He is 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 made millions from the success of his famous song, and is set for life with royalties and streams of the beloved song.
But fans might be surprised to learn that the indie musician actually barely made a dime from his biggest song.
This despite billions of streams and an artistic video on YouTube that has been viewed 2.3 billion times.
Gotye, whose real name is Wouter André ‘Wally’ De Backer, is said to have put others first in 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 might be surprised to learn that the indie musician barely made a dime on the song.
The singer, whose real name is Wouter André ‘Wally’ De Backer (pictured in 2015), is said to have put others first in cashing in on the success of his beloved song
In 2017, Gotye revealed that he chose not to run pre-roll ads on his YouTube channel, so he hasn’t made a dime from the views of his music video.
He told news.com.au: “I’m not interested in selling my music.
“That’s why I don’t put ads on my YouTube channel, which seems strange to people in the current climate, but that’s a decision you can make. That’s how I am with all my music. Advertisements demand our attention all over the world.’
Gotye has also chosen not to license his song for commercial use in films and TV series, previously saying he would rather let other aspiring artists use his song for free.
He added: “I don’t mind syncing my music with creative projects like TV or film. I have my own rules: if a student film wants to use my film, I say yes across the board, no money involved.
‘If someone wants to use it commercially, I look at the budget and the creativity of the project.’
Regardless, any income Gotye earned from the song will have to be split among multiple parties.
The song’s guitar riff comes from the 1967 song Seville, created by Brazilian composer Luiz Bonfa.
In addition to releasing music with The Basics, Gotye has also launched two record labels: Forgotten Futures and Spirit Level (pictured in 2013)
Gotye must also split his royalties with other artists who worked on the song, such as Kimbra (pictured together at the 2013 Grammy Awards)
Although only two seconds of the song were used, Gotye must give his estate half of the song’s royalties.
The song’s catchy jingle is a melody played on a xylophone that is also based on the nursery rhyme Baa, Baa, Black Sheep, so it may be familiar to some listeners.
Gotye also has to split his royalties with other artists who worked on the song, such as Kimbra, but has said he is grateful for the song’s success as it has given him the freedom to pursue other projects.
In addition to releasing music with The Basics, Gotye has also launched two record labels: Forgotten Futures and Spirit Level.
He has also made it his mission to preserve the legacy of French electronic music pioneer Jean-Jacques Perrey, purchasing two vintage electronic keyboards and founding the Ondioline Orchestra in New York.
He told Broadsheet in 2018: ‘You can dial in an incredibly wide range of sounds online and the unique playback mechanisms allow you to create sounds very sensitively and with a musical dexterity that I don’t think is present on most other electronic devices. instruments from the 1940s – or decades after that.’
It was also revealed in July that Gotye is working on his fourth album, despite his group previously announcing it in a ‘happy but melancholic farewell’ they stopped touring.
In 2017, Gotye revealed that he had chosen not to run pre-roll ads on his YouTube channel so he hasn’t made a dime from the views of his music video (pictured in 2013)
‘There are still so many places we’d like 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 that!), there is just the feeling that it’s time to draw a line in the sand,” the band wrote on Facebook.
“Plans keep getting brought up and then quickly thrown into disarray, and it just seems fair to make this clear to both you and ourselves.”
They then explained that they would not play a final show or announce a farewell tour, so as not to capitalize on the news.
“We have always tried to be as sincere as possible, and so with regard to our decision, we have no such final offer to offer,” they said.
‘Hopefully in a few years, when all the children are grown up, we can play again. And of course we look forward to bringing you a new Basics record someday, plus new material from Wally and Kris.’
