FREE... The Movie?
posted by Larry Weintraub | 9:55 AM |
I've professed my new found love of the podcast numerous times in the past few months. Adam Carolla's podcast led the way and now I find myself thirsting for more audio dialogue like one of the vampires on True Blood.
There are two primary times in my day when I listen to spoken word via my iPhone / iPod and that is in the morning as I hike the neighborhood pushing my son in his stroller and in my car to and from work. When I'm driving I need something fun and passive. Carolla's podcast enables me to drive, laugh, not get in an accident, and not have to pay extra close attention to the content. It's very easy to mow through West Hollywood streets and listen to Adam gush over Inglorious Basterds' star Christoph Waltz or relive Stand By Me with Jerry O'Connell. Before I know it, the mundane drive is over and all of a sudden I'm at work.
I can listen to Adam on my morning walks as well, but I find myself much more attentive during those times and it's then that I choose to listen to either audiobooks or more detailed podcasts such as NPR's This American Life or The Moth Podcast. I've learned to really enjoy audiobooks. In the past few months I've plowed through Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers," Seth Godin's "Permission Marketing," and Eckhart Tolle's "The Power of Now."
Which brings me to what I'm listening to right now. And that is "Free - The Past and Future of a Radical Price" by Wired Magazine chief Chris Anderson. In February of 2008 I posted about Chris's Free cover story in Wired and how fascinating an article I found it to be. So, as you can imagine, I was very excited to read his expansion on that essay in his new book. I knew the book was out because I saw Chris appear on The Colbert Report but ironically my two loves of podcast and audiobook recently merged when Chris was a guest on Adam Carolla's podcast. In addition to having many comedians and celebrities on his show, Adam has done a good job of having web entrepreneurs on as well - Leo Laporte, Jason Calcanis, and even Mr. Skin. And each time one of these people are on, Adam asks them about how to properly handle his podcast which has gained tremendous traction with an audience of over 500,000 listeners daily. You can tell Adam is surprised by the magnitude of his success but also trying to figure out how to monetize the medium. And most of the guys say the same thing. Keep it FREE.
Now, when Chris Anderson was on Colbert, Stephen in his extremely sarcastic manner discussed the fact that Chris's book costs money. Yet it's called Free. But Chris has done something very interesting and reminiscent of what artists like Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead are doing. You can buy the hardbound version in a bookstore if that's the way you want to consume it or you can also download it online for free. And, something I accidentally discovered as I was looking for my next podcast to consume, he's made the entire audiobook available for free via iTunes - as a podcast. And starting today my morning was filled with FREE.
Chris wrote the Long Tail several years ago and he is credited with coining that phrase. When we discuss the endless availability of products to both the masses and the niche audiences due to the digital landscape, The Long Tail is the term we use. When we discuss the Google-type economy of giving digital products away for free in order to sell a small portion of premium services, I believe Chris will again be the go to source. As a result, by Chris giving away his book and becoming the most sought after source for discussing the new digital economy, Chris will undoubtedly make millions through speaking engagements and who knows, maybe he'll make some coin when someone options the movie rights. I can't wait to see how he promotes Free - the movie!
There are two primary times in my day when I listen to spoken word via my iPhone / iPod and that is in the morning as I hike the neighborhood pushing my son in his stroller and in my car to and from work. When I'm driving I need something fun and passive. Carolla's podcast enables me to drive, laugh, not get in an accident, and not have to pay extra close attention to the content. It's very easy to mow through West Hollywood streets and listen to Adam gush over Inglorious Basterds' star Christoph Waltz or relive Stand By Me with Jerry O'Connell. Before I know it, the mundane drive is over and all of a sudden I'm at work.
I can listen to Adam on my morning walks as well, but I find myself much more attentive during those times and it's then that I choose to listen to either audiobooks or more detailed podcasts such as NPR's This American Life or The Moth Podcast. I've learned to really enjoy audiobooks. In the past few months I've plowed through Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers," Seth Godin's "Permission Marketing," and Eckhart Tolle's "The Power of Now."
Which brings me to what I'm listening to right now. And that is "Free - The Past and Future of a Radical Price" by Wired Magazine chief Chris Anderson. In February of 2008 I posted about Chris's Free cover story in Wired and how fascinating an article I found it to be. So, as you can imagine, I was very excited to read his expansion on that essay in his new book. I knew the book was out because I saw Chris appear on The Colbert Report but ironically my two loves of podcast and audiobook recently merged when Chris was a guest on Adam Carolla's podcast. In addition to having many comedians and celebrities on his show, Adam has done a good job of having web entrepreneurs on as well - Leo Laporte, Jason Calcanis, and even Mr. Skin. And each time one of these people are on, Adam asks them about how to properly handle his podcast which has gained tremendous traction with an audience of over 500,000 listeners daily. You can tell Adam is surprised by the magnitude of his success but also trying to figure out how to monetize the medium. And most of the guys say the same thing. Keep it FREE.
Now, when Chris Anderson was on Colbert, Stephen in his extremely sarcastic manner discussed the fact that Chris's book costs money. Yet it's called Free. But Chris has done something very interesting and reminiscent of what artists like Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead are doing. You can buy the hardbound version in a bookstore if that's the way you want to consume it or you can also download it online for free. And, something I accidentally discovered as I was looking for my next podcast to consume, he's made the entire audiobook available for free via iTunes - as a podcast. And starting today my morning was filled with FREE.Chris wrote the Long Tail several years ago and he is credited with coining that phrase. When we discuss the endless availability of products to both the masses and the niche audiences due to the digital landscape, The Long Tail is the term we use. When we discuss the Google-type economy of giving digital products away for free in order to sell a small portion of premium services, I believe Chris will again be the go to source. As a result, by Chris giving away his book and becoming the most sought after source for discussing the new digital economy, Chris will undoubtedly make millions through speaking engagements and who knows, maybe he'll make some coin when someone options the movie rights. I can't wait to see how he promotes Free - the movie!
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c |
| Chris Anderson | |
Labels: adam carolla, Chris Anderson, eckhart tolle, Free, Malcolm Gladwell, nine inch nails, radiohead, Seth Godin, Wired Magazine
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I see much in life as a possible business. It is exciting, but also torturous. I just don’t have enough time. A new idea often sends me into hours of thought, research, and ultimately deviation from what I really need to do in a day. I believe that the Internet has made it easy for anyone to create a business. I believe that the Internet has made nearly everything in life easier. I believe that trying to impact the masses is a tough notion, but finding a group of people similar to you, is at your fingertips. I believe that music is free, and that is not a good thing. I believe that life is a collection of experiences and that every day I learn something new and forget something slightly new.
1 Comments:
Chris' book is certainly inspiring. I'm not sure though if I would have purchased it if I have known of the e-book and podcast edition prior to it. (although since I like The Long Tail a lot, will likely do). For sure, those who got the chance to read it have a lot of ideas spinning in their heads now on how to embrace "free".
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