52 Cues - A Production Music Podcast

In this episode, I share practical tips for navigating music conferences without feeling overwhelmed. From what to bring and how to prepare, to approaching networking in a way that builds real connec…

In this episode, we’re unpacking investigative tension cues – those cerebral, clue-assembling moments that show up everywhere from crime and dating shows and house hunting reveals. 

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In this episode, Mrs. 52 Cues joins me to talk about our recent vacation that started with noisy cabins, wrong turns, and even a dropped pizza. But somewhere between the chaos, the hang gliders, and …

In this episode, I show how the French cooking concept of mise en place can streamline your cue-writing process. You’ll learn five practical steps to get organized, work faster, and hit deadlines – p…

In this week’s episode, I compare learning a new DAW to learning a new language – and share where I’m at in my own journey toward “speaking” Ableton Live fluently.  Plus, I feature a new reggaeton-me…

In this episode, I’m joined by band director and composer Brandon Psenicka, whose eerie reimagining of the classic graduation march – complete with creepy vocals from his own daughter – took first pl…

In this episode, I’m playing submissions from our latest Composer Quest – “A Whole New Light,” and then we open things up for a live Q&A. We talk stems and deliverables, SoundCloud ads, mastering wor…

In today’s episode, we’re talking about the unexpected breakdowns that threaten to bring your entire creative process to a halt. Plus, Dave features “Thoughts and Prayers,” a recent ominous tension c…

In this episode, I’m again leaning into my professor side to break down one of the most widely used styles in production music: light tension. From tasking and corporate cues to investigative and tru…

In this week's episode, you're invited into Professor Dave’s classroom as I break down the sync music terms every composer should know – but might’ve been too embarrassed to ask. From PROs to button …

In this episode, I explore one simple, yet powerful way to make your cues stand out in a world where AI is getting better by the minute. Using my latest dramedy cue, “Of Mice and Mensa,” as a real-wo…

In this episode, I talk about why SoundCloud just might be too risky for production music composers. From AI policy concerns to publishers turning away cues hosted there, is it time to pull the plug?…

In this episode, I’m answering your questions live – from piano mixing and cue layering strategies to how many libraries you should pitch to at once. We also cover reversion clauses, B sections in dr…

In this episode, I’m joined by Mrs. 52 Cues (Shannon Kropf) to talk about the one thing composers love to avoid: metadata. We’ll unpack why it matters, where we go wrong, and how to stop sabotaging o…

In this episode, we host a live listening party for our latest Composer Quest: Pomp and Circumstance, where 52 Cues community members were challenged to reimagine the classic graduation march in any …

From rejection to relationships, I unpack five more hard truths every production music composer needs to hear, but probably hasn’t. Plus I feature a recent Indian-infused world hip-hop cue!

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In this episode, I break down the Four C’s of Success – a practical framework to help composers stay clear, creative, and on track from start to finish.

Plus I feature a new investigation tension cue …

In this episode, I’m sharing five small daily choices, plus a bonus one, that can quietly shape your growth and long-term success as a production music composer.

Plus I feature one of my cues that I K…

In this episode, veteran TV producer and editor Biagio Messina joins me to talk about how cues actually get used in real-world productions – and what composers can do to make their music easier to wo…

In this episode, I’m joined by composers who completed the 2024 Expedition 52 composer quest – a year-long challenge to write one cue and give one piece of feedback every single week. We talk about w…