Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Aziz Ansari releases DRM-free standup special for $5

azizansari.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

121–130 of 144 posts

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

#121

Post by Nrsolis »

seanalltogether wrote: post #97
blafro wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"The money stinks as a comic" A classic case of oversupply perhaps. Far too people quitting their day jobs to do stand-up full-time because someone in the office laughed at their jokes.

Everyone learns to perfect their craft through constant failure. Musicians/artists have the luxury of failing over and over while in the isolation of their bedroom. Comics have no choice but to fail repeatedly in front of a live audience, and nobody wants to pay you while you're learning to fail.

The common wisdom for comics learning is that your first 100 sets don't count. You basically count as a win any time you are able to stay onstage for the required amount of time.

To paraphrase: your first 100 jumps off the board count if you hit water.

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

#123

Post by commandar »

prg318 wrote: post #80
untog wrote: post #7

It's interesting that all this has come from comedians. Perhaps not surprising, given that TV shows are owned by networks, and bands are largely indebted to record labels- I never thought about it before, but a comedian is far more of a "free agent" than anyone else- for instance, Aziz is one of the main stars in a hit NBC comedy (well, as much of a hit as NBC gets these days), but he's free to do stuff like this as…

> I very much doubt a band would be able to get away with that. This seems to be the rule in most cases. However, some exceptions include: 1. Radiohead - "In Rainbows" -- Was recorded independently by Radiohead and released under a "Pay what you want" basis along with a hard copy that included a vinyl hardcopy and CD. 2. Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero (2007)-- This album was released by Reznor as a free digital download…

>2. Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero (2007)-- This album was released by Reznor as a free digital download and Reznor also released the master tracks and encouraged remixes of the work.

YZ was actually the last album in Reznor's contractual obligation to Interscope. He leaked a number of tracks as part of the accompanying ARG, but the album itself wasn't free. I seem to remember him having to jump through a number of hoops to get the masters released, as well.

Also: keep in mind that Saul Williams had attempted a pay-what-you-want model with the Reznor-produced The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust! prior to any of the other releases you mentioned.

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

#124

Post by nextparadigms »

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…

For the same reasons independent developers publish their apps on the iTunes and Play stores.

And I agree, Youtube is missing big opportunities with this sort of stuff.

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

#125

Post by sopooneo »

blafro wrote: post #90
Nrsolis wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did stand-up comedy for a while. Allow me to offer my own experience about the entrepreneurial streak you're seeing from the comedy sector: 1. As a comedian, you have no choice BUT to get creative. Nobody is going to give you stage time as a no-name comic so your choices are either (booked) open mics or starting your own show. 2. There isn't an "agent" culture for comics like there is for bands or actors. You write…

"The money stinks as a comic" A classic case of oversupply perhaps. Far too people quitting their day jobs to do stand-up full-time because someone in the office laughed at their jokes.

Very very few comics go without day jobs.

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

#126

Post by brady747 »

spindritf wrote: post #18
untog wrote: post #7

It's interesting that all this has come from comedians. Perhaps not surprising, given that TV shows are owned by networks, and bands are largely indebted to record labels- I never thought about it before, but a comedian is far more of a "free agent" than anyone else- for instance, Aziz is one of the main stars in a hit NBC comedy (well, as much of a hit as NBC gets these days), but he's free to do stuff like this as…

It has begun quite a while ago with podcasts. Adam Carolla runs a whole podcast production shop in addition to his own hugely popular show and even some spin-offs, then there's the Nerdist (same thing), Joe Rogan has a popular show, Doug Benson, Bill Burr and many others. Comedians just seem more... entrepreneurial. It would be interesting whether it's because there's less structure (existing or required) in the come…

Of relevant note: I believe Joe Rogan's next special (late April I think) is also going to be released in the Louis CK $5 methodology

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

#127

Post by sad_panda »

spindritf wrote: post #18
untog wrote: post #7

It's interesting that all this has come from comedians. Perhaps not surprising, given that TV shows are owned by networks, and bands are largely indebted to record labels- I never thought about it before, but a comedian is far more of a "free agent" than anyone else- for instance, Aziz is one of the main stars in a hit NBC comedy (well, as much of a hit as NBC gets these days), but he's free to do stuff like this as…

It has begun quite a while ago with podcasts. Adam Carolla runs a whole podcast production shop in addition to his own hugely popular show and even some spin-offs, then there's the Nerdist (same thing), Joe Rogan has a popular show, Doug Benson, Bill Burr and many others. Comedians just seem more... entrepreneurial. It would be interesting whether it's because there's less structure (existing or required) in the come…

Dana Gould's doing his own, and it has production values and editing. By comparison, Adam doesn't really do a whole lot of quality control on his show. Shitty shows still get released. It irritates me.

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

#128

Post by delackner »

mistercow wrote: post #27
bad_user wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You mean like iTunes? Eliminating the middleman is the whole point of these people that advertise and sell their DRM-free shows straight from their websites.

Eliminating the middleman is not the point. Avoiding the negative consequences of having a middleman is the point, and eliminating the middleman is merely a means to that end. If you can be a middleman without (or with fewer of) those negative consequences, then you're working toward the same goal.

You're splitting hairs. Louis CK's special raked in more than a million dollars. The website cost him about 30k to produce. iTunes would have sucked up TEN TIMES that.

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

#129

Post by delackner »

username3 wrote: post #68

Can I borrow someone's copy when you're finished with it? Update: http://azizansari.com/tos says, All downloads are for use on one device only. You may keep one backup copy of the digital content downloaded from this site on any digital media of your choice.

This is hilarious. He is being downvoted for pointing out one of the biggest serious issues with digital content licensing: The problem isn't just the DRM, but also that the licensing agreements usually (always?) destroy the traditional right to resell your book/movie/album when you are sick of it, or just when you would rather that a friend have it (say, when you finish reading a book).

Paying say $15 for an ebook that is nontransferrable, when the physical book is ALSO $15, is an absurdity that I can't imagine will stand the test of time. Our entire human history is on the side of the feeling that when you buy something, you can then give that particular thing away to someone else.

Current legal and market norms don't serve this basic human instinct yet, and it remains to be seen which shifts first. My money is on humans insisting to keep giving things away to their friends.

Post reply on HN