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
282 episodes
Do I Just Suck at Workflow?
In this episode, me and 52 Cues mentor Mary Shaw unpack why “bad workflow” is often a misdiagnosis and how simple project management tools can make writing and delivering cues feel far more doable.Watch this episode on YouTube!
•
Season 2026
•
Episode 256
•
53:43
What New Composers Get Wrong About Sync
In this episode, Jeff Hargrove and I talk about the early mistakes new composers often make when stepping into production music – from chasing plugins and genres to overlooking the fundamentals that actually move the needle. Watc...
•
Season 2026
•
Episode 255
•
1:05:05
Building Better Work-Life Balance
This week, Greg Fellman and I talk work-life balance and how routines, boundaries, travel, burnout, and community can actually recharge you instead of distracting you.Watch this episode on YouTube!
•
Episode 254
•
45:54
The Production Music Industry Quietly Changed
In this episode, Jeff LaPlante and I talk about how production and library music has changed in the last decade, why authenticity matters more, and how streaming has shifted the royalty game.Watch this episode on YouTube:
•
Season 2026
•
Episode 253
•
1:14:07
Your Influences Are Louder Than You Think
In this episode, Jeff LaPlante joins me as the first co-host of 2026, and we’re talking about influences – the obvious ones, the weird ones, and the ones you don’t realize you’re borrowing from. Watch this episode on YouTube:
•
Season 2026
•
Episode 252
•
56:27
I Wrote Fewer Cues in 2025. Should I Be Worried?
In this episode, Mrs. 52 Cues and I wrap up the year by looking honestly at what worked, what didn’t, and how 2025 shaped both my writing life and the evolution of 52 Cues. We also lay out what’s coming in 2026 – new podcast formats, mentors, m...
•
Season 2025
•
Episode 52
•
1:24:03
I Use The Same Mixing Method on Every Cue
In this episode, I walk through my entire mixing and mastering process from beginning to end using a real indie pop cue as the example. We zoom out and talk about building a repeatable, genre-agnostic approach to mixing that helps you work fast...
•
Season 2025
•
Episode 50
•
52:50
Office Hours with Prof. Dave
In this episode, Dave opens up live office hours for an Ask Me Anything session. Topics range from PRO royalties and cue output expectations to writing tension versus upbeat cues, epic versus non-epic styles, synth tools, sample libraries, moni...
•
Season 2025
•
Episode 49
•
1:16:31
Inside the A&R Mind (with Farnell Newton)
In this episode, I’m joined by trumpeter, educator, and Marmoset A&R lead Farnell Newton for a conversation that tackles some of the biggest pain points composers face in the sync world. We talk about what actually catches an A&R rep’s ...
•
Season 2025
•
Episode 48
•
1:01:00
How to Write True Crime Tension Cues
In this episode, we’re taking a closer look at the true crime corner of the light-tension spectrum where I’ll walk you through the sounds, the pulses, and the gritty textures that push this style right up to the edge of ominous tension.
•
Season 2025
•
Episode 46
•
40:10
I Said This Isn’t Art… Was I Wrong?
In this episode, I revisit the bold 2021 statement that what we do in production music isn’t art and ask if that still holds up in the age of AI. I talk about how technology has shifted the production music world and if the artisan mindset stil...
•
Season 2025
•
Episode 45
•
44:15
Meet the Exec Who Decides Which Cues Get Used
In this episode I am joined by Emmy and Mark Award–winning composer and Head of Production at Warner Chappell Production Music, Scott Reinwand, and we chat about how composers can stand out in a crowded catalog.Plus we listen to a recent...
•
Season 2025
•
Episode 44
•
51:11
The PROs Say Yes to AI Music. Should You?
In this episode, I unpack what ASCAP, BMI, and SOCAN’s new policy on partially AI-generated works means for production music composers. We’ll talk about where the line is between using AI as a creative assistant and letting it compose ...
•
Season 2025
•
Episode 43
•
49:25
A VIP Tour of 52 Cues
Ever wonder what really goes on inside 52 Cues? In this episode, I’m unpacking how the community works, what each space is for, and how it all ties together to help you grow as a production music composer. Plus, we listen to anothe...
•
Season 2025
•
Episode 42
•
50:54
Why Conferences Matter (PMC 2025 Recap)
This week, Shannon joins me to unpack her very first Production Music Conference – what it’s really like to meet the 52 Cues community in person, how one simple meetup turned into a full-blown Hollywood party, and why personal connection is sti...
•
Season 2025
•
Episode 41
•
54:43
Level Up Your Pitches with Reelcrafter 2.5
In this episode, Sam Hulick and Sara Pocius from ReelCrafter return to talk about the brand-new ReelCrafter 2.5 update, what’s new under the hood, and how it helps composers pitch smarter and present their music professionally. Plus, we’re unve...
•
Season 2025
•
Episode 40
•
50:55
The Secrets of Tasking Cues
In this episode, we’re unpacking tasking cues – the music that underscores moments of focus, pacing, and process in reality TV and beyond. We’ll talk about what makes them work, where they’re used, and break down one of my own inside the DAW.
•
Season 2025
•
Episode 39
•
43:30
What Does "Editor-Friendly" Mean?
In this episode, I unpack what it really means to write an editor-friendly cue. We’ll look at the six essentials that reduce friction in the edit bay and I'll walk through a Shark Week investigation cue I recently wrote and put it to the test.<...
•
Season 2025
•
Episode 38
•
38:16
Writing Melodies That Work
In this episode, I unpack my approach to writing melodies that really work inside production music cues. I walk through how I build motivic ideas, how modes shape the emotional color of a phrase, and how static melodies can create forward...
•
Season 2025
•
Episode 37
•
49:12
Unlocking the Secrets of Reference Cues
In this episode, I share a simple framework I created to help composers break down and study reference cues. You’ll learn how to listen for the musical elements that shape mood and emotion and how to extract those details so you can use them as...
•
Season 2025
•
Episode 36
•
49:17
Must-Know Tips for Music Conferences
In this episode, I share practical tips for navigating music conferences without feeling overwhelmed. From what to bring and how to prepare, to approaching networking in a way that builds real connections at events like PMC, the Taxi Road Rally...
•
Season 2025
•
Episode 35
•
46:33
How to Write Investigative Tension Cues
In this episode, we’re unpacking investigative tension cues – those cerebral, clue-assembling moments that show up everywhere from crime and dating shows and house hunting reveals. Watch this episode on YouTube -
•
Season 2025
•
Episode 34
•
47:20
Vacation Fails & Life Lessons
In this episode, Mrs. 52 Cues joins me to talk about our recent vacation that started with noisy cabins, wrong turns, and even a dropped pizza. But somewhere between the chaos, the hang gliders, and the quiet mountain mornings, we discovered so...
•
Season 2025
•
Episode 33
•
1:17:19
Prep Like a Chef: The Composer’s Mise en Place
In this episode, I show how the French cooking concept of mise en place can streamline your cue-writing process. You’ll learn five practical steps to get organized, work faster, and hit deadlines – plus, I feature my dark, ominous tension cue, ...
•
Season 2025
•
Episode 32
•
37:07