52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast

Join me as I give critique and feedback on an emotional piano & strings cue by 52 Cues community member, Reed Gesteland! Watch this on YouTube! https://youtu.be/1Eok-XMY46Y 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 compositio...

Join me as I give critique and feedback on a sports rock cue by 52 Cues community member, Jesse Carrigan ( https://www.jessecarrigan.live )! Watch this on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwR4XsdnZ-E 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 ba...

In today's episode, Dave delves into the debate around software subscriptions, drawing insights from 52 Cues Family members from across the globe. In this roundtable discussion, we explore the complexities of subscriptions, from user perceptions to the strategies of companies like Waves and Adobe. Watch this episode on YouTube! https://youtu.be/Zi7_MDVTSng 00:00 - Intro & Welcome 6:40 - W...

Join me as I give critique and feedback on an Americana Tension cue by 52 Cues Family member, Rolf Schild ( https://www.triomusic.info )! Watch this on YouTube! https://youtu.be/lgEKX7487h4 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...

As the world of sound design continues to evolve and innovate, having a firm understanding of the tools, techniques, and trends in the industry is essential. Whether you're an experienced sound designer or a novice looking to break into the field, our conversation with Cameron Gorham of Venus Theory offers invaluable insights to help you navigate this dynamic industry! Watch this episode on Y...

Join me as I give critique and feedback on an uplifting orchestral cue by 52 Cues Community member, Richard Bagley ( https://richardbagleymusic.com )! Watch this on YouTube! https://youtu.be/yRvGrk1Oliw 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 th...

What separates hobbyists from professionals in the creative arts field, particularly music composition? What if I told you the answer lies not in talent, but in mindset, accountability, dedication, and an ability to embrace failure? Join me as we discuss the art of balancing your hobbies and professional goals, understanding the value of patience, persistence, self-actualization, and the acceptanc...

Join me as I give critique and feedback on a country hip-hop hybrid cue by 52 Cues Community member, Jeff LaPlante ( https://soundcloud.com/jeff303 )! Watch this on YouTube https://youtu.be/DQsatkGb0tE   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 t...

There's no shortage of YouTube channels about library and sync music but there aren't that many books about the production music industry. So when I had the opportunity to sit down with one of the few people really putting out great books about production music, I was more than happy to jump at the chance and welcome Dean Krippaehne to the podcast! Watch this episode on YouTube https://w...

Join me as I give critique and feedback on an indie pop positive cue by 52 Cues Community member, Chris Moser ( https://soundcloud.com/user-645451108 )! Watch this on YouTube! https://youtu.be/OakvVtOGGSU 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...

In this episode, we delve into the challenges of juggling both composition and production tasks, and uncover the 'composer first' approach that prioritizes musicality in three key areas: balance, dynamic range, and stereo placement. Learn how this strategy can simplify your workflow, minimize the need for technical fixes, and elevate the emotional impact of your cues. Watch this episode...

Join me as I give critique and feedback on a stomp clap cue by 52 Cues Community member, Mitchell Davis ( https://soundcloud.com/mitchelldavismusic )! Watch this on YouTube! https://youtu.be/nmv6iLVXQe8 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 th...

Join me for a special Q&A episode recorded live! I answer your questions about streaming royalties, loudness and mastering practices, sound design, referencing in Ozone, the artisan approach, ride cymbal programming, overcoming fear of submitting to libraries, and many more! Watch this episode on YouTube! https://youtu.be/i6rciQNFJ6s What if you could turn a simple piano sketch into a cue that...

Join me as I give critique and feedback on a kitschy jazz cue by 52 Cues Community member, Brian Morales ( https://soundcloud.com/orphyas )! Watch this on YouTube! https://youtu.be/VbC9kg_f8UA 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...

Join me as I sit down with Jason Moss, the co-founder of Bulletproof Bear, to unpack his  journey from being a composer to becoming a music publisher. Jason shares his insights into the value of authentic relationships and the value in striking a balance between originality and commercial success in music licensing. Watch this episode on YouTube! https://youtu.be/A_Sa-uVR6j4 00:00 - Intro & We...

Is YouTube an essential part of the marketing portfolio for the modern production music composer? On today's episode, I unpack why you might want to start a YouTube channel, how it could help your career, and what pitfalls you might want to watch out for. Watch this episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/vcIhmt9dsB4 00:00 - Intro & Welcome 01:29 - Do You Need a YouTube Channel? 49:21 - Outro...

As production music composers, we often find ourselves reaching for virtual instruments first, but we also know that recording live instruments can bring magic to a cue! On today's episode, I welcome Emmy Award-winning composer, songwriter, guitarist, and host of the Songwriting for Guitar Podcast, Mike Meiers, to talk about how he uses real instruments on his tracks, and how we shouldn'...

One of my favorite things to do whenever any new synth, sample set, or patch library comes out is to take a listen to the demos, but who actually puts these demos together, and how do you land that gig? Well, we are super fortunate to have a very accomplished demo writer right here in the community, and I’m thrilled to welcome Michal Sinay to this week’s episode of the 52 Cues Podcast. Plus I give...

More and more libraries are starting to place a higher premium on uniqueness - that distinctive thing that you, as a human composer, can bring to their catalog. That means it's time to get a weird, and on today's episode, I look at ways we can break conventions while still playing by production music rules. Plus,  I give feedback on an epic hip-hop cue written 52 Cues community member Ca...

If you want to get into writing hip-hop for sync, then you want to be sure to learn from the best, and I can’t think anyone better than Anthony Clint, Jr of Clint Music productions. With placements across all major networks, his courses and YouTube channel are an absolute gold mine of production tips and industry insights Join me as I welcome the Zen master of hip-hop production music, Anthony Cli...

In the absence of facts, it’s human nature to substitute fears in place of truth, and it seems that no matter how much we grow up and how much we accomplish there are lies we tell ourselves that can keep up from being in the moment or achieving the very success we’re going after. So on today's episode, I want to talk about 5 lies I used to (and sometimes still do) tell myself about becoming a...

Lateralization of brain function is the idea that our cognitive processes are generally divided into the two hemispheres of our brain - the “left brain” being more analytical, logical, and language oriented; whereas the “right brain” is typically associated with imagination, intuition, and emotion. So we’re going to explore the intersection of neuroscience and composition and talk about how we can...

As a lifelong gamer, I've come to realize that the decades spent leveling characters, looting corpses, and stomping sentient fungus have led to real, tangible skills that have benefited me as a professional composer. So today, we’re going unpack 5 ways in which gaming can help your career in production music! Plus we feature a dark, pulsing tension cue written by 52 Cues community member, Jer...

Sync or Swim Music, hosted by songwriter, composer, and music supervisor, Robbie Hancock, is an online community focusing on virtual networking events. Their next conference is June 22-25, and I welcome Robbie on the show to talk about it, and also talk about how generosity, integrity, and kindness can be the most valuable currency in the sync music industry. Plus we feature a roots rock style cue...

From pitches to deadlines to metadata, building a career as a production music composer can be a real grind that can seriously rob you of the joy of making a living making music. So today, I want to talk about burnout , what could be causing it, and how we can work through it! Plus we feature a unique, vocal tension cue 52 Cues community member, Martin EDER. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://...