Louis CK and shaking up digital distribution

So by now you’ve probably heard about the Louis CK experiment. You know, the one about the comedian who blows off the distributors and makes a cool million bucks in revenue in just 12 days — on his own! And nope, that’s no joke!

The American comedy writer/performer made more than 1 million dollars with $500,000 in profit by releasing and distributing his latest performance Live at the Beacon Theater as a non-copy-protected download for purchase on his own website for a tiny amount of $5.

Its a beautiful thing watching those few brave folks in the entertainment world break out alone into the digital realm. Technology resources, payment processing and the ability to socially building your own brand - are all out there on the Web and waiting to be used.

All the best to Louis CK (and the charities he’s supporting with $280,000 of the proceeds), he understands and embraces his own force multipliers — the value of his work, and that of the new direct relationships he just made with his fans.

The world needs more of these digital experiments, and more artists who want to connect directly with their audiences and fans. Looking forward to 2012 being that year!