Eternify tricks Spotify into paying bands more with 30-second loops (update)
If you don't mind completely ignoring the service's terms for a little extra dough from Spotify, Eternify can lend a hand. The website games the streaming service's payouts by streaming 30-second clips from an artist on an endless loop, which, of course, is a complete violation of the streaming service's terms and conditions. It's the work of the band Ohm and Sport, and the site's plays aim to boost an artist's royalties by keeping its catalog going for as long as you can stand it.
"We're launching Eternify in the wake of numerous false promises of a better future for streaming: not a single one of these announcements or apparent victories have had any meaningful impact on the vast number of small artists on whom these services depend," the band told The Verge.
For reference, a 25-minute stream tallies a full 25 cents, as each 30-second loop earns the artist $.005. Last spring, a band called Vulfpeck released a full album of silent tracks on Spotify and asked its fans to keep it playing at night. The stunt earned the artists quite a bit extra cash before the streaming service pulled the plug. We'd surmise the same may happen for Ohm and Sport soon enough, and could happen to an artist you like if you decide to employ the site's methods.
Update: Engadget is not endorsing the use of Eternify to violate Spotify's terms which clearly state that methods like this are against its policies. This post's intent was to report on the method one band created to boost its payout, even if it's against the rules. The text has been updated to make that clear and condoning a way of gaming the system was not the intent.
