In case you missed the news, iconic French electronic duo Daft Punk broke up this month. In the aftermath, their streams and sales and blasted through the roof! It seems that breaking up does have some upsides…
Daft Punk’s Breakup Produces Surge
After nearly 30 years together, French duo Daft Punk has parted ways. In the days following their announcement two weeks ago, fans immediately started commemorating their beloved idols. Punk’s music streamed soared nearly 500% in the days following the announcement of their split. Believe it or not, that’s just the beginning! Alpha Data reported that sales of the duo’s songs grew 1,335%, while their digital album sales blew up by 2,650%! That’s quite a tidy sum to make in just a day or two.
Even more impressive, the duo’s split also caused many new people to become fans. Despite the fact that Daft Punk was one of the most well-known music groups globally, with platinum sales and film soundtracks under their robotic belts, they still gained many new fans in the wake of their split. Last week, Spotify stated that 459,334 accounts listened to Daft Punk for the first time.
While it’s hard to calculate precisely how much the French pair made in the days following their decision to part ways, all music industry experts agree it was a pretty penny. Meanwhile, Daft Punk are not the only ones earning a little cash during these sad times. Some fans have also found a way to make a little cash in the wake of the breakup…
Merchandise Prices Soar
Of course, music sales and streaming were not the only things to increase after Daft Punk announced their dissolution. In the days following, the prices on Daft Punk merchandise and collectibles, both real and bootleg, skyrocketed. For instance, artist Dylan Thomas, who makes custom Daft Punk helmets on Etsy, made over $22,000 in just one day after the pair’s split. “I could’ve made $100,000,” the North Carolina resident proudly claimed, adding that he has a day job apart from his Etsy store. “It blows my mind.” While a friend tried to convince him to quit his day job and do the helmet creation full time, Thomas decided against it.
Some of these people will likely feel a little had if the duo should ever get back together and produce new music. However, most fans feel confident that will not happen with Daft Punk, real names Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de-Homem Christo. They announced their split earlier this month, with a clip from their 2009 film Daft Punk’s Electroma, entitled “Epilogue.” It can be seen on their YouTube channel. Later that day, the duo’s publicist confirmed the decision to part ways.
Sources: Billboard, Rolling Stone Magazine