52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast

In this episode, community mentor Jeff Hargrove explains why a simple piano sketch can make writing cues easier before production takes over. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xXiCWzwo3TU Be sure to join us for Jeff's free Sketch to Screen Workshop, July 13 at 4p ET! https://my.52cues.com/events/from-sketch-to-screen-with-jeff-hargrove What if you could turn a simple piano sketc...

In this episode, Dave and community mentor Jeff LaPlante share their most-used instruments, tools, plugins, and effects to help production music composers build a dependable toolkit without wasting money on plugins you might not really need. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_pIAgPHp760 PLUGINS, SOUNDS, AND LIBRARIES DISCUSSED SOUNDS AND LIBRARIES Omnisphere https://www.spectrasonics...

In this episode, Philip Johnston returns to explain how Orchestration Recipes makes complex concepts more practical, what Volume 6 brings to everyday orchestral writing, and where AI may fit into the future of composition and virtual performance. Orchestration Recipes Vol. 6 is out now! https://orchestrationrecipes.com What if you could turn a simple piano sketch into a cue that's ready for p...

In this episode Dave and community mentor Jeff LaPlante break down production music deliverables, including mixes, stems, cutdowns, file naming, metadata, loudness, and the common mistakes that can make an accepted cue harder for libraries and editors to use. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/yIXUIyolKRk What if you could turn a simple piano sketch into a cue that's ready for pr...

In this episode, Dave answers your production music questions including generative AI, following up with libraries, pitching albums professionally, recovering exclusive cues, building a sustainable sync catalog, and why the tools you use matter when revisions and deliverables are part of the job. What if you could turn a simple piano sketch into a cue that's ready for production music librari...

In this episode, Dave pulls back the curtain on 52 Cues with a look inside a cue breakdown, showing how composition, structure, arrangement, and production choices all work together in a finished cue. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YfOLFtiPIig What if you could turn a simple piano sketch into a cue that's ready for production music libraries, trailers, promos, and television...

In this episode, Dave and Jeff discuss whether loops and samples are lazy, how samples can be transformed into original production music cues, and why legal usage still doesn’t always protect you from Content ID headaches or library concerns. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PFoHpTAsHbo What if you could turn a simple piano sketch into a cue that's ready for production music li...

In this episode Chuck Henry, founder and CEO of 10 West Music, shares brutally honest advice for production music composers on pitching libraries, preparing clean deliverables, avoiding lazy loop usage, and writing cues that actually serve editors and supervisors. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4m7ZUa0aPaw Links: https://10westmusic.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-henry-22a1...

In this episode, Dave and community mentor Greg Fellman share five practical networking tips for production music composers, from building real relationships to following up and being ready when opportunities show up. Denver Composers Collective - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1433710441750662 Sync Meetup Austin - https://www.facebook.com/syncatx Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/M...

In this episode, I’m joined by composer, library owner, and PMA vice chair Alan Lazar to talk about ethical AI, production music submissions, and whether tools like TrackTrove.ai can help human composers get their cues heard. https://tracktrove.ai https://alanlazar.com Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/FatgvGSr9_s What if you could turn a simple piano sketch into a cue that's re...

In this episode, Dave is joined by 52 Cues mentor Mary Shaw to talk about building a “second brain” for composers, getting ideas and tasks out of your head, and creating systems that help future-you stay focused, organized, and more productive. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/z9xOGoM7CnQ Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte: https://amzn.to/42GFZEg What if you could turn a simple...

In this episode, Dave and Jeff LaPlante talk about the non-musical skills that can make a huge difference in the sync business. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7ARhc9dohm4 What if you could turn a simple piano sketch into a cue that's ready for production music libraries, trailers, promos, and television placements? In this free workshop, we'll pull back the curtain on my...

In this episode, Dave is joined by Jesse Carrigan to talk about Cuemonic, the metadata tool he’s building for composers and publishers, and why this unglamorous part of the business matters more than most of us realize.  Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lRdh5l8OhxM https://cuemonic.com Use code 52CUESPOD and get 1 month free each year you stay subscribed to Cuemonic, which means 12...

In this episode, Dave sits down with Warner Chappell Production Music’s Dave Milne to talk about what libraries really look for in composers, how the production pipeline works behind the scenes, and what it takes to turn great cues into truly usable, professional music for clients. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PvFd3b2yT78 https://www.davemilnemusic.com https://www.imdb.com/name/...

In this episode, I’m talking with Timothy Andrew Edwards and Tim Mosher about how they landed the music for Nate Bargatze’s Greatest Average American and what it really takes to score a network game show. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dP71SNhtENo Greatest Average American on ABC:   https://abc.com/show/a0f061ad-bc3e-49f4-926f-40f80f8c7090 Evil Genius:   https://www.facebook.com/g...

In this episode Dave is joined by Steven McDonald to talk about how he went from posting music on YouTube to landing major placements, why he writes fast and doesn’t throw ideas away, and the honest truth about the freedom, pressure, and discipline it takes to make this work for real. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/WqfsFl0hLrY https://www.stevenmcdonaldmusic.com/music What if you...

In this episode, Dave and Jeff LaPlante share some of the biggest sync mistakes they’ve made, from technical blunders and bad deals to mindset traps and missed opportunities. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/iR7q0SAklBQ What if you could turn a simple piano sketch into a cue that's ready for production music libraries, trailers, promos, and television placements? In this free w...

In this episode, Dave is joined by community ambassador and drum educator Michael Reschke to break down the biggest mistakes non-drummers make when programming drums. Watch this episode on YouTube : https://youtu.be/qMSUlzL6iZA Connect with Michael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelreschke1 What if you could turn a simple piano sketch into a cue that's ready for production music libraries,...

In this episode, Dave and Jeff break down practical strategies for finding new production music libraries, building relationships, and pitching in a way that gets you taken seriously in the sync industry. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/kMeLqJJlOYI What if you could turn a simple piano sketch into a cue that's ready for production music libraries, trailers, promos, and televis...

In this episode I review cues from the 52 Cues Community! Watch this episode on YouTube! https://youtu.be/1hgYh8PZaRg What if you could turn a simple piano sketch into a cue that's ready for production music libraries, trailers, promos, and television placements? In this free workshop, we'll pull back the curtain on my composition workflow that’s helped me become successful as a producti...

In this episode, trailer composer Randon Purcell breaks down what it actually takes to write modern trailer music, from massive structure and signature sounds to trends, placements, and surviving in a saturated market. Fallout Music Group: http://falloutmusicgroup.com     Randon’s Trailer Course (Hybrid Orchestral Composition and Sound): https://www.masterthescore.com/course/hybrid-orchestral-comp...

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! https://youtu.be/kEP9Ixeesfg Getting Things Done by David Allen - https://amzn.to/49ZFIRB Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte - https://amzn.to/4rxRIQ6 Essentialism by...

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.  Watch this episode on YouTube! https://youtu.be/RSM5S5sPFpQ What if you could turn a simple piano sketch into a cue that's ready for production music libraries, trailers...

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! https://youtu.be/IVm4dxN1SWQ What if you could turn a simple piano sketch into a cue that's ready for production music libraries, trailers, promos, and television placements? In this free workshop...

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: https://youtu.be/6gPapVS1b5o What if you could turn a simple piano sketch into a cue that's ready for production music libraries, trailers, promos, and television placement...