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Aziz Ansari releases DRM-free standup special for $5

azizansari.com

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Re: Aziz Ansari releases DRM-free standup special for $5

#41

Post by bksenior »

This is the model of new media for any type of artist.

Create enough value that you establish yourself as an expert in whatever your art is and then exploit secondary pursuits. I constantly refer back to Diddy getting famous with music, but also establishing himself as a partying/lifestyle expert and then making a killing on Ciroc. 50 cent did it with vitamin water and fitness, Athletes do it with endorsements.

It is the Tony Robbins model. His books didn't make him rich but they allowed him to charge 500k a speaking gig.

Your initial art is your marketing that develops your right to charge money for future art.

Re: Aziz Ansari releases DRM-free standup special for $5

#43

Post by bksenior »

This is the model of new media for any type of artist.

Create enough value that you establish yourself as an expert in whatever your art is and then exploit secondary pursuits. I constantly refer back to Diddy getting famous with music, but also establishing himself as a partying/lifestyle expert and then making a killing on Ciroc. 50 cent did it with vitamin water and fitness, Athletes do it with endorsements.

It is the Tony Robbins model. His books didn't make him rich but they allowed him to charge 500k a speaking gig.

Your initial art is your marketing that develops your right to charge money for future art.

Re: Aziz Ansari releases DRM-free standup special for $5

#44

Post by mikecane »

bksenior wrote: post #41

This is the model of new media for any type of artist. Create enough value that you establish yourself as an expert in whatever your art is and then exploit secondary pursuits. I constantly refer back to Diddy getting famous with music, but also establishing himself as a partying/lifestyle expert and then making a killing on Ciroc. 50 cent did it with vitamin water and fitness, Athletes do it with endorsements. It is…

>>>It is the Tony Robbins model. His books didn't make him rich but they allowed him to charge 500k a speaking gig.

And Robbins failed with Breakthrough on NBC. So not all success is guaranteed even when it seems to be.

Re: Aziz Ansari releases DRM-free standup special for $5

#46

Post by liber8 »

rkudeshi wrote: post #2

I know Louis CK was successful in this model, but at the time I expressed hesitation about others following his lead. He made a good amount of money, but given Louis CK is probably the most popular working comedian today, it didn't seem like ENOUGH money to justify the entire business model (assuming no one else would make as much doing the same). But now Aziz Ansari is doing it. Jim Gaffigan has announced plans to d…

I think you were wrong.

Considering Jeff Foxworthy has sold over 15 million albums[1], recently had a primetime show in syndication, and managed to make three of his drinking buddies into 8-figure yearly draws, I would say Louis CK is not even close to the most popular working comedian around. He has a rabid base, yes, but I would argue he's not even a mainstream comic (ie I would bet 9/10 people off the street would not know who he is).

I think this bodes very well for those who can mobilize a few hundred thousand people. What I think will be even more interesting is how this will affect those that can only mobilize a few thousand.

[1]http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/number_1/2005/04/jeff_fox...

Re: Aziz Ansari releases DRM-free standup special for $5

#47

Post by davidw »

mikecane wrote: post #39
seanalltogether wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like youtube or vimeo is missing a really big opportunity here.

Why should a comedian have to submit to a behemoth like writers do? To get on iPad or Kindle or Nook, you have to go through their stores and risk rejection or wind up giving them 30% (a fee I do not think is in any way justified just for hosting; they damn well can't market anything, just provide one listing out of jillions). I say more power to the comedians. Submit to no one, share with no one. I wish writers coul…

The odds of being rejected from Amazon's Kindle store are fairly slim. Your writing can be pretty bad; the important thing is that it's not someone else's material.

Re: Aziz Ansari releases DRM-free standup special for $5

#48

Post by vibrunazo »

mikecane wrote: post #39
seanalltogether wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like youtube or vimeo is missing a really big opportunity here.

Why should a comedian have to submit to a behemoth like writers do? To get on iPad or Kindle or Nook, you have to go through their stores and risk rejection or wind up giving them 30% (a fee I do not think is in any way justified just for hosting; they damn well can't market anything, just provide one listing out of jillions). I say more power to the comedians. Submit to no one, share with no one. I wish writers coul…

If you set your video to unlisted on youtube (only those with links can see it), then setup a paypal/google wallet account that automatically mails the link when someone pays you. Then all you'll be paying for is the paypal/google wallet fee.

Wouldn't have a sexy landing page. But would also save ~ $200k (how much Loius CK said he payed for his website).

Re: Aziz Ansari releases DRM-free standup special for $5

#50

Post by retroafroman »

bearwithclaws wrote: post #10

This is a great trend which I'm sure more artists would follow suit. But it puzzles me why did they build their own digital delivery solution from scratch instead of using something like GumRoad?

Probably because none of those startups have serious traction outside of hype in tech circles. Once one big player uses it, it can be seen as legit and others may follow suit.
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