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jones on the BEAT

@jonesonthebeat

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jones on the BEAT™
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Artist, serious question…

If social media and streaming are working so well…

Why are nearly 80% of artists on Spotify sitting at fewer than 50 monthly listeners?

You’ve been told to post more.
Stream more.
Chase more followers.

But what if the problem isn’t your music?

What if it’s the system?

The artists who win aren’t just building audiences.

They’re building communities.

They’re turning followers into fans.

And fans into direct relationships.

Swipe through and ask yourself:

Is your current strategy actually giving you the best chance to succeed?

👇 by @jonesonthebeat

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4 months ago

DO Y’ALL THINK HIP-HOP IS BETTER WITH GATEKEEPERS? 🤔

Before y’all come for me…

I’m not hating on how music works today.

I actually like that more artists have opportunities than ever before.

But I do have a question…

Do y’all think hip-hop is better with gatekeepers?

Because while artists have more access today…

Some people would argue that music quality has suffered.

There are more artists.

More songs.

And more competition than ever before.

So did removing the gatekeepers improve hip-hop…

Or did we lose something in the process?

Maybe gatekeepers limited opportunities…

Or maybe they helped maintain quality. by @jonesonthebeat

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2 months ago

Good morning ☀️

Music creators… are we reaching a point where we need to rethink how we distribute our music?

Most artists put music on streaming platforms hoping for discovery, but so much of it still goes unheard.

So what happens next?

Is direct-to-fan the future?
Should artists sell music directly to their supporters again — downloads, CDs, vinyl, collectibles, exclusives?

Or is streaming still the best option? by @jonesonthebeat

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2 months ago

HAS THE INTERNET BLURRED HIP-HOP’S REGIONAL SOUND? 🤔

There was a time when you could hear a record and almost immediately tell where an artist was from.

But now artists can hear—and be influenced by—sounds from across the country almost instantly.

Maybe hip-hop hasn’t lost its regional sound.

Maybe the internet has just made those regional boundaries harder to hear. 🤔 by @jonesonthebeat

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2 months ago

Has Melodic Rap Become Hip-Hop’s Default Sound? 🤔

There was a time when every region seemed to have its own sound, its own flow, and its own identity.

Today, some fans believe melodic rap has become the dominant style across hip-hop. Others say it’s simply evolved and become one of the genre’s biggest influences.

Has hip-hop really become dominated by melodic rap…

Or are we just noticing more artists inspired by the same wave?

One thing is certain…

This conversation isn’t going away anytime soon. 👀 by @jonesonthebeat

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2 months ago

Is Hip Hop A Young Man’s Sport?🤔

Hip-hop has always celebrated youth, energy, and what’s next.

But we’ve also seen artists continue making great music well into their 40s and 50s.

So where do you stand?

Is hip-hop really a young man’s sport… or is talent and great music all that matter?

What’s the oldest age you think an artist can realistically break into the mainstream today? by @jonesonthebeat

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2 months ago

T-Pain didn’t just question streaming…

He questioned who gets to decide what an artist’s music is worth.

For decades, artists priced their albums, CDs, cassettes, and downloads.

Then streaming became the standard…

and suddenly the value of a song was determined by a system artists never agreed to.

This isn’t really a debate about whether streaming is good or bad.

It’s about control.

Maybe the future isn’t choosing between streaming or direct-to-fan…

Maybe artists need both.

Because the closer artists are to their fans, the more control they have over their own careers. by @jonesonthebeat

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2 months ago

I think my last video got lost in translation.

A lot of people thought I was saying music shouldn’t be subjective.

That’s not my point.

I completely agree that music is art, and art is subjective.

The question I’m asking is different:

Did we remove artist development at the same time we removed the gatekeepers?

Artist development wasn’t just about deciding who got signed. It was about teaching songwriting, performance, stage presence, vocal development, musicianship, recording, and the fundamentals of the craft.

I’m not advocating for gatekeepers.

I’m advocating for mastering the craft.

Social media has given independent artists opportunities they never had before, and I think that’s a great thing.

But has the shift away from artist development contributed to why so many people feel music today is less inspired, less timeless, and less crafted?

I believe artists should have the freedom to release whatever they want.

I also believe we should encourage artists to become the best musicians they can be.

Those two ideas can exist at the same time. by @jonesonthebeat

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3 months ago

Here’s a question I’ve been thinking about…

In most professions, we expect years of training, experience, and dedication.

When we need a doctor…
we want the best doctor.

When we hire a lawyer…
we want someone with experience.

When we watch professional sports…
we expect the highest level of skill.

So why does music seem different?

Has making music more accessible created more creativity and opportunity…

or has it also changed what we expect from the finished product?

Is music different from every other profession… or should it be? by @jonesonthebeat

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3 months ago

Have you ever noticed how often people say…

“Music just doesn’t hit the same anymore.”

But why do so many people feel that way?

Is it because artists release more music than ever before?

Has streaming changed the way we experience songs?

Or are we simply looking back on past music through nostalgia? by @jonesonthebeat

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3 months ago

For decades, fans discovered artists.

Today… artists are increasingly discovered through algorithms.

Every swipe.
Every like.
Every comment.
Every second you spend watching…

teaches platforms what keeps your attention.

Then they start recommending more artists with similar sounds, styles, and audiences.

So here’s the question…

Have artists unknowingly surrendered their power to algorithms?

And as music fans, are we still discovering artists intentionally…

Or is the algorithm quietly teaching us who to like? 🤔 by @jonesonthebeat

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3 months ago

There was a time when artists could spend most of their energy making music.

Today, it feels like you have to be a content creator, social media manager, marketer, videographer, editor, photographer, graphic designer, livestream host, community manager, advertiser, and entrepreneur… before anyone even hears your song.

Somewhere along the way, making great music stopped being enough.

Can artists just get back to being artists… or is this simply the new reality? 🤔 by @jonesonthebeat

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3 months ago