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
273 episodes
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
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 ...
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Season 2025
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Episode 43
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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...
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Season 2025
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Episode 42
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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...
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Season 2025
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Episode 41
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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...
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Season 2025
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Episode 40
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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.
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Season 2025
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Episode 39
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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.<...
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Season 2025
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Episode 38
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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...
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Season 2025
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Episode 37
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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...
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Season 2025
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Episode 36
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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...
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Season 2025
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Episode 35
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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 -
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Season 2025
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Episode 34
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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...
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Season 2025
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Episode 33
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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, ...
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Season 2025
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Episode 32
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37:07
The 4 Stages of Learning Any DAW
In this week’s episode, I compare learning a new DAW to learning a new language – and share where I’m at in my own journey toward “speaking” Ableton Live fluently. Plus, I feature a new reggaeton-meets-comedy hip hop cue.Watch t...
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Season 2025
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Episode 31
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47:07
Chomp and Circumstance
In this episode, I’m joined by band director and composer Brandon Psenicka, whose eerie reimagining of the classic graduation march – complete with creepy vocals from his own daughter – took first place in our recent Composer Quest!Wa...
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Season 2025
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Episode 30
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42:18
Your Sync Questions, Answered!
In this episode, I’m playing submissions from our latest Composer Quest – “A Whole New Light,” and then we open things up for a live Q&A. We talk stems and deliverables, SoundCloud ads, mastering workflow tips, library contracts, and even w...
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Season 2025
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Episode 29
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1:04:10
5 Failures That Kill Your Creative Output
In today’s episode, we’re talking about the unexpected breakdowns that threaten to bring your entire creative process to a halt. Plus, Dave features “Thoughts and Prayers,” a recent ominous tension cue written for a documentary.Watch ...
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Season 2025
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Episode 27
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1:02:11
How I Think About Light Tension
In this episode, I’m again leaning into my professor side to break down one of the most widely used styles in production music: light tension. From tasking and corporate cues to investigative and true crime textures, we’re unpacking the entire ...
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Season 2025
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Episode 26
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32:03
Sync Terms You Should Know (But Were Afraid to Ask)
In this week's episode, you're invited into Professor Dave’s classroom as I break down the sync music terms every composer should know – but might’ve been too embarrassed to ask. From PROs to button endings, we’re clearing up the jargon. Plus, ...
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Season 2025
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Episode 24
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43:20
Give Your Cues an Edge That Beats AI
In this episode, I explore one simple, yet powerful way to make your cues stand out in a world where AI is getting better by the minute. Using my latest dramedy cue, “Of Mice and Mensa,” as a real-world example, I unpack a creative habit that a...
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Season 2025
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Episode 23
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26:58
Composers, It’s Time to Leave SoundCloud
In this episode, I talk about why SoundCloud just might be too risky for production music composers. From AI policy concerns to publishers turning away cues hosted there, is it time to pull the plug? Plus, I share Optimist Prime –
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Season 2025
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Episode 22
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30:27
Ask Dave Anything (LIVE)!
In this episode, I’m answering your questions live – from piano mixing and cue layering strategies to how many libraries you should pitch to at once. We also cover reversion clauses, B sections in dramedy and sports cues, and pitching etiquette...
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Season 2025
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Episode 21
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1:10:40
Why Your Metadata (Probably) Sucks (with Mrs. 52 Cues)
In this episode, I’m joined by Mrs. 52 Cues (Shannon Kropf) to talk about the one thing composers love to avoid: metadata. We’ll unpack why it matters, where we go wrong, and how to stop sabotaging our own discoverability.Plus I feature ...
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Season 2025
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Episode 20
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1:05:05