Los Angeles funk band Vulfpeck wants to go on tour, but they’re going to need your help to raise the money. This isn’t some BS Kickstarter: They have made an entirely silent album designed specifically for this purpose of siphoning cash away from Spotify’s treasury. What a clever stunt, and it just might work.
Here’s the deal: The band released a 10-track record called Sleepify on Spotify last week. Each song is just over 30 seconds long, and they’re all completely silent. The idea is that you can leave the record playing on repeat while you sleep, and they will make $4 overnight. What’s more, the band will take the show on the road to the places where people are listening to Sleepify the most. I didn’t even know it was possible to get that information from Spotify, but sure!
Could the band have just asked you to play their other music on mute while you sleep? Yes, but because the Sleepify tracks are super short, the band will rack up the cash even faster this way. Also it’s funny.
Moreover, you have to admire the ingenuity of the whole project. People are always telling musicians that they need to adapt to the realities of digital music by finding creative ways to make money. That’s exactly what Vulfpeck is doing.
It doesn’t seem like it’s against any rules, but that will probably change if this trick really works. In the meantime, let’s see how much money these guys can make before anybody wises up. Also, check out Vulfpeck’s actual music. They have got some pretty damn smooth jams. Of course maybe, just maybe, that was the plan all along. [Sleepify]