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.
Podcasting since 2021 • 275 episodes
52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Latest Episodes
Office Hours with Prof. Dave | 52 Cues Podcast, 2025 Week 49
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...
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Season 2025
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Episode 49
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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 ...
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Season 2025
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Episode 48
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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.
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Season 2025
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Episode 46
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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...
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Season 2025
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Episode 45
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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...
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Season 2025
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Episode 44
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51:11
