-1

Is it

  • 1.1 "it doesn't matter if you hear it on rap tracks"

  • 1.2 "it doesn't matter if you hear it in rap tracks"

Would it be different if I use "song" instead?

  • 2.1 "it doesn't matter if you hear it on rap songs"

  • 2.2 "it doesn't matter if you hear it in rap songs"

My gut feeling says "on" is correct, with 2.2 allowed colloquially

jcgzzc
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1 Answers1

1

My instinct would be to use "in", since such usage is common with other forms of art:

I read it in a book.
I heard it in a song.
I saw it in a picture.

Modern media has confused things, though:

I read it on my iPad.
I heard it on the radio.
I saw it on TV.

However:

I saw it in a movie.

All of these usages are colloquial, and using "in" instead of "on", and vice versa, would not work. As for "I heard it in/on a music track?", go with your instincts.

Mick
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    I don't see a contradiction in the second set. Book, song, and picture are pieces of art whereas iPad, radio and TV are platforms. Of course, I might say "on a TV program" – Unrelated Jul 07 '17 at 04:22
  • So then by that logic, with a song being a piece of art, we should use in? That was also my inclination. "I heard it in a song." – KumaAra Oct 05 '17 at 04:46
  • But then there's "I read it on EL&U Stack Exchange"... – Spencer Apr 03 '18 at 10:30