We’re all familiar with what’s been dubbed “the streaming war“. No, we’re not talking about the battle between Spotify and Apple Music for streaming supremacy (and your precious dollars), but the battle between labels, streaming platforms, and musicians.
Musicians say Spotify and those of their ilk give them meagre payouts that make a career in music unsustainable. Streaming platforms say the majority of their earnings go to royalty payouts and to address all questions to their labels. The labels could not be reached for comment.
It’s not really a laughing matter considering it’s now universally agreed upon that streaming is the future of music distribution and CDs and even digital are on their way out. Still, we can’t help but laugh at this hilarious skit courtesy of ABC’s new comedy crew DAFUQ?.
A satire on contemporary gonzo-style journalism like Vice, in which near-clueless hipsters are sent into war zones in leather jackets and Yohji Yamamoto Adidas, the first episode features a skit which parodies the current state of streaming royalties.
In the skit — check it out below or watch the full episode via ABC iView here — an unfortunate Australian hip-hop artist decides to attempt living solely off his Spotify royalty payouts, which amounts to about seven cents per day.
He later hooks up with a renegade group of Australian musicians — Abbe May, Timothy Nelson, and Eskimo Joe frontman Kav Temperley — who have resorted to crime in order to make a living and his journey eventually leads him to the offices of Spotify.
