2025 |
|
These Climbers Made the Summit of Expedition 52!
|
Apr 10, 2025 |
|
They Went From Returns to Real Placements (with Michael Reschke)!
|
Apr 03, 2025 |
|
This Dramedy Cue Gets Placed Over and Over!
|
Mar 27, 2025 |
|
Stop Overthinking Chords with This Simple Tool!
|
Mar 13, 2025 |
|
Can Samples Save This Hip-Hop Cue?
|
Mar 06, 2025 |
|
7 Keys to Great Collaborations
|
Feb 27, 2025 |
|
Reworking, Repurposing, and Reinventing Your Cues with SCAMPER
|
Feb 20, 2025 |
|
Do Sync Composers Need Branding? (with Andy Gesner)
|
Feb 13, 2025 |
|
Production Music Q&A – LIVE!
|
Feb 06, 2025 |
|
The State of AI in 2025 (with Timothy Andrew Edwards)
|
Jan 30, 2025 |
|
How to Stay Grounded When Sync Feels Overwhelming
|
Jan 23, 2025 |
|
Sync Trends for 2025 (with Timothy Andrew Edwards)
|
Jan 16, 2025 |
|
How To Work Smarter, Not Harder
|
Jan 08, 2025 |
|
Looking Back on 2024 and What's Ahead for 2025
|
Jan 02, 2025 |
|
The 3 Keys to a Long (and Happy!) Career
|
Dec 19, 2024 |
|
Why Does it Take So Long to Get Paid?
|
Dec 12, 2024 |
|
What Defines the "Mood" in a Cue?
|
Dec 05, 2024 |
|
It's Episode 200! What Have I Learned?
|
Nov 28, 2024 |
|
Understanding Ominous Tension
|
Nov 21, 2024 |
|
Is Originality Overrated?
|
Nov 14, 2024 |
|
How to Use Transition SFX
|
Nov 07, 2024 |
|
Collaboration is King (with Dale Grisa)
|
Oct 31, 2024 |
|
Ask Me Anything!
|
Oct 24, 2024 |
|
Conferences, Colons, and Storms (Oh My!)
|
Oct 17, 2024 |
|
One on One with Jason Graves
|
Sep 26, 2024 |
|
Writing Epic Hip-Hop for Sports
|
Sep 19, 2024 |
|
Christmas In July Winners!
|
Sep 12, 2024 |
|
Cue Review – LIVE!
|
Sep 06, 2024 |
|
How To Use Story Beats to Structure Trailer Cues
|
Aug 29, 2024 |
|
What Makes a "Good" Cue?
|
Aug 22, 2024 |
|
How Do I Stay So Positive?
|
Aug 15, 2024 |
|
Christmas In July Composer Quest Live!
|
Aug 09, 2024 |
|
How PROs Support Composers (with Erin Collins, SESAC)
|
Aug 01, 2024 |
|
Are Production Music Composers Going Extinct?
|
Jul 25, 2024 |
|
How To Use Your Superpower (with Nathan Toft)
|
Jul 18, 2024 |
|
Understanding Orchestral Articulations
|
Jul 12, 2024 |
|
Getting Into Film Scoring (with Scott Mclaughlin)
|
Jul 04, 2024 |
|
How to Play the DAW Like an Instrument
|
Jun 27, 2024 |
|
Production Music Is A Team Sport
|
Jun 19, 2024 |
|
More Inconvenient Truths About Production Music
|
Jun 13, 2024 |
|
What's Your Superpower? Composer Quest Live!
|
Jun 07, 2024 |
|
I Got Copyright Notices for Using AI Loops
|
May 30, 2024 |
|
Sync Gems, Part 2 (with Roy Matz)
|
May 23, 2024 |
|
Sync Gems, Part 1 (with Roy Matz)
|
May 16, 2024 |
|
Production Music Q&A LIVE!
|
May 10, 2024 |
|
5 Career Lessons I Learned from Star Wars
|
May 02, 2024 |
|
What's Your Superpower?
|
Apr 25, 2024 |
|
The Habits of Success (with Jelle Dittmar)
|
Apr 17, 2024 |
|
Parkinson's Law and Composers
|
Apr 11, 2024 |
|
Evolving in the Music Industry (with Timothy Andrew Edwards)
|
Apr 04, 2024 |
|
Let's Talk Sync Agents (with Chuck Milan)
|
Mar 28, 2024 |
|
From Pews to Production Music (with Jeff Hargrove)
|
Mar 21, 2024 |
|
Where Are Your Bottlenecks?
|
Mar 14, 2024 |
|
Cymbal Slice Composer Quest LIVE!
|
Mar 08, 2024 |
|
We Need To Talk About AI... Again
|
Feb 29, 2024 |
|
Hacking Music Theory with Music Interval Theory
|
Feb 22, 2024 |
|
Ready for Sync? Live!
|
Feb 16, 2024 |
|
Software Synths Demystified (with Jon Audio)
|
Feb 08, 2024 |
|
What Are You Afraid Of?
|
Feb 01, 2024 |
|
What Can Golf Teach Us About Production Music?
|
Jan 25, 2024 |
|
From Beats to Banjos (with Ryan Harlin)
|
Jan 17, 2024 |
|
How to Handle Discouragement (a Family Roundtable)
|
Jan 10, 2024 |
|
What Should You Look for in a Mentor?
|
Jan 04, 2024 |
|
Looking Back on 2023 and What's Ahead for 2024
|
Dec 31, 2023 |
|
I Just Turned 50 and I'm Just Getting Started!
|
Dec 28, 2023 |
|
Is This Orchestral Hip-Hop Cue Ready for Sync?
|
Dec 26, 2023 |
|
A Library Wants My Cue! What Now?
|
Dec 21, 2023 |
|
Is This Spanish Guitar Cue Ready for Sync?
|
Dec 19, 2023 |
|
Is This Festive Christmas Cue Ready for Sync?
|
Dec 15, 2023 |
|
The Classically Trained Synthesist (with Jameson Nathan Jones)
|
Dec 14, 2023 |
|
Production Music Q&A LIVE!
|
Dec 07, 2023 |
|
Is This Synthwave Cue Ready for Sync?
|
Dec 05, 2023 |
|
6 Career Lessons I Learned from Star Trek
|
Nov 30, 2023 |
|
The Power of Gratitude, Grace, and Forgiveness
|
Nov 23, 2023 |
|
Is This Dark Dramedy Cue Ready for Sync?
|
Nov 22, 2023 |
|
How To Think Like a Publisher (with Jason Rudd)
|
Nov 16, 2023 |
|
Is This Epic Hip-Hop Cue Ready for Sync?
|
Nov 14, 2023 |
|
I Suck at Guitar (and That's OK)!
|
Nov 09, 2023 |
|
Spy Dramedy Cue Review
|
Nov 07, 2023 |
|
Arabian Orchestral Cue Review
|
Nov 03, 2023 |
|
Orchestration Recipes (with Philip Johnston)
|
Nov 02, 2023 |
|
Fright Night Composer Quest Live Showcase!
|
Oct 26, 2023 |
|
Hybrid Horror Cue Review
|
Oct 24, 2023 |
|
Coming Up Through the Ranks (with Jonas Friedman)
|
Oct 19, 2023 |
|
Uplifting Piano & Orchestra Cue Review
|
Oct 17, 2023 |
|
How to Find the Art in Artisan (with Hans York)
|
Oct 12, 2023 |
|
Sound Design Trailer Cue Review
|
Oct 10, 2023 |
|
Who Needs Spitfire's Abbey Road 1st Violins??
|
Oct 05, 2023 |
|
Indie Acoustic Cue Review
|
Oct 03, 2023 |
|
Orchestral Sports Cue Review
|
Oct 03, 2023 |
|
Emotional Piano & Strings Cue Review
|
Oct 03, 2023 |
|
Sports Rock Cue Review
|
Oct 02, 2023 |
|
Can Subscriptions Actually Be Done Right? (A Roundtable)
|
Sep 28, 2023 |
|
Americana Hip-Hop Cue Review
|
Sep 25, 2023 |
|
Exploring Sound Design with Venus Theory
|
Sep 21, 2023 |
|
Uplifting Orchestral Cue Review
|
Sep 18, 2023 |
|
Turning Pro
|
Sep 14, 2023 |
|
Country Hip-Hop Hybrid Cue Review
|
Sep 11, 2023 |
|
Demystifying the Cue with Dean Krippaehne
|
Sep 07, 2023 |
|
Indie Pop Positive Cue Review
|
Sep 04, 2023 |
|
Musical Solutions to Mixing Problems
|
Aug 31, 2023 |
|
Stomp Clap Cue Review
|
Aug 28, 2023 |
|
Q&A Live!
|
Aug 25, 2023 |
|
Kitschy Jazz Cue Review
|
Aug 21, 2023 |
|
Standing Out In The Crowd (with Jason Moss)
|
Aug 17, 2023 |
|
Do You *Need* a YouTube Channel?
|
Aug 10, 2023 |
|
You Should Learn Guitar (with Mike Meiers)
|
Aug 03, 2023 |
|
Who Writes Those Plugin Demos?
|
Jul 20, 2023 |
|
Let's Get Weird!
|
Jul 13, 2023 |
|
Hip-Hop for Sync with Anthony Clint, Jr
|
Jul 06, 2023 |
|
The 5 Lies I Used to (and Still Do) Tell Myself
|
Jun 29, 2023 |
|
Left vs Right Brain Thinking for Composers
|
Jun 22, 2023 |
|
How Gaming Makes Me a Better Composer
|
Jun 15, 2023 |
|
Sync or Swim Music with Robbie Hancock
|
Jun 08, 2023 |
|
Overcoming and Avoiding Burnout
|
Jun 01, 2023 |
|
PROs Explained
|
May 25, 2023 |
|
How Can the 80/20 Rule Can Boost Your Career in Production Music?
|
May 18, 2023 |
|
From Sample Making to Filmmaking with Jon Meyer
|
May 11, 2023 |
|
Production Music Q&A
|
May 04, 2023 |
|
Do Libraries Owe Us a Response on Returns? (with Michael Laskow)
|
Apr 27, 2023 |
|
Is TuneSat Really Worth the $$$?
|
Apr 20, 2023 |
|
10 Piano VSTs Compared!
|
Apr 13, 2023 |
|
What Do Editors Want? (with Josh Siegel)
|
Apr 06, 2023 |
|
Waves Goes Subscription... Only?
|
Mar 29, 2023 |
|
5 Books That Changed My Thinking
|
Mar 23, 2023 |
|
My Own Mount Rushmore of Plugins
|
Mar 16, 2023 |
|
Do You Have What It Takes?
|
Mar 09, 2023 |
|
The Four Stages of Competence
|
Mar 02, 2023 |
|
Let's Talk Metadata
|
Feb 23, 2023 |
|
Expanding Creativity Using Ableton Live with Christina Horn
|
Feb 16, 2023 |
|
Inexpensive and Easy-to-Play Instruments for Your Cues!
|
Feb 10, 2023 |
|
A Chat With ReelCrafter
|
Feb 03, 2023 |
|
The 10 Commandments of Production Music
|
Jan 26, 2023 |
|
Is One Cue Per Week Really Enough?
|
Jan 20, 2023 |
|
Read the @#$%& Brief! (Anatomy of a Taxi Listing)
|
Jan 13, 2023 |
|
2022 In Review (and What Comes Next!)
|
Jan 05, 2023 |
|
How I Use Sketching for My Cues
|
Dec 30, 2022 |
|
Getting Into Game Music (with Adam Fligsten)
|
Dec 21, 2022 |
|
Why Do We Do This and Is It Even Worth It?
|
Dec 16, 2022 |
|
Bebop Killed Jazz: A Cautionary Tale for Media Composers | 52 Cues Podcast, 2022 Week 48
|
Dec 13, 2022 |
|
Am I Wrong About Stock Music? (with Steven Beddall)
|
Dec 01, 2022 |
|
4 Things You Can Do With Your Unused Cues
|
Nov 23, 2022 |
|
Saying the Quiet Parts Out Loud with Anne-Kathrin Dern
|
Nov 17, 2022 |
|
PMC & Taxi Road Rally Review
|
Nov 15, 2022 |
|
5 Ways to Stay In the Creative Flow State
|
Nov 02, 2022 |
|
Do We Really Need a Web Presence?
|
Oct 27, 2022 |
|
(Yet) Another Q&A Episode!
|
Oct 21, 2022 |
|
Writing Cues for Sports (with Rob Aster)
|
Oct 17, 2022 |
|
What's Luck Got to Do With It?
|
Oct 13, 2022 |
|
Make Your Publisher's Job Easy (with Michael Laskow)
|
Oct 06, 2022 |
|
How is Production Music Different than Film (and Other) Music?
|
Sep 28, 2022 |
|
4 Ways to Jumpstart Your Creativity!
|
Sep 14, 2022 |
|
The Inconvenient Truths About Production Music
|
Sep 08, 2022 |
|
Collaborations and Conferences with Tracey and Vance Marino
|
Sep 01, 2022 |
|
5 Steps to Starting Your Career In Production Music
|
Aug 26, 2022 |
|
We Need to Talk About Waves Plugins
|
Aug 19, 2022 |
|
The Many Ways I Make Money Making Music
|
Aug 11, 2022 |
|
Are You Too Old to Start a Music Career?
|
Aug 05, 2022 |
|
4 Ways To Be A Better Composer (Without Focusing on Composing!)
|
Jul 29, 2022 |
|
Will Artificial Intelligence Ever Replace Composers?
|
Jul 21, 2022 |
|
5 Career-Killing Habits You Should Stop Now!
|
Jul 14, 2022 |
|
All About the Production Music Association with Morgan McKnight
|
Jul 07, 2022 |
|
Never Say Never (or Always)
|
Jun 30, 2022 |
|
Making Music Income with Eric Copeland
|
Jun 23, 2022 |
|
The Truth About "Passive" Income
|
Jun 16, 2022 |
|
Do We Really Need to Know Music Theory?
|
Jun 09, 2022 |
|
Tips and Strategies for Maximizing Taxi
|
Jun 02, 2022 |
|
Soundcloud vs Reelcrafter vs Disco
|
May 26, 2022 |
|
Keeping It Real with Jesse Josefsson of Sync My Music
|
May 19, 2022 |
|
The Best YouTube Channels for Media Composers
|
May 12, 2022 |
|
Should Composers Ever Work for Free?
|
May 05, 2022 |
|
Are Audio Software Subscriptions Worth It?!
|
Apr 28, 2022 |
|
Sound Design and Soundtracks with The Unfinished's Matt Bowdler
|
Apr 21, 2022 |
|
SOLVED! Which DAW is the Best?
|
Apr 14, 2022 |
|
How to Write Titles that Get Placements!
|
Apr 10, 2022 |
|
The New 52 Cues!
|
Apr 03, 2022 |
|
Nice Guys Finish First (with Marlon Gibbons)
|
Mar 24, 2022 |
|
Another Q&A Episode!
|
Mar 18, 2022 |
|
Back Up Everything, Then Back Up Your Backups!
|
Mar 10, 2022 |
|
My Path to Production Music
|
Mar 04, 2022 |
|
We Need to Talk About Splice
|
Feb 25, 2022 |
|
How to Handle Criticism Like a Pro
|
Feb 17, 2022 |
|
Why "52" Cues with Dan Graham
|
Feb 10, 2022 |
|
5 Things Many Students Get Wrong About Being a Composer
|
Feb 04, 2022 |
|
How To Use References Responsibly
|
Jan 28, 2022 |
|
Quality vs. Quantity: Is One Cue Per Week Enough?
|
Jan 21, 2022 |
|
So You Want To Make Sample Packs?
|
Jan 14, 2022 |
|
I Wrote at Least One Cue Per Week for a Year – What I Learned
|
Jan 07, 2022 |
|
You Need These Two Items If You Write Tension Music!
|
Dec 29, 2021 |
|
Is This Job Even Fun for Me Anymore?
|
Dec 22, 2021 |
|
Does Expensive Gear Really Make a Difference?
|
Dec 16, 2021 |
|
Why I Use So Few Plugins when Mixing and Mastering
|
Dec 08, 2021 |
|
Over Promising and Under Delivering
|
Dec 05, 2021 |
|
I Quantize Everything (and So Should You)
|
Nov 24, 2021 |
|
How I Use Ozone for Quick and Easy Mastering
|
Nov 15, 2021 |
|
I Use This Song Form on (Nearly) Every Cue
|
Nov 10, 2021 |
|
Production Music Isn't Art
|
Nov 03, 2021 |
|
Chopping Samples in Serato Sample for Production Music
|
Oct 27, 2021 |
|
Organize Your Catalog (or Else)!
|
Oct 20, 2021 |
|
Learning That This Career Is Not For Me
|
Oct 13, 2021 |
|
Get More Placements by Thinking Like an Editor!
|
Oct 06, 2021 |
|
Answering More of Your Industry Questions
|
Sep 29, 2021 |
|
The One Thing I Do To Add Realism To All My Cues
|
Sep 21, 2021 |
|
Get It In Writing: Work-For-Hire and Co-Writer Contracts
|
Sep 13, 2021 |
|
How to Find the Right Sounds Fast!
|
Sep 09, 2021 |
|
How Many Hats Do Production Music Composers Wear?
|
Aug 31, 2021 |
|
How Many Hats Do Production Music Composers Wear?
|
Aug 30, 2021 |
|
Honesty Is the Best Policy (Duh!)
|
Aug 25, 2021 |
|
Honesty Is the Best Policy (Duh!)
|
Aug 25, 2021 |
|
Where do ideas come from?
|
Aug 16, 2021 |
|
Where do ideas come from?
|
Aug 16, 2021 |
|
Why Should I Be Using a Template for My Cues?
|
Aug 11, 2021 |
|
Why Should I Be Using a Template for My Cues?
|
Aug 11, 2021 |
|
What’s the one thing I wish I'd known about having a career in music?
|
Aug 02, 2021 |
|
What’s the one thing I wish I'd known about having a career in music?
|
Aug 02, 2021 |
|
Don't Throw Away Your Unused Cues!
|
Jul 27, 2021 |
|
What's the Best Mouse for Music Production?
|
Jul 19, 2021 |
|
How Do You Battle Imposter Syndrome?
|
Jul 14, 2021 |
|
Do You Have to End Your Cue on the I/i Chord?
|
Jul 06, 2021 |
|
3 Tips for Realistic Drum Programming
|
Jun 28, 2021 |
|
How To Handle Rejection From a Publisher
|
Jun 21, 2021 |
|
What Genre of Library Music Sells Best?
|
Jun 14, 2021 |
|
How to Stop Procrastinating and Get Back to Composing
|
Jun 07, 2021 |
|
I Don't Write Music Every Day, and That's OK
|
May 31, 2021 |
|
Do you have to go to school to be a composer?
|
May 25, 2021 |
|
3 Ways to Pay Work-for-Hire Musicians to Play on Your Cues
|
May 17, 2021 |
|
The Power of Collaboration
|
May 03, 2021 |
|
Answers to Your Questions About Production and Library Music
|
Apr 26, 2021 |
|
I Mix and Master in Headphones and I'm Not Even Sorry!
|
Apr 19, 2021 |
|
What One Habit Increased My Productivity?
|
Apr 12, 2021 |
|
How Long Does It Take To Get Paid Royalties?
|
Apr 05, 2021 |
|
Can Creativity Be Taught?
|
Mar 29, 2021 |
|
We Never Stop Learning
|
Mar 22, 2021 |
|
When Is the Right Time to Turn Down Work?
|
Mar 15, 2021 |
|
5 Ways to Get Out of Your Creative Slump
|
Mar 08, 2021 |
|
Organize (and color) your cues for easy export!
|
Mar 01, 2021 |
|
How many libraries should you write for?
|
Feb 22, 2021 |
|
Adjusting to a "new normal" is pretty normal for composers
|
Feb 15, 2021 |
|
5 ways composers should be more like Bob Ross
|
Feb 08, 2021 |
|
When is it safe to use loops in production music?
|
Feb 01, 2021 |
|
How do you land a publisher?
|
Jan 25, 2021 |
|
It's OK to Ask for Help
|
Jan 18, 2021 |
|
You're never too "pro" to make a rookie mistake
|
Jan 11, 2021 |