52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast

We’ve heard of very successful composers who’ve made great careers for themselves without really knowing how to read music (Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, Vangelis, Irving Berlin all come to mind), but does reading music equal understanding music? Which begs the question: do we have to know music theory as production music composers?  I've invited Mrs. 52 Cues herself, Shannon Kropf, who’s quite...

There are a lot of mixed feelings about Taxi with some claiming it’s a pay-to-play scam while others sing their praises across the Internet. Either way, there’s no arguing that some people find great success through Taxi and swear by it.  On today's episode,  I sit down and chat with two of our own 52 Cues members, Chris Moser and Jeff LaPlante, who seemed to have cracked the code!. We talk t...

What is the best way now to put your music out there to pitch to libraries? On today's episode, I take a look at the three biggest players in the catalog management and playlist space: SoundCloud, Reelcrafter, and Disco– their strengths, their weaknesses, and costs. Which service is right for you? Plus we take a listen to an Eastern-inspired cue written by 52 Cues Community, Michael Sinay! Wa...

If you’ve been digging around YouTube for Production Music resources for any length time, then I can almost guarantee you’ve come across Jesse Josefsson and the  @Sync My Music YouTube channel. So I was super excited to be able to chat with him recently about his journey to production music, handling rejection, and the mentality you have to have for the long-haul that is the world of sync music. P...

Back in week 10, I warned about subscribing to educational services that seem to overpromise but will probably underdeliver. Today, instead of talking about what's not working, let’s talk about the YouTubers out there doing it right and had the most influence on me! Plus we listen to hybrid orchestral hip-hop cue from 52 Cues community member, Omar Blyde! Watch This Episode on YouTube https:/...

We all have to start somewhere, and building a career in any creative industry often involves paying your dues, but does that mean we should be giving our music away? We talk about that, plus we listen to an industrial tension cue from 52 Cues community member, Pete Mason! Watch this episode on YouTube! https://youtu.be/pkRFkG_6tkU 00:00 – Intro & Welcome 02:01 – Feedback from last week's...

The Internet of things has meant an explosion of opportunity for composers, but with that companies have started to think of new ways of doing business and a new business model: software subscription services. Is this really all that bad? Plus, we listen to a cute, "silly" chiptune cue from 52 Cues community member, John Chambers! RANT WARNING: I kind of go HAM on AVID! Watch this episod...

Soundsets from Matt Bowdler have quickly become a staple in my synth toolkit, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to chat with the imagination behind The Unfinished. Join us as we talk about sound design, creating synth presets, and what it's like to be on the production team for an Oscar winning soundtrack. Plus, we listen to a "corporate cue" by 52 Community member, Andrew...

On today's episode, I finally lay to rest which is the best DAW for production music composers! Plus, we listen to a lo-fi cue by Kris Claerhout. 00:00 – Intro & Welcome 02:29 – Composers love talking about DAWs 04:33 – Pro Tools 10:28 – Logic Pro 17:51 – Cubase 23:39 – Ableton Live 31:30 – Honorable Mentions (Reason, FL Studio, Reaper, Studio One, Digital Performer) 42:16 – The Verdict:...

Before a music supervisor ever listens to a note of your cue, they’re going to read the title! What are some of the best practices we should be using for our titles to ensure our cues catch the eye of an editor and give us the best shot of getting placed? Plus, we listen to an action cue from 52 Cue Community member, Timothy Ackerman! Watch this episode on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...

The 52 Cues Community has grown to nearly 1000 members over the last 3+ years, but we've now outgrown what we can do on Facebook. On today's episode, I talk about where we're moving, why this is going to be great for the community, and how you can join us today! Plus, we listen to an Asian-infused action cue from 52 Cues community member, Michael Reschke! Watch this episode on YouTu...

Who says the music business had to be cutthroat? This week, I sit down with production music's nicest Canadian, Marlon Gibbons and we discuss how being nice and easy to work with pays off! Plus, we listen to a  funky cue from 52 Cues community member, Chris Moser! Watch this episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/1m5uL2j1ijE 00:00 – Intro 02:19 – Interview with Marlon Gibbons 36:55 – 52 Cues Com...

How do we tackle transitions and loops in our cues? Where can we find a list of libraries to pitch to? Should we track our cues with Tunesat? What about genres, up front fees, and references? And can all those online production music schools really deliver on their promises? I answer your questions, plus we listen to an uplifting piano cue from a member of the 52 Family on today's XXL episode...

If you're not backing up your system and client files on a regular basis then you are playing with fire while wearing gloves soaked in gasoline.  On this week's episode, we talk about my backup and redundancy methods as well as check out a stomps and claps cue from 52 Cues Family member, Jesse Garrigan! Watch this episode on YouTube! https://youtu.be/ItNsJk9ErOg 00:00 – Intro & Welco...

There are many paths to the journey to becoming a production music composer. Today, I thought I'd share my journey to how I came to get my music on TV. Plus, we listen to an 80's inspired synth-pop cue from 52 Cues family member, Jeff LaPlante! Watch this episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/UEoHkmhpnuo 00:00 – Intro 02:21 – My Path to Production Music 34:57 – 52 Cues Community Cue, &quot...

Pull up a chair, friends. We need to talk about Splice, how I feel it is getting unfairly maligned, and the trend of prohibiting the use of any Splice sounds in production music. Plus, we listen to an epic orchestral trailer cue from 52 Cues community member, Pranav G! Watch this episode on YouTube! https://youtu.be/lA-FLpqrT0I 00:00 – Intro & Welcome 02:13 – Why are libraries singling out Spl...

As media composers we all have to learn how to handle getting feedback on our work, and on today's episode I run down the four ways that I personally handle criticism. Plus, the we listen to a plucky dramedy cue from 52 Cues member, Enrico Caporale. Watch this episode on YouTube! 00:00 – Intro & Welcome 02:22 – Why is criticism so hard to take sometimes? 05:14 – Consider the source 08:28...

On this week's podcast episode, I sit down with composer, publisher, and Gothic Storm founder Dan Graham as we discuss the origins of the "52 Cues" concept, his life as a publisher, and how he balances all of his spinning plates. Plus, we listen to a new percussion cue from 52 Cues community member, Ryan Inlow! Watch this episode on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va6IQTgSsZ...

I talk about the 5 things I've discovered over my 21 years in higher eduction that students tend to get wrong about being a composer. Plus, we take a listen to "You Have Wings" from 52 Cues Community Member, Michal Pacalaj! Watch this episode on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsgleFi6qkQ 00:00 – Intro & Welcome 02:54 – A brief history of my teaching journey 05:16 – Stud...

As production music composers we often get reference material from our publishers and clients, but how do we actually use these references? And how can we keep from ripping off another composer? Plus, we listen to an orchestral tension cue from 52 Cues community member, Richard Bagley! Watch this episode on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8D01tjIawU 00:00 – Intro 01:46 – Mining the Refere...

Is writing just one cue per week enough to have a career in production music? We talk about that, how to balance quantity vs. quality, and we listen to a tension cue from 52 Cues community member, Angel Jimenez! Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bfBoCi4OQY0 00:00 – Intro 01:49 – How many cues per week do we need to write? 26:01 – 52 Cues Community Cue, "Caravan" by Angel Ji...

If you've ever had an interest in making and releasing your own sample packs, then you don't want to miss my interview with producer, composer, and beatmaker, Corey Phillips, aka Colormind. Plus we listen to a happy clappy cue from a member of the 52 Cues Community! 00:00 – Intro & Welcome 01:38 – What is 52 Cues? 05:38 – Creating Sample Packs with Corey Phillips (aka Colormind) 33:2...

Here we are at the end of our journey! How'd I do on my quest to write at least 1 cue per week? What are the lessons I learned along the way? What's next for the channel? I answer all of these questions, as well as unpack an intrigue tension cue featuring my own custom Omnisphere patch on this final, super-sized Week 52 Check-In. Watch this episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/LzhVQnbxnCs...

If you write any kind of tension music, you need these two items in your arsenal. Plus, I unpack an intrigue tension cue titled, "Incision Decision" on my week 51 Vlog Check-In. Watch this episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/LpBm3PIMJTI 00:00 - Intro 01:47 - The two pieces of gear you should have for all tension music 15:27 - Cue Breakdown 33:37 - Outro & Patreon Information Cello Bo...

Deadlines and clients and gigs, oh my!  I focus so much on deliverables that it's got me asking myself, "is this job even any fun anymore?" I discuss this as well as unpack a jazzy spy cue on my Week 50 vlog check-in. Watch this episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/iUIr04OhBxA 00:00 - Intro 01:52 - Vlog: Is this gig even fun for me anymore? 15:01 - Cue Breakdown 30:17 - Outro & P...