News | Podcasts | Articles
Building Better Work-Life Balance | 52 Cues Podcast #254
In Episode 254 of the 52 Cues Podcast, host Dave Kropf is joined by community mentor Greg Fellman for a thoughtful conversation about work–life balance in the world of production and library music.
The Production Music Industry Quietly Changed | 52 Cues Podcast #253
In episode 253 of the 52 Cues Podcast, Dave Kropf and co-host Jeff LaPlante explore how the production music industry has evolved over the last decade—and why standing out now requires more intention than ever.
Your Influences Are Louder Than You Think | 52 Cues Podcast #252
In Episode 252 of the 52 Cues Podcast, Dave is joined by community mentor Jeff LaPlante for a thoughtful conversation about musical influences and how they evolve over time.
Office Hours with Prof. Dave | 52 Cues Podcast, 2025 Week 49
In this week’s episode of the 52 Cues Podcast, Dave hosts an energetic live Office Hours session, inviting composers from across the community to jump into a wide-open Q&A on all things production music.
Inside the A&R Mind (with Farnell Newton) | 52 Cues Podcast, 2025 Week 48
This week on the 52 Cues Podcast, Dave welcomes trumpeter, educator, and Marmoset Music ANR lead Farnell Newton for an insightful conversation about the realities of today’s sync landscape.
How to Write True Crime Tension Cues | 52 Cues Podcast, 2025 Week 46
In this week’s episode of the 52 Cues Podcast, Dave breaks down the art of crafting true crime tension cues, using his cue “Fiends with Benefits” as a detailed case study . He explains how true crime sits on the edge of ominous tension—weightier, grittier, and full of implied danger—yet still rooted in the pulse-driven DNA of light tension.
I Said This Isn’t Art… Was I Wrong? | 52 Cues Podcast, 2025 Week 45
In this week’s episode of the 52 Cues Podcast, Dave revisits an idea he first shared back in 2021: the artisan mindset. With technology—and especially AI—reshaping creative industries, Dave asks if artisan thinking still holds up.
Meet the Exec Who Decides Which Cues Get Used | 52 Cues Podcast, 2025 Week 44
In this week’s episode of The 52 Cues Podcast, Dave sits down with Scott Reinwand, Emmy-winning composer and Head of Production at Warner Chappell Production Music, to explore what separates a usable cue from a forgettable one.
The PROs Say Yes to AI Music. Should You? | 52 Cues Podcast, 2025 Week 43
In this week’s episode of The 52 Cues Podcast, composer and educator Dave Kropf explores a major shift in the music licensing landscape. The three major North American PROs—ASCAP, BMI, and SOCAN—announced they’ll now accept partially AI-generated compositions for registration.
A VIP Tour of 52 Cues | 52 Cues Podcast, 2025 Week 42
In this week’s episode of The 52 Cues Podcast, Dave offers a VIP tour of the thriving 52 Cues community — a creative hub built by and for production music composers.
Why Conferences Matter (PMC 2025 Recap) | 52 Cues Podcast, 2025 Week 41
After returning from the 2025 Production Music Conference in Los Angeles, Dave and Shannon reflected on an unforgettable experience that celebrated connection, collaboration, and community.
Level Up Your Pitches with ReelCrafter 2.5 | 52 Cues Podcast, 2025 Week 40
In this week’s episode of The 52 Cues Podcast, host Dave welcomes ReelCrafter co-founders Sam Hulick and Sarah Pocius to talk about the brand-new ReelCrafter 2.5 update—a major step forward for composers who want to pitch smarter and present their music more professionally.
The Secrets of Tasking Cues | 52 Cues Podcast, 2025 Week 39
In this week’s episode of the 52 Cues Podcast, Dave unpacks the world of tasking cues—a subtle but powerful category of production music widely used in reality TV, competition shows, and renovation programs.
Is this Cue "Editor-Friendly"? | 52 Cues Podcast, 2025 Week 38
In this week’s episode of the 52 Cues Podcast, Dave unpacks what it truly means to write editor-friendly production music.
Writing Melodies That Work | 52 Cues Podcast, 2025 Week 37
In this week’s episode of the 52 Cues Podcast, Dave explores the art of writing effective melodies for production music. Drawing from his jazz improv background, Dave unpacks how motivic writing, modal theory, and static melody techniques can create editor-friendly cues that both stand out and seamlessly support dialogue.
Unlocking the Secrets of Reference Cues | 52 Cues Podcast, 2025 Week 36
On this week’s episode of the 52 Cues Podcast, Dave introduces his Prism Analysis — a framework designed to help production music composers transform reference tracks into fresh, original cues.
Must-Know Tips for Music Conferences | 52 Cues Podcast, 2025 Week 35
Attending a music conference can feel overwhelming, but on this week’s episode of the 52 Cues Podcast, Dave reminds composers that success isn’t about collecting the most business cards—it’s about building genuine connections
How to Write Investigative Tension Cues | 52 Cues Podcast, 2025 Week 34
In this week’s episode of the 52 Cues Podcast, composer and educator Dave Kropf unpacks the art of writing investigative tension cues—those cerebral, clue-gathering tracks that show up everywhere from crime documentaries to dating show reveals.
Vacation Fails & Life Lessons | 52 Cues Podcast, 2025 Week 33
In this week’s episode of the 52 Cues Podcast, Dave and Shannon share stories from their long-awaited vacation to Chattanooga, where wrong turns, noisy cabins, and even an upside-down pizza tested their patience—and taught them invaluable lessons.
Prep Like a Chef: The Composer’s Mise en Place | 52 Cues Podcast, 2025 Week 32
In this episode of the 52 Cues Podcast, host Dave draws a surprising connection between his love of grilling and the art of writing production music. Inspired by the French culinary principle of mise en place (“everything in its place”), Dave outlines five practical steps composers can use to prepare, organize, and streamline their workflow before ever hitting “record.”