52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast

I recently had a chance to sit down with Steven Beddall of the Production Music Academy who’s found great success with stock music, and we discussed his journey from touring musician to composer, strategies behind making successful stock library cues, and how “royalty-free” might not be quite the dirty word I once thought. Plus,  we take a listen to "Cursed," a horror tension cue written...

The deafening silence of rejection can be cruel compensation for the hours we spend toiling away trying to make it in this business, but what if I told you that we can the masters of our fate, the captains of our own musical soul when it comes to cues that haven’t found a home. On this episode,  I unpack 4 things you can do with your unused or unloved music! Plus, we take a listen to "Designe...

It’s not always easy to against the grain and break through glass ceilings, but every now and then someone comes along with the courage to say the quiet parts out loud and speak truth to power. On this week's episode, I sit down with composer,  Anne-Kathrin Dern, and we discuss her path through the European and US educational systems, how she transitioned into a career in film music, and how...

Within the past six weeks I've attended both the Production Music Conference and the Taxi Road Rally, and today I give my unbiased and honest thoughts while comparing and contrasting each one to help you decide which conference might right for you. Plus we take a listen to "Autumn Colors," a corporate piano-based cue written by 52 Cues member, Shane Jensen ( https://soundcloud.com/u...

When we’re composing, we strive to maintain this creative flow state, but some days that feels harder than others, so on today’s episode, I unpack 5 things you can do to help keep you in that flow state, feeling more creative, and more productive. Plus we take a listen to "Fight or Flight" an action trailer cue written by 52 Cues community member Topi Jokinen ( https://soundcloud.com/top...

As production music composers, how  much attention should we give to having a website, Instagram, or Tik Tok? To help me answer this, I’ve invited Shannon Kropf back to podcast, who is no stranger to branding and marketing strategies! Plus we take a listen to “Keep on Keepin’ On,” a bluesy southern rock cue written by 52 Cues community member, Gar Ashby ( https://soundcloud.com/gar-ashby ). Watch...

How do you discover new plugins? How is Taxi dispatch different than regular taxi? What exactly are “neutral tasking” cues? What types of cues are most in demand? Do you have to write whole albums to get in with a library? What % of my cues have actually gotten placed? Can you even make a full-time income doing this? I answer these and more of your production music questions on (yet) another Q&amp...

On today’s episode, I sit down and chat with Rob Aster of RRHOT who is one of only a handful of publishers for CBS Sports. His over 35 years in the business brings with it a ton of knowledge and perspective, and we discuss his journey in the industry, and he unpacks the 7 specific types of cues that gets used in live sports. Plus, we take a listen to a sad piano and strings cue written by 52 Cues...

How big of a factor does luck play in our careers? On today’s episode we turn to the research of Dr. Richard Wiseman, Professor of Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, and we examine the 4 Principles of Luck and discuss how they might apply to us as production music composers. Plus we feature "Sleeping Baby, a solo piano lullaby cue written by 52 Cues Communi...

When we pitch our cues to libraries, we want to make the process as smooth and painless as possible, so on today’s episode, I sit down and chat with Michael Laskow (Taxi.com) who works with publishers every day, and we discuss what we composers can do to reduce friction when it comes to getting our music into libraries. Plus, take a listen to “Tradecraft,” an espionage tension cue written by 52 Cu...

There are some key differences that separate production music from other careers like film music, game music, and even songwriting, and today I want to discuss what really separates production music from other music for film, tv, games, and advertising. Plus we feature a cue written by a member of the 52 Cues community, and this week, we’re gonna take a listen to “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean,” w...

We’ve talked about how important sustainable creativity is for the production music composer, but what happens when you got nothing or a deadline hangs over you like the sword of Damocles? On this week's episode, I’m going to give you 4 ways that I jumpstart my own creative process when time is short or energy is low. Plus I’ll be joined by Jeff Hargrove  ( https://soundcloud.com/user-1950993...

Being a production music composer is not always lollipops and sunshine, and truth is, there are some pretty sobering and inconvenient truths about this industry that you should know before you go all in. So today, we’re going to say the quiet parts out loud, and talk the aspects of the gig which you just need to get ok with. Plus, we’re going to take a listen to "Sunshine Girl," an upbea...

On today’s episode, I sit down and chat with Tracey and Vance Marino, authors of “Hey That’s My Song," and we discuss their experiences in navigating the co-writing process and how they make sure their marriage doesn’t suffer in the crucible of creativity. Also, we chat about the upcoming PMA conference and Taxi Road Rally, the differences between the two, and how you can best maximize your c...

It used to be the TV industry’s best kept secret, but more and more composers are getting hip to how they can carve out a career for themselves writing production music. That’s why today I want to go over the 5 steps you’ll need to take to start your career in this business!  Plus, we take a listen to a Native American-inspired  cue written by 52 Cues Community member, Ralph Martin! ( https://soun...

Fair warning: today’s podcast is a little ranty because we need to talk about Waves, their marketing strategies, and what you should know before you start dropping real money on plugin deals which seem too good to be true. Plus we feature “To The Finish Line,” an indie/alt rock cue by 52 Cues community member Darin Pekham ! Watch this episode on YouTube! https://youtu.be/lIW9pe1hCkY 00:00 - Intro...

Nearly every composer I know doesn’t just compose for a living. They often find themselves cobbling together a career from many different aspects of the industry, from writing to arranging to gigging to teaching. So today, I thought I’d talk about all of the various ways I, personally, make money making music. Plus, we’re gonna be taking a listen to “Limitless,” a cinematic pop vocal cue (yes, the...

On today’s show, I sit down and chat with longtime 52 Cues member, and now recent Full Sail graduate, Greg Fellman, who left his career in social work to pursue his dream of being a media composer. Plus, we listen to three of his cues which were recently selected to be featured during the 2022 Full Sail Hall of Fame induction ceremony! Watch this episode on YouTube! https://youtu.be/RAhvC7xZOR0 00...

When we set out to get better as composers, we often think of all the music theory or technical aspects we need to tackle. But what if I told you there are ways to improve your compositions without focusing on the composing process itself? So on today’s episode, I want to unpack 4 ways to get better at writing music that have next to nothing to do with music theory or production techniques. Plus w...

Why do we get such anxiety over how technology and AI might one day make us all obsolete? To help us understand why we might get so wound up about the threat of technology, I thought it’d be a good idea to get an historical perspective, so I welcome back Mrs. 52 Cues herself, Shannon Kropf, who takes us on multiple centruries-long journey to show us that technological apprehension is nothing new!...

I thrive when I’m able to work a routine, but one of the down sides of being a creature of habit is when bad habits start to undermine both your productivity and creativity. So today, I wanted to talk about the 5 bad habits which might be getting in the way of your production music career. Plus, we take a listen to a mysterious dramedy cue written by 52 Cues Community member, Trace Callahan (https...

Today, I sit down and chat with the executive director of the Production Music Association, Morgan McKnight, who answers questions about the organization, what the PMA does for composers in the business, the specific challenges composers of library music face, and how the PMA annual conference in LA is a perfect opportunity for both publishers and composers to connect and network. Plus, we take a...

It seems like a lot of professionals in the music industry like to deal in absolutes, so on today's episode I thought it’d be a good idea to talk about why we should probably get rid of absolute words like "never" and "always" from our production music vocabulary. Plus, we take a listen to an orchestral election coverage cue written by 52 Cues Community member, Jeff Hargro...

I recently had a chance to sit down and talk with Eric Copeland from Make Music Income who has made it his personal mission to help other composers find the many ways they can support a career in music. He shares his own journey from the Nashville studio scene to production music and we chat about his multifaceted approach to making a sustainable living with music. Plus, we take a listen to an orc...

If you’ve done any research on building a music career, chances are you’ve come across the idea of “passive income," which sounds great! The idea of cranking out some cues and then raking in the royalties without having to lift another finger is certainly appealing! But what if I told you that “passive income” isn’t really passive at all?  We’re gonna take a look at passive vs. active income...