Monthy Python free Youtube vids lead to 23k% sales increase

[Brother None]

What the topic title says, basically...

Following up on our previous news regarding Monty Python material on iTunes, Mashable is now reporting on a staggering increase of Monty Python DVDs sold on Amazon soon after the Python crew made some of their their more popular material free on Youtube. And by staggering, I mean 23,000% worth. Mashable notes that Monty Python’s DVDs climbed to the #2 spot on Amazon’s Movie’s and TV Bestseller List, and you don’t have to be a genius to follow that the sales were probably influenced by the Amazon links found on all of their Youtube clips.

Not saying the South Park era of internet money is over, and I doubt we can draw many conclusions from this, except for two:
1. Looking at new ways of marketing is smart.
2. If people are stealing your shit, sometimes the best way to beat is join 'em

Huzzah Python

 

[Public]

I saw that video on youtube with Monthy Python. I knew it's a good idea.

Same kinda thing did Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails. He released his last album for free and before that he decided to make many songs from his previous works available on his website, to be downloaded for softwares like Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Reason, so people can make remixes from them.

It was worth it.

 

[alec]

Same kinda thing did Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails. He released his last album for free

Radiohead beat him to it, though. Trent is too dumb to come up with such a brilliant idea himself.

1. Looking at new ways of marketing is smart.
2. If people are stealing your shit, sometimes the best way to beat is join 'em

I totally agree.

Although it'll only work for a while. Once people get used to getting freebies, the media will stop reporting about these stunts and the effect will be close to nill from that point on.

 

[Crni Vuk]

Re: Monthy Python free Youtube vids lead to 23k% sales incre

...
Not saying the South Park era of internet money is over, and I doubt we can draw many conclusions from this, except for two:
1. Looking at new ways of marketing is smart.
2. If people are stealing your shit, sometimes the best way to beat is join 'em

Huzzah Python

The thing is just ... if people start to loose money they start to blame "piracy" instead of either eventually their way of distribution [like with spore] or that the game "really" was just mediocre crap [like Titan quest (THQ director blames piracy for Iron Lore closure)]

Now I am defeinetly not saying piracy is a positive or even a "right" thing to do. But seriously. It has become today kinda a fancy fashion to blame "them" (cause they can not really defend them self as they dont have a voie of some sort) for a game if it has no success instead of eventualy thinking about that it really was ... just crap they sold.

 

[Snackpack]

What were those fools thinking??!! They should have laced their media with trojans and drm schemes!

Great news for the Python chaps.

Anyone seen any data on what kind of money Radiohead's free album made? It would be interesting to compare to their previous standard releases.

It's good to see some people adapting to and embracing the new tech.

Although it'll only work for a while. Once people get used to getting freebies, the media will stop reporting about these stunts and the effect will be close to nill from that point on.

You have point about about people coming to expect freebies, but I disagree that this kind of marketing will stop being effective. The 23,000% increase (which is ludicrous) caused the news, not vice versa no?

 

[Roflcore]

Without pirating I would buy less PC-games, thats for sure.

 

[alec]

Anyone seen any data on what kind of money Radiohead's free album made? It would be interesting to compare to their previous standard releases.

• In Rainbows has sold three million copies thus far, a figure that includes downloads from Radiohead.com, physical CDs, a deluxe 2-CD/vinyl box set, as well as sales via iTunes and other digital retailers.

• The In Rainbows deluxe edition sold 100,000 copies via Radiohead fan service W.A.S.T.E. (priced at about $82).

• Despite giving the fans the option to pay nothing for the album, Radiohead made more money prior to In Rainbows' January 2008 physical release than its total take on 2003's Hail To the Thief.

• The physical release of In Rainbows entered both the US and UK charts at #1 in January, despite having been freely available since October 2007.

• In Rainbows was the first Radiohead album available on iTunes, where it went in at #1 in January, selling 30,000 in its first week.

Also: the group recently capped off its world tour in support of In Rainbows, an outing that racked up a tally of about 1.2 million tickets sold.

In short: the album made them stinking rich. Again.

The fact that it made them so much money is also due to the fact that the download and deluxe edition were released by themselves, and not by some record company. That probably saved them lots of money that would otherwise have disappeared into the pockets of fucking suits.

What they did was pure genius. The best move ever. But they were able to do it because they were Radiohead. Small bands, lesser acts, ... they would have failed miserably.

 

[Stag]

While In Rainbows did come out a few months before the Slip, it's worth noting that the website for In Rainbows was set up really annoyingly, in that if you didn't pay you had to wait about fifteen hours to download their album; Trent let you just download a torrent rather than making you wait longer if you didn't pay.

 

[alec]

in that if you didn't pay you had to wait about fifteen hours to download their album

I got it to DL immediately, and I didn't pay either, but as a hardcore fan, I of course knew about it the minute the site was up and the album was up for download. I did buy the deluxe Discbox later, though. So I wouldn't feel guilty for DL'ing their genius for free.

There was too much traffic at a certain point. That's why - haha - In Rainbows was actually downloaded more from Torrents than from the actual Radiohead site.

 

[syllogz]

On Radiohead and NIN:

You guys forget that Trent's first free release was with Saul Williams' Niggy Tardust.
And that was just a week, or so, shy of Radiohead's release.
I think the idea was around there for awhile.

And NIN has recently "leaked" a 400GB multi-cam video footage of three of their shows.
There are some people trying to re-master them into a DVD.
FOR FREE.
Here's the link: http://thisoneisonus.org/
(This is what Trent said when 'The Slip' was released )

Anyways, I really appreciate these artists finding new ways to distribute there art.
I haven't payed for an album in 10 years, but I put down 5-5 bucks for both Saul Williams and Ghost, even though - or especially because - these were/are for free.

 

[M-26-7]

I'm really happy to here this. Monty Python is brilliant, the more people that know about it the better. After all some people still think Genre movie movies are funny.

 

[CriticalCheck]

Don't forget Ghosts I-IV from NIN. Ghosts I, I-IV were free with the other tracks being 10 dollars. There was also several other packages with the most premium selling all the limited copies in a day.

Following that there was the release of an album, The Slip, completely free. The video leak, considerable amount of files for remixes. Trent is taking it to a different level than Radiohead. Expanding his music beyond Independent releases and really taking it to a really interesting level of consumer interaction.

Oh yeah and on topic! I love Monty Python. Watch life of Brian way too often.

 

[SimpleMinded]

It makes a lot more sense than the blowtards who try and keep their stuff off of YouTube. The internet can be used for free marketing, the companies just need to know what they're doing.

 

[CriticalCheck]

The Internet. Free advertisement for John Cleese to Ron Paul.

I think that 23,000% increase is freaking hilarious though. That is easily one of the most encouraging numbers I can think of. If I ran at 23,000% at work they'd probably give me the company. 0_o

 

[Public]

Trent is too dumb to come up with such a brilliant idea himself.

The idea was probably much before, but the marker and the internet wasn't rady for it yet.

And like CriticalCheck said, Trent is taking it in a very interesting direction. Interacting with fans mainly.

Don't forget Ghosts I-IV from NIN. Ghosts I, I-IV were free with the other tracks being 10 dollars. There was also several other packages with the most premium selling all the limited copies in a day.

Is that the one he earned like 700 thousands bucks within two weeks or so?

And NIN has recently "leaked" a 400GB multi-cam video footage of three of their shows.
There are some people trying to re-master them into a DVD.
FOR FREE.

Yeah, I remember that he said on the news (which are not on the NIN website) that some dudes installed high quality cameras around the stage in a different angles, and none of the security guys saw them doing it. Then, they put those videos on torrent.

 

[CriticalCheck]

I think the profit in the end was even more than 700k. He made some MAJOR bank off that album. The fact that was instrumental is the best part about it.

There was a video on youtube where he was signing the art books being sent out with the limited edition package. There was like 1,500 of them.

 

[SuAside]

Same kinda thing did Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails. He released his last album for free

Radiohead beat him to it, though. Trent is too dumb to come up with such a brilliant idea himself.

well, Trent did 'leak' all the high definition video from one of his concerts 'by mistake' so that users could make their own concert video instead of having to buy the HD DVD that was going to be released later.

 

[Ratty Sr.]

Isn't this what piracy apologists have been advocating ad nauseam since the Napster era? It's nice to be vindicated, even if it took 10 years and a million lawsuits.

Btw., piracy isn't stealing because nothing is physically removed from the inventory, lulz.

 

[Crni Vuk]

But it doesnt makes it less illegal.

I mean if one would copy with some computer blue prints from a company dedicated to future technology for his own purpose without permission it would be still stealing even if nothing physical gets changed (which is from a pendatic physical stantpoint as well not entirely true)

 

[Jack The Knife]

But we want something in return.

None of your driveling, mindless comments.

Good luck keeping youtubers from making driveling, mindless comments.