He’s best known for his iconic hit Somebody That I Used to Know, which topped the charts worldwide and became the best-selling song of the year.
So it would be easy to assume that Belgian-Australian singer Gotye has earned millions from the success of his famous track, and is set for life on royalties and streams of the beloved song.
But, fans may be surprised to learn that in reality, the indie musician has earned barely a penny from his biggest song.
This comes despite billions of streams, and an artsy video on YouTube that’s received 2.3 billion views.
Gotye, whose real name is Wouter André ‘Wally’ De Backer is said to have put others first with his business decisions when it came to cashing in on the success of his beloved song.
Gotya is best known for his iconic hit Somebody That I Used to Know (pictured) but some fans may be surprised to learn that the indie musician has earned barely a penny from the track
The singer, whose real name is Wouter André ‘Wally’ De Backer (pictured in 2015), is said to have put others first when cashing in on the success of his beloved song
In 2017, Gotye revealed that he opted against pre-roll ads on his YouTube channel, so he hasn’t earned a penny from views on his music video.
Speaking to news.com.au, he said: ‘I’m not interested in selling my music.
‘That’s the reason I don’t put ads on my YouTube channel, which seems strange to people in today’s climate, but that is a decision you can make. I’m like that with all my music. Ads are calling for our attention anywhere we turn in the world.’
Gotye has also opted against licensing his song for commercial use in films and TV series, and previously said he would prefer to let other budding artists use his song for free.
He added: ‘I don’t mind synching my music with creative projects like TV or film. I’ve got my own set of rules I made, if a student film wants to use my film I say yes across the board, there’s no money involved.
‘If someone wants to use it commercially, I look at what the budget is and the creativity of the project.’
Regardless, any earnings that Gotye has made from the song have to be divided up between multiple parties.
The song’s guitar riffe originates from the 1967 song Seville, which was created by Brazilian composer Luiz Bonfa.
As well as releasing music with The Basics, Gotye has also launched two record labels – Forgotten Futures and Spirit Level (pictured in 2013)
Gotye also has to divide his royalties with other artists who worked on the song, such as Kimbra (pictured together at the Grammy Awards in 2013)
Even though only two seconds of the track was used, Gotye has to give his estate half of the song’s royalties.
The track’s catchy tinkle is a melody played on a xylophone, that is based on the nursery rhyme Baa, Baa, Black Sheep too, so some listeners may find it familiar.
Gotye also has to divide his royalties with other artists who worked on the song, such as Kimbra, but has said that he’s grateful for the success of the song, as it’s given him the freedom to pursue other projects.
As well as releasing music with The Basics, Gotye has also launched two record labels – Forgotten Futures and Spirit Level.
He’s also made it his mission to preserve the legacy for French electronic-music pioneer Jean-Jacques Perrey, buying two vintage electronic keyboards and forming the Ondioline Orchestra in New York.
He told Broadsheet in 2018: ‘You can dial in an incredibly wide range of sounds on the ondioline and the unique mechanics for playing it allows you to create sounds very sensitively and with a musical deftness I just feel isn’t present on most other electronic instruments from the ’40s – or decades since.’
In July, it was also revealed that Gotye is working on his fourth album, despite his group previously announcing in a ‘happy if melancholy goodbye’ that they were retiring from touring.
In 2017, Gotye revealed that he opted against pre-roll ads on his YouTube channel, so he hasn’t earned a penny from views on his music video (pictured in 2013)
‘There are still so many places we wanted to go and people we’d like to meet, but with two young families and a medical career between us (not to mention two solo projects and a live music venue on top of this!), there’s just this sense that it was time to draw a line in the sand,’ the band wrote on Facebook.
‘Plans keep getting brought up and then quickly dashed, and it just seems fair to make it clear both to you guys and to ourselves.’
They then explained how they would not play a final show or announce a farewell tour, so not to capitalise on the news.
‘We’ve always tried to be as genuine as possible, and so with respect to our decision have no such finale to offer,’ they said.
‘Hopefully in years to come when all the kids are grown up we can play again. And of course we look forward to bringing you a new Basics record at some stage, plus new stuff from Wally and Kris.’
