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 Kickstarter: They've made an entirely silent album designed specifically for the purpose of siphoning cash away from Spotify's treasury. Its a clever stunt, and it just might work.
Here's the deal: The band released a 10 track record called Sleepify on Spotify. Each song is just over 30 seconds long, and they're all completely silent. The idea is that you can leave the record playing while you sleep, they'll 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 music on mute while you sleep? Yes, but because the Sleepify tracks are super short, the band will rack up the cash faster this way.
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, hilariously.
It doesn't seem to be against any rules, but that might change once Spotify catches on to what's going on. But it'll be interesting to see how much money these guys can make before anybody wises up. Also, check out Vulfpeck's actual music. They've got some pretty damn smooth jams. And maybe, just maybe, getting you to do that was their plan all along. [Sleepify]