I Need Your Help Now.
I need your input and help. What do you like and more importantly what don’t you like. I’ve been taking the time to think about how we level up. Our longform podcast is the next thing on our list to release if you’d like a podcast every two weeks. We’re a bit nervous about releasing as we’re not sure if anyone will like it or watch it, but we’ll give it a go. I also want this to be a community where we interact a bit more, so please write in the comments.
#justinhawkins #podcast #musicpodcast
@BarbaraAntoinetteVeronica
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
Let's see. It must around 8:40 pm there in Europe somewhere. I just received a cute AC-DC t-shirt gift from my neighbor. How she knew I don't know. Maybe because I was singing one of their songs yesterday & she heard me, oops! That was so sweet of her. We know each other a long time. Anyway, I felt compelled to tell you. I know. Like you need to know that? Goodnight
@BarbaraAntoinetteVeronica
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
No, Justin. I'd watch more often, but I only am able to allocate a certain amount of time. I have chores & plenty of house work to attend to, no help but I don't wish to complain. What I find most interesting is how easily you can convert any song to your amazing ear. Some times like now I get the impression you want to please so much, make everyone happy. Remember you can't please everyone & to relax. You have a lot on your plate some of us realize that. A true fan is realistic of your life.
@elinadragomirescu6449
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
Aww!
@kerryhardie9704
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
1st comment I've made. Please just keep doing what your doing. Love music we all.know as well as all the new music we don't. Please don't take not commenting as not liking what your covering.
@janesexton7942
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
Justin… please persevere… your podcast is fun and very important to Rock music! Cheers!!!
@TimCorson
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
I do not know if it’s too late to comment but just saw this video. I think these videos are fantastic. I have watched most videos in all the categories. I enjoy them all. I do love when you go into the theory and guitar and vocal details for a song. I’ve learned a ton as a music fan who is devastatingly lacking in musicality. The king forms are great on obscure and tangential broad topics. Some interviews better than others. Depends on how engaged and enthusiastic you seem to be with the guest. All in all I have no complaints. I watch everything you put out and daily. Thank you very much.
@lisastubbs3953
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
Ramen noodles…you reading a book as I fall asleep
Or…
I love it as it is! Although I am several episodes behind, and I am out of patience, or angry about something, I just watch an episode
@realistvision2547
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
I think you should treat this YouTube channel the same way you treat your music career. Discuss topics that are of interest to you and like minded individuals will follow. Please do not chase likes, views and subscribers. We have more than enough manufactured shit out there doing just that and that is not good. Perhaps doing some acoustic performances of past and new material would be good and mix things up 😉
@SuziQ.
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
413k, now. It was 400k just a few weeks ago.
Keep being you, Justin. You make us laugh, and educate us at the same time.
Sorry I missed this earlier.
Like others have said, do what feels good for you. If that means fewer uploads at times, we understand.
@gmcmusic
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
I love all that you do, as an almost “one hit wonder in the music trade” 😂. Either way…You’re doing it right, but it’s social media…It’s going to ebb and flow. I am relatively new to your channel, and I am going back and forth between your old and new vids, and I usually watch something every day, then I get busy with my own gigs and such, and tune out for a few days, then come back.
I’m commenting on this today which you did a month ago! So yeah, it’s working, and your over 400k now.
So…Just keep fucking doing it. It’s brilliant. Not every gig sells out even when they all should. Lol!
Cheers from Buffalo, NY!
@spilledbagofice
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
Justin, you're doing great! I like all the different stuff you do, and obviously with the long-form interviews depending on who it's with I might be more or less excited. There's always going to be variables as to why one works & a similar one doesn't do that well. Honestly, the best episodes are the ones that you seem to be having fun doing it or you're pissy about something but the passion and humor also make that enjoyable. It comes down to you being yourself. Your personality & humor are the selling points. The responses to the comments are always consistently entertaining so definitely keep doing that. Maybe make the stuff about the music industry shorter and limited to a single topic? Other than that… keep doing what you're doing.
@ericMT
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
None of your videos are boring. I like how free your format is. And you do have a consistent and dedicated fanbase that will watch every video you release. The problem with YouTube is if you don’t hit the algorithm just right, it’s hard to get significantly higher views, even though I see your subscription base is steadily rising.
One good thing about your content is a lot of it is “evergreen” so people will go back and watch old videos until the end of time and you can keep that sweet, sweet Adsense revenue rolling in. Finally, people won’t want to hear this but if you need to do “live” ads like the Manscaped or Raid: Shadow Legends to keep the channel worthwhile to you, just do it. I think you do a good job on those, the Manscaped one is fantastic and they definitely didn’t pay you enough for that one.
I believe in a thing called Justin Hawkins Rides again!
@krizsanzarathud7133
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
Since you're a seasoned professional musician, everything you say about music theory and the music industry is extremely interesting, and I haven't seen this level of sharing from musicians on the internet. You could speak more about touring and live performance, as you seem to enjoy that a lot. But at the end of the day, your awesome personality and great sense of humor make every episode of JHRA a great moment!
@roywilkinson2078
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
We are watching stuff on YouTube because most of the stuff on TV has had the soul kicked out of it by producers (no offense meant to your producer) asking test audiences "What did/didn't you like?" and producing blandness whereas on YouTube we find the people whose uniqueness and authenticity we like (assuming Susan permitted it – bye Susan) and then we watch them. Did you write The Darkness songs by conducting market research polls asking potential rock customers what they wanted to hear? I suppose that's possible but I doubt it. I think you expressed what you genuinely liked about rock in your own unique way and found that many other people liked that as well. Do the same thing on YouTube. Be Justin making video's about stuff you enjoy, dislike, find interesting, don't understand, and so on.
@Flukey_1970
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
Could be the algorithm. Fans dont care where you are broadcasting from it actually interesting to see where you are. Id love to see you interviewing other people. Steve Jones (pistols) does a radio station in LA USA and they were on YouTube and podcast and that did well he interviewed other musicians etc. Then not only do you attract your fans but the fans of the people you are interviewing. Just keep plugging away mate you are doing great!
@jynx5515
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
I can't speak for the masses.. but personally I love the content, regardless of camera quality or genre. You're funny, charming and real. You're honest about how you feel about song, life and the stuff other people get up to. You're openminded and I think people can learn a lot from the way you criticise : playful without disrespecting their efforts.
@chrisclark2747
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
Just discovering this channel. The DM review brought me in. I've been looking at other videos all day. I find Justin is brilliant to listen to, regardless the topic. Hope you keep it up (though a new video every day could burn out anyone, including audiences). Love yah, Justin.
@timjansentunes
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
Appreciate your vulnerability. A variaty of stuff is interesting. But not everything is for everyone. So music theory I l do like, but someone else might not. So as long as the title makes clear what ground you are covering, one can choose better what to watch. Make it clear as possible what the subject is. Just my two cents.
@dfpguitar
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
It's mind boggling for me that anyone could do seven videos in a week. In my mind a couple a month is plenty of output.
As for the content, you should let your own personality and interests guide. I like the detailed music creation stuff, songwriting, theory, music history and more. Others might not. But shaping your output to the audience is a big pitfall in my opinion, especially if you are doing multiple videos per week. Surely with so much output doing anything other than what feels good, natural and intuitive to yourself will result in massive burnout ?
@ameliap9670
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
I find this channel lovely. In the last few weeks that I've been following it I've got to know so much new music, bands, songs, I've had so many new thoughts, feelings and fun. I've found it really interesting and full of variety to see that you've made videos in different places, we can't expect you not to leave the place because you have a YouTube channel! You are genuine, interesting to listen to, ironic and bring good energy into our lives. I wouldn't change anything and I'm sorry that you think you're failing and doing something wrong. Keep up the great work!
@LaiQuen
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
I’ve been really enjoying the new music reactions – thanks to you and this channel Ive been introduced to Ren – which is fantastic.
@MisterRubbertoe
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
Probably too late to comment… and even if not, I’m not going to be any help because I enjoy ALL of your videos. 😅 Only discovered your channel a couple weeks ago, but each night I’ve tuned in and just set your videos playing… I like the variety, but I suppose the only ones that lose my focus a little bit are the streams that are more than a couple hours. But your interview with Beato is how I found you, and that was a long one … just happened to be with a fella I was already familiar with and like. But nope, I have no advice because I’ve yet to see a video from you that I didn’t find interesting 😁
@andrewregan1524
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
Well your doing it
right for me ..😉👍
Love watching whatever the content really. Just keep it coming..👏👏👏
@CobraFat2000
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
The only thing that I find off-putting are the titles of the videos when they pop up in my suggestions – I have no idea what they are going to be about – like I see a video titled "I need your help now" – is it going to be a comment about someone in need… is it going to be review of The Beatles "Help!"… Is it a video essay about music in general and how everything keeps constantly changing and how artists struggle to be relevant and sometimes do a popular thing as a joke and then ironically chart despite everyone believing that they would never do a disco song. Your videos may get overlooked because of the suggestions popping up and me – overlooking them because "I'll check it out later when I have the time to look into what it is… am I being weird? Probably…"
@Rory-D
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
Long time The Darkness fan from Australia here, been watching the channel since the beginning. Ive worked in tv as a cameraman for almost a decade and if i had any tech opinions id say have a look at the Sony A7 range (will be better overall video quality, good battery life etc, or the Panasonic GH series, not a great auto focus but has all the broadcast outputs etc) When it comes to content Ive come to love your channel from a singer/guitarist background (had a punk/metal band in my 20's) So its always been your musical incites and songwriting abilities that i love, along with your ability to hear riffs and melody that have been commonly used through the generations of pop,rock and blues, you have a great musical memory and can articulate it succinctly in video monologues. All the other content is great as well, If I had any advice id say do the videos your enjoy making and the rest will fall into place as the content grows, your doing everything right mate, much love from long time fan!
@lucinda44
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
Somehow, I missed this video. I realize that my comment will more than likely be missed out of the almost 3,000 comments that are already here, but thought I'd comment anyway. Personally, I'll watch pretty much anything you record. I'm here for your positive personality, the interesting way you see and say things and, of course, your music. The thing is, there are all different types of fans here that are here for different things. In other words, you can't always make everyone happy. Personally, I like your music, and while, I do sing and was in a band back in the day, I'm not here for the theory of the chords, or whatever you want to call it. However, I do enjoy those bits. I like watching you figure out what they're playing and possibly even pointing out what other songs it sounds like. I like the Be Nice videos. I like the comment videos because they seem more personal. However, I'm not sure I could watch a 2 hour long video while I know there are others who would love it. Basically, you do what you would love to do and what makes you happy. If you're having a good time, we will be having a good time as well. So glad I found your channel. I have been binge watching it ever since. So, thank you! 😊
@TheSpanielXD
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
I love the quick snappy "spontaneous" style of videos! The music analysis is always fascinating to listen to. I think you have a core audience who adore what you are doing, but perhaps to reach to the masses that's when the "Celebrity drama" topics are more popular.
@AntonyStrus
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
Also consider that some people (like me, *spit*) just binge watch YT videos. Hadn't watched your channel in a few months, but I've watched the last few months in a day. You're doing everything right, please know that. X
@doctorquest8956
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
Play some music every now and then would be nice.
@borntoloserecords9514
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
I really enjoy watching the videos about your musical influences and any new artists that you enjoy. I usually skip videos that the title suggests are shitty bands (Maroon 5 comes to mind). Interviews are also enjoyable. Music theory and videos about gear are definitely not of interest.
Suggestion for review: Jason Isbell – "Death Wish".
@deannastoll3921
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
I also want to agree with people saying just do you. Because when it's something YOU are passionate about, it comes across brilliantly and makes the video! Don't ever change that.
@deannastoll3921
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
Mate, I watch this because of your knowledge, your wit and musicality. Never was a fan of the Darkness, although I appreciate it more now, but your personality is what makes this channel. I could care less about local and camera quality, it's the knowledge and laughs you impart that make it for me. No matter the video and it's topic. I don't watch the comments ones as frequently but I love it when you're breaking down the guitar riffs. Keep up the good work!
@MrHectore2009
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
this channel is smart and amazing… Rock is alive… Thanks for your songs The Darkness. let's continue with rock culture.🤟
@pearlj66
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
I am a little late to this discussion, however as someone who has been with you from the beginning, I love EVERYTHING you do. I especially love that you are NICE! I have to admit it’s one of the reasons I have stayed a loyal fan here. I like being nice and I like nice people, especially in industries such as the music industry. I also love the new music you have introduced me to, especially Sleaford Mods and Foxy Shazam, I am ever indebted to you for those. Please just keep being you Justin, it’s the only way to go.
@benidictnelbert
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
Personally I’d love a long chunky Theory video with some of your favourite practice techniques.
@jamesbloggs8937
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
The reason so many people keep coming back is that YES! YOU ARE DOING IT RIGHT! Mainly because you're open, approachable, down to earth and the love you have for music really communicates in every one of your vids. Yeah, some vids get less hits than others but that actually just means you've got a broad audience – it's not the watches on any individual vid that count (except to YT metrics) it's the "repeat custom" that matters.
Would I have some preferences? Pretty much just keep doing what you're doing is fine, at least by me. OK, maybe a series of guides/intros into the different types of rock music out there would be good – I could see you presenting that as being a must-watch. But it might be WAY too much work. After watching your vid on Richard Thompson though, I would be interested in your take on Warren Zevon.
@paxo666
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
Seems like you're overthinking, wouldn't worry so much about numbers and stats. You've had some big growth over the last year, you can't grow forever (Doesn't mean it won't happen)
I love it and many of us do, maybe don't pressurise yourself into doing daily videos
@000tyla
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
you’re probably getting a lot of comments that say a similar thing. but for me, as with art, i’d say just think about the audience last. this channel has succeeded so far because you’ve done what you wanted to.
all your videos are great. most people here will watch every one. naturally you’re up against the algorithm that 1 week can work with you & the next can work against. If you do a video ripping into someone then chances are it’s going to get shared & people are going to like it more than you just praising something – but i imagine you’re unlikely to find tons of happiness in doing that every video (that being said, it is still great when you do now & then, please don’t stop that entirely).
Your reaction videos are great, your comments videos are great, the theory is great, the long form is great. It’s all great & that’s why people are here. Just keep doing what you enjoy most please, i’m sure we all will enjoy that most too.
Whatever you do, please don’t stop! ❤️🔥
@Forgonia
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
My favourite vids are the reviews – and I like the mix of everything you've been doing, but I would lean to doing new rock the most, then what's trending (e.g. Ren), then the old tunes you like, then some pop stuff. This channel has reinvigorated my love for new rock, so please keep that coming. I think you're getting the balance right, but the algorithm is hard to fight against. Keep it genuine – that's the main thing. It's your authenticity which shines and makes it so engaging to watch your content. If it feels too forced, that's when I think the views will drop off and it will be a race to the bottom. It's hard not to overthink all the stats coming your way, but I think the channel is a great mix and don't rock the boat too much…unless it's with rock music of course. Then rock all you want 🙂
@davidkwiatkowski-vc3eh
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
I would love a Thin Lizzy episode with a guest spot from Dan Hawkins of The Darkness
@TalkingRubbish
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
Reaction videos are fun, but I really like everything else you mentioned – talk about music theory, your personal experiences, comments videos. Seems to me you're doing it right.
@lepengu5246
October 9, 2025 at 9:12 pm
Not sure if you’ll read this since this video has been out for quite a bit. Personally I enjoy your content because of your personality. The more you bring that in the more interesting the video. This is also true for when you talk more about theoretical stuff even if you don’t have the correct vocabulary it is still interesting to get your perspective.
I watch reactions mainly when I’m interested in the content you’re covering so having the song and artist either in the title or thumbnail is important. One example of a reaction video that I didn’t enjoy, despite you covering one of my favorite artists was the violets tale song by ren. Not because you skipped the first 2 parts of the trilogy but because you barely said anything about the song other than ren is a great artist. What was missing was your reaction, the impact the song had on you, maybe some analysis of what he does be it with voice, guitar or camera work. Just whatever you personally thought about it while watching and listening.
At the end of the day people watch YouTube either for the personality of the YouTuber or for the content that is presented (ideally both). For that reason I enjoyed the Rick beato interview immensely as it both had an interesting topic as well as lots of your and Rick‘s thoughts and personalities in it.
As to why certain reaction videos get more or less clicks even within the same genre, I believe it’s mainly wether or not the song you’re reacting to is trending within the reaction community. Which also makes it important to have the song and artist in the title. If someone types in „hi ren reaction“ your video actually has to show, otherwise only your subscribers will realistically find it, and if they’re not interested in the song, artist or genre they might not watch it.
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