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52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast

Dave Kropf
52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Latest episode

304 episodes

  • 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast

    What's going on this week at 52 Cues? | 2026 Week 28

    13/07/2026 | 11 mins.
    Weekly Feedback - Week 28
    https://my.52cues.com/posts/weekly-feedback-weekly-feedback-week-28
    Free Workshop! From Sketch To Screen (with Jeff Hargrove)
    https://my.52cues.com/events/from-sketch-to-screen-with-jeff-hargrove
    Live Feedback and Critiques (Tuesday)
    https://my.52cues.com/events/live-feedback-and-critiques-103575379
    A Little Chat with Shannon and Dave
    https://my.52cues.com/events/a-little-chat-with-shannon-and-dave-87969750?instance_index=20260715T160000Z
    Live Feedback and Critiques (Thursday)
    https://my.52cues.com/events/live-feedback-and-critiques-103575202
    Hip-Hop Comedy #2 | Composing Livestream
    https://my.52cues.com/events/hip-hop-comedy-2-composing-livestream
    Orchestral Christmas | Results and Final Submissions
    https://my.52cues.com/events/orchestral-christmas-results-and-final-submissions
    Countdown Tension | Brief Info & Cue Review Session
    https://my.52cues.com/events/countdown-tension-brief-info-cue-review-session
    Uplifting Indie Pop Tasking | Submission Round
    https://my.52cues.com/events/uplifting-indie-pop-tasking-submission-round

    Join the 52 Cues Community! – https://my.52cues.com
    It's free to post your cues for feedback from the community, network with other composers, and ask questions about the industry!

    Plus, member subscribers get extra perks like workshops, livestreams,  cue breakdowns, live feedback sessions, hundreds of hours of video archives, and opportunities to submit to real music libraries.

    One-on-one coaching sessions and video critiques also available at http://52cues.com/coaching!

    Note: Links may be affiliate links which generate a small commission but at no extra cost to you!
  • 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast

    How Sketching Makes Writing Cues Easier

    09/07/2026 | 44 mins.
    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 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 production music composer.
    Join us Monday, July 13 @ 4p ET
    https://my.52cues.com/events/from-sketch-to-
    Join the 52 Cues Community! – https://my.52cues.com
    It's free to post your cues for feedback from the community, network with other composers, and ask questions about the industry!

    Plus, member subscribers get extra perks like workshops, livestreams,  cue breakdowns, live feedback sessions, hundreds of hours of video archives, and opportunities to submit to real music libraries.

    One-on-one coaching sessions and video critiques also available at http://52cues.com/coaching!

    Note: Links may be affiliate links which generate a small commission but at no extra cost to you!
  • 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast

    Our Most-Used Plugins for Production Music

    02/07/2026 | 1h 4 mins.
    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.net/products/omnisphere
    The Unfinished Omnisphere Soundsets
    https://www.theunfinished.co.uk/store/
    Splice
    https://splice.com
    Serato Sample
    https://serato.com/sample
    The Fame Series: Modern Pop
    https://www.ilio.com/the-fame-series-modern-pop
    ProjectSAM Symphobia
    https://projectsam.com/libraries/symphobia
    Native Instruments Komplete
    https://www.native-instruments.com/en/catalog/komplete/
    EFFECTS
    Melodyne
    https://www.celemony.com/en/melodyne
    Logic Pro Sample Delay
    https://support.apple.com/guide/logicpro/sample-delay-controls-lgcef18b8738/mac
    Logic Pro Stereo Delay
    https://support.apple.com/guide/logicpro/stereo-delay-controls-lgcef18b892f/mac
    Logic Pro Compressor
    https://support.apple.com/guide/logicpro/compressor-overview-lgcead9636ef/mac
    Fender Studio Pro X-Trem
    https://www.fender.com/products/fender-studio-pro
    HONORABLE MENTIONS
    Vienna Synchron Stage Reverb
    https://www.vsl.co.at/products/software/synchron-stage-reverb
    Waves TrueVerb
    https://www.waves.com/plugins/trueverb
    Soundtoys Little AlterBoy
    https://www.soundtoys.com/product/little-alterboy/
    Soundtoys MicroShift
    https://www.soundtoys.com/product/microshift/
    The God Particle
    https://cradle.app/products/the-god-particle
    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 production music composer.
    Join us Monday, July 13 @ 4p ET
    https://my.52cues.com/events/from-sketch-to-
    Join the 52 Cues Community! – https://my.52cues.com
    It's free to post your cues for feedback from the community, network with other composers, and ask questions about the industry!

    Plus, member subscribers get extra perks like workshops, livestreams,  cue breakdowns, live feedback sessions, hundreds of hours of video archives, and opportunities to submit to real music libraries.

    One-on-one coaching sessions and video critiques also available at http://52cues.com/coaching!

    Note: Links may be affiliate links which generate a small commission but at no extra cost to you!
  • 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast

    How to Learn Orchestration Without Feeling Overwhelmed

    25/06/2026 | 50 mins.
    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 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 production music composer.
    Join us Monday, July 13 @ 4p ET
    https://my.52cues.com/events/from-sketch-to-
    Join the 52 Cues Community! – https://my.52cues.com
    It's free to post your cues for feedback from the community, network with other composers, and ask questions about the industry!

    Plus, member subscribers get extra perks like workshops, livestreams,  cue breakdowns, live feedback sessions, hundreds of hours of video archives, and opportunities to submit to real music libraries.

    One-on-one coaching sessions and video critiques also available at http://52cues.com/coaching!

    Note: Links may be affiliate links which generate a small commission but at no extra cost to you!
  • 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast

    Your Cue Got Accepted! Don't Blow the Deliverables.

    18/06/2026 | 1h 13 mins.
    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 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 production music composer.
    Join us Monday, July 13 @ 4p ET
    https://my.52cues.com/events/from-sketch-to-
    Join the 52 Cues Community! – https://my.52cues.com
    It's free to post your cues for feedback from the community, network with other composers, and ask questions about the industry!

    Plus, member subscribers get extra perks like workshops, livestreams,  cue breakdowns, live feedback sessions, hundreds of hours of video archives, and opportunities to submit to real music libraries.

    One-on-one coaching sessions and video critiques also available at http://52cues.com/coaching!

    Note: Links may be affiliate links which generate a small commission but at no extra cost to you!
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About 52 Cues - A Production Music and Sync Podcast
Hosted by working composer and long-time professor Dave Kropf, the 52 Cues Podcast takes you inside the real world of production music, library music, and sync licensing – breaking down cues, unpacking industry insights, and sharing candid conversations with fellow composers and publishers. Weekly episodes deliver practical strategies, creative inspiration, and insider information to help you land more placements and build a sustainable career in sync.
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