New Business Model for Comedians

Live at the Beacon Theater is an innovative comedy concept with no regional restrictions and no Digital Rights Management policies – A comedy special / concert film by Louis C. K which sold directly from the comedian’s website for $ 5 and can be downloaded in 720p HD or streamed in browser. You can download the file, play it as much as you like, burn it to a DVD. Louis C. K by passed the physical media and digital distribution channels. He wrote, produced, performed and edited his stand-up special on his MacBook Pro by himself. To deter piracy however, C. K. in his website made a plea, “I made this video extremely easy to use against well-informed advice. I was told that it would be easier to torrent the way I made it, but I chose to do it this way anyway, because I want it to be easy for people to watch and enjoy this video in any way they want without “corporate” restrictions. Please bear in mind that I am not a company or a corporation. I’m just some guy. I paid for the production and posting of this video with my own money. I would like to be able to post more material to the fans in this way, which makes it cheaper for the buyer and more pleasant for me. So, please help me keep this being a good idea. I can’t stop you from torrenting; all I can do is politely ask you to pay your five little dollars, enjoy the video, and let other people find it in the same way.” Despite C. K’s pleas, the film was made available by pirates shortly after release in December 2011. However, within the first 12 days of its sale, Live at the Beacon Theater earned $ 1 million. The success of C. K’s business model prompted other comedians, including Jim Gaffigan and Aziz Ansari, to release their own specials. Upcoming artists, including musicians with a shortfall in capital will have a cheaper alternative to TV, Radio, and other digital distribution companies’ production systems. The sustainability of this business model in the long term will depend on the fans / customers. For more information, visit www.louisck.net