52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast

There are a lot of moving parts to getting paid when your music gets placed on TV and as production music composers, the majority of the money we make depends on backend royalties managed by PROs or Performing Rights Organizations. So on today's episode, I examine the role of PROs, what they do, how they operate, and how they determine how much you get paid. Plus we feature a stomp/clap cue w...

The 80/20 rule, or “Pareto Principle,” is a concept that states that 80% of the outcomes in life can be attributed to 20% of causes, and as it turns out, this principle can also be applied to our development as composers.  On this week’s episode, we unpack 5 ways to use this 80/20 rule to boost our careers in production music, as well as talk about some pitfalls to watch out for if this all goes s...

We production music folks tend to have a lot of irons in the fire and I can’t think of a leader in our industry who best embodies this than Jon Meyer ( @JonMeyer )! Jon has just released his brand new Kontakt instrument, Soft Drums, and I wanted to have him on the show to not only talk about that, but also, to share how he balances so many creative outlets - from music making to sample making to f...

It's another Q&A session this week where we cover a wide range of topics, from mastering alts and stems, AI tools, pitching to libraries, finding references, to backend royalties, panning practices, and much more. Plus in my Year of Taxi update, we check in on any returns or forwards and take a listen to this week’s submission which is an action percussion cue. Then I give my thoughts on...

Last week I posed a burning question: should libraries reach out to composers whose music was forwarded by Taxi but not selected? This ignited a spirited discussion among composers, publishers, and everyone in between, shared via YouTube comments, our 52 Cues community, DMs, and emails. Join me this week on the 52 Cues Podcast as we dive deeper into the Taxi debate with their President and CEO, Mi...

TuneSat can detect nearly any music placement on TV throughout the US and EU, and while it has its limitations, it can be a good way to see if your cues are getting traction. But what can we actually do with this information? And is it even worth the crazy subscription cost?  Plus in my Year of Taxi update, we check in on any returns or forwards and take a listen to this week’s submission which is...

While I’m not a pianist, I’ve certainly done a fair amount of piano programming as well as  lot of research looking for that perfect piano sound. On today's episode I  compare ten (yes ten!) piano libraries  with examples from meditation to jazz and Beethoven to Debussy. Plus in my Year of Taxi update, we  check in on any returns or forwards and take a listen to this week’s submission which i...

It’s one thing to talk about what editors need, but it’s another to have the opportunity to hear straight from the source. So I was thrilled when I had the chance to chat with Josh Siegel, a  film editor who makes his living making the shows that use so much of *our* music. Plus in my Year of Taxi update, we’re going to check in on any returns or forwards and take a listen to this week’s submissio...

With zero fanfare and not even a heads up email to their customer base, Waves has gone subscription… only. So we’re gonna talk about it, look at what’s being offered and at what price, and discuss about how Waves has, literally overnight, managed to piss off everyone. Plus in my Year of Taxi update, check in on any returns or forwards and take a listen to this week’s submission which is a pulsing,...

On today’s show, I go over five books that have transformed my way of thinking and helped in my career as a professional  composer, even though they’re not explicitly about the music industry. Plus in my Year of Taxi update, we check in on any returns or forwards and take a listen to this week’s submission which is a fourth contemporary hip-hop cue, then a little later, I give my thoughts a lush o...

Regardless of mood, emotion, or genre,  I keep finding myself dipping back into the same handful of plugins time and time again. So on today’s show I share the sounds and FX which have become so deeply embedded into my workflow that they should be immortalized into my own personal Mount Rushmore of plugins. Plus in my Year of Taxi update, we check in on any returns or forwards and take a listen to...

On today’s show, I share the 8 things I think it takes to be successful in the production music industry, with the understanding that most of these I’m still working on myself! Plus in my Year of Taxi update, we’re going to check in on any returns or forwards and take a listen to this week’s submission which is a Lo-Fi/Chill Hop cue, and I give my thoughts a dark, mysterious cue written by 52 Cues...

When you’re just getting started, you don’t even know what you don’t know, but when you learn a little then you know what you don’t know. You continue this until finally, you know what you know, you know there’s more to know, but you’ve stopped thinking of what you know because now you know   it. This is the path to learning any new skill, and on today’s show, I’m going to unpack each these four s...

Wrangling keywords and mood terms across spreadsheets, PDFs, and submission forms, can feel pretty soul sucking at times, but metadata may be the important part of the life of a cue! On today’s show, I go over the most common type metadata found in libraries and give you some of my strategies that could mean the difference between getting placed or getting passed over. Plus in my Year of Taxi upda...

On today’s show, I welcome composer, educator, and certified Ableton Live guru, Christina Horn, who talks about how she uses the non-linear and expansive capabilities of Live to unlock her creativity, and how she relishes in breaking through stereotypes. Plus in my Year of Taxi update, we check in on any returns or forwards and take a listen to this week’s submission which is an epic orchestral hi...

The best way to add realism on any track is by adding some kind of recorded instrument, but what if you don’t really know how to play a lot of instruments or you have a tight budget? On this episode, I  show you a handful of instruments that are relatively simple to play, easy to record, and won’t break the bank. Plus in my Year of Taxi update, we’re going to check in on any returns or forwards an...

When you peak behind the curtain of companies who have become household names, you realize these businesses are run by real people with a real passion to help others. That’s why I invited Sam Hulick and Sara Pocius, the power couple behind Reelcrafter,  to talk about their story and discuss the features, the future, and maybe even what I might have gotten wrong. Plus in my Year of Taxi update, we’...

So much of this gig is wildly, frustratingly inconsistent, but I’ve found there are some overarching guidelines which can help govern a lot of our choices. So today, I thought I’d share my 10 commandments of production music! Plus in my Year of Taxi update, we’re going to check in on any returns or forwards and take a listen to this week’s submission which is an ambient minimal tension cue, and th...

I’ve said before that you need 100’s of cues to make a living in the production music industry, but is one cue per week really enough? Today I’m going to unpack and illustrate how productivity and output might not be the linear journey we think it is. Plus we take a listen to “Waltz of Shame,” the latest submission in my Year of Taxi and check in on any forwards or returns, and then we take a list...

I’ve started my Year of Taxi, and I thought it’d be a good idea to start by talking about the anatomy of a brief and discuss how everything we need to know is right there in the listing! Plus we take a listen to  "Entered Into Evidence," the first submission in my Year of Taxi and check in on any forwards or returns, and we take a listen to a dark, moody EDM cue written by 52 Cues Commun...

We’ve come to the end of another year here at 52 cues, and it’s been a great one with lots of growth, opportunities, and challenges.  So this week I wanted to take a moment to reflect on 2022, talk about some of the wins and losses, and look forward to what’s ahead for 2023! Plus,  we take a listen to "Natural Home," a neutral tasking cue by community member, Peter Lepahin ( https://www....

On today's episode  I want to talk about compositional sketching and talk about how I use a Logic Pro "sketchbook"  to help capture ideas and buoy my creativity when I may be feeling a little empty or under a time crunch. Plus,  we take a listen to "Horn Toad Funk," a brassy funk cue by community member, Rob Raede! Watch this episode on YouTube! https://youtu.be/2TSWvQMnmr...

If there’s one side of the music industry I’m the most curious about, it would have to be game music! That’s why I’m excited to welcome Adam Fligsten, founder of the music production company Silen Audio, and we chat about his journey production music to game music and how the library music world overlaps with the game music world. Plus,  we take a listen to "Jingle Bells," a loungey arra...

No script or curriculum today. Just a frank exploration of why any of us would really want to write production music. Plus,  we take a listen to "Stealth Retrieval," a funky cop tension cue by community member, Dan Gillogly ( https://dancgillogly.com ). Watch this episode on YouTube! https://youtu.be/T67jXZSmoWE 00:00 - Intro & Welcome 01:56 - Why Do We Do This? 33:07 - Join the 52 C...

On this week's episode, I welcome our resident music historian, Shannon Kropf, to discuss the rise of jazz's popularity, the cultural reasons it formed the way it did, how bebop musicians played a big role in its ultimate demise, and what lessons are to be learned for us production music composers. Plus,  we take a listen to "KatzUndMaus," a plucky dramedy cue by community memb...