It’s been over 13 years since “Somebody That I Used to Know” first hit the airwaves, but even after all this time, the song still has us captivated.
Whether you admit it or not, Gotye’s incredibly catchy ballad can still get a crowd going, filling a dance floor in seconds.
It seems like everyone, from our moms and grandmas to neighbors, loves the 2011 hit. Imagine how many times people have searched for it on YouTube over the years!
And let’s not forget the iconic video featuring Gotye and Kimbra standing in front of a canvas, both gradually painted in abstract colors. That visual only adds to the whole experience, right?
The video has a staggering 2.3 billion views to date, which would mean a huge payout in most cases. But, surprisingly, Gotye doesn’t have a pile of money to show for it.
That’s because Gotye—whose real name is Wouter André “Wally” De Backer—made some pretty selfless decisions about cashing in on the success of his hit song.
Gotye chose not to monetize the music video
The Australian musician decided against placing ads on his YouTube channel, meaning he missed out on a potential fortune.
In an interview with news.com.au in 2017, he explained: “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.”
“I decided it made more sense to focus on creative things and not get hung up on money and lawyers and courts.”
Gotye allows others to use the song for free
Instead of licensing “Somebody That I Used to Know” for big commercial projects in TV or movies, Gotye prefers to let up-and-coming artists and student filmmakers use it without charging a dime.
“I don’t mind synching my music with creative projects like TV or film,” the 44-year-old said. “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.”
Royalties are split with other artists who contributed to the song
Gotye also doesn’t get all of the song’s earnings because it heavily features samples. The guitar riff, for instance, comes from a 1967 song called “Seville” by Brazilian composer Luiz Bonfa. Even though only a tiny snippet was used, Gotye offered Bonfa’s estate a generous 50 percent of the royalties.
The xylophone melody in “Somebody That I Used to Know” is even based on the nursery rhyme “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep”—explaining why it sounds so familiar.
And to top it off, Gotye also splits royalties with other artists who contributed to the song, like Kimbra.
So, in the end, there wasn’t much left over for him personally.
People still find his approach admirable, with fans praising his choice to focus on creativity over cash.
One fan commented: “One of my favourite songs. I didn’t know this.”
Another wrote: “I read about this once! Not wanting to sell his music. I also do art with this mindset and I appreciate him so much.”
A third person added: “He wanted the music industry to be accessible by all. He wanted young people to be able to edit and add to a song without being charged.”
A few years after the song’s release, Gotye announced he would be taking a break from the music scene. He went on to launch a record label, Spirit Level, in 2014, continued to work with his band The Basics, and even formed the Ondioline Orchestra in New York.
Earlier this year, his hit song got a fresh remix by DJs Fisher, Chris Lake, and Sante Sansone, so maybe these DJs will share a bit of the royalties with Gotye this time around.
