And finally…band take Spotify for $20,000 with ‘silent album’

Vulfpeck, from the US state of Michigan, made headlines in March when they released Sleepify, 10 songs of silence that varied between 31 and 32 seconds.

But there was more to it than whimsy artistic indulgence.

While commentators questioned how much money it was possible to make from such a album, even in the age of online streaming, the band had a cunning plan.

They asked fans to stream their five-minute album of silence and leave it on repeat throughout the night as they slept.

Fans were told any money generated would be used to fund a tour with the promise of free shows.

Spotify only pays $0.007 for each track streamed, but this soon starts to add up when you consider that 100 streams makes 70 cents.

With each track only lasting just over 30 seconds (the minimum required by the service to count as a full stream) even with a modest fan-base the band could be in business if their fans stepped-up and the ploy went unnoticed…

They did, and it did…for a while…

According to a royalty statement shown to music publication Billboard by Vulfpeck keyboardist Jack Stratton, the band’s earnings from Spotify eventually reached $19,655.56 before the plug was pulled.

Spotify removed the album from its service in April but did not specify why.

According to Billboard, Vulfpeck have yet to finalise plans for their tour although they aim to take in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York and their hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan around late September.