The entertainment industry is changing and stand up comedy is going through a transformation. Gone are the days of a set on Carson followed by his couch and then a late night TV show, which then feeds your show tour dates.
Now the career trajectory is hustle through the mics and clubs, and build an online following through your own hard work and networking grit. Then hit the clubs for fans you built online. The best way to do that is to release your polished material online and cultivate your fans on the second largest search engine in the world...YouTube.
So what are the best comedy specials on YouTube? The best stand up comedy specials on YouTube are:
Fahim Anwar: There's No Business Like Show Business
Mark Normand: Out to Lunch
Andrew Schulz: Infamous
Sam Morril: I Got This
Shane Gillis: Live in Austin
Fahim Anwar Live at the Comedy Store
Joe List: I Hate Myself
Zoltan Kaszas: White Lies
While big media can still help you with contacts at social media companies and appearances on bigger platforms, they themselves will look at who is trending already online to figure out where to spend their dollars.
These days many comedians including ones who already have Netflix and Conan appearances have decided to skip Netflix and Amazon Prime and go straight to YouTube.
They control the edits, the output and all the ad revenue. Most importantly they own the material, because if you sell a special to Netflix for $20,000 or $2 million dollars...you can't even post a clip of it without their permission.
How Much Can A Stand Up Comedian Make On YouTube for a Special?
There is no hard and fast rule, but if most of your viewers are in the United States and they watch your full 45 minute video, you can expect between $1500 and $5000 for each million views. You can also get YouTube donations and Patreon followers which are all other channels to monetize.
That doesn't sound like a lot, and it might not be. However if you have a million people watching you for 45 minutes, and they're mostly state side...you can now make up to $20,000 a weekend touring the comedy clubs for sold out audiences.
Now you get it right?
The Best Free Comedy Specials On YouTube
The list below are some of the best free YouTube comedy specials from comics who have put in the work over years of doing stand up comedy. I guarantee you most of these specials are funnier than at least 80% of the ones you'll find on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.
Fahim Anwar - There's No Business Like Show Business
Fahim is on this list twice and he is extremely underrated. I think you'll find most of the biggest comics working today are too scared to let him open for them, because the's that good. The problem is he's not a household name yet.
Hopefully with his three specials (two are here) on YouTube he hits a critical mass soon enough.
Mark Normand
A comedy cellar veteran and Seinfeld favorite is Mark Normand. Quick puns and a New York style of bang bang comedy makes for a great laugh.
Love him or hate him he has perfected the art of the joke. No fat and plenty of surprises.
Andrew Schulz
While Andrew was not the first to release crowd work clips he was a big part of the reason they became popular, because he knew how to get them to a wider audience.
Andrew has great timing and stage presence but his digital game is likely what set him apart from the comics who have been doing it twice as long.
Sam Morril
Mark Normand, Sam Morril and Joe List are kind of like comedy best friends who all "came up" together and you will see their similarities in this special.
By that again I mean tight writing and wit.
Shane Gillis
It's about time a comic who doesn't pander to what elite Hollywood thinks they want got the lime light. Shane Gillis says what everybody feels at work and does it in a charming way, which is an art itself in today's cancel culture climate.
Props to him for fighting through setbacks to become a favorite of now just comics but the general public, which is what most comedians forget to focus on.
Matt McCusker
If you enjoyed Shane's special you'll enjoy Matt's as well. The audience isn't the best in this special but this is when you realize a true comic can provide a quality special either way.
Fahim Anwar Comedy Store
Joe Rogan, Bobby Lee and Quentin Tarantino were all in the building when Fahim Anwar filmed this special, and you'll be hooke after just spending 15 minutes with it.
This special is funnier than most and Fahim shows his progression time and time again.
Joe List
Tight delivery in a self deprecating style that can be consumable by almost anyone makes Joe List's style very relatable for today's anxiety riddled youth.
If you get nervous at parties yet Aparna Nancherla is a bit too quirky for you, Joe List is a happy medium. It's easy to see why he's one of Louis CK's favorite joke writers.
Zoltan Kaszas
Speaking of anxiety, I think Zoltan is going to be the next big star popular with families who just like good comedy. He's mainly clean, has great charm and the way he delivers a joke city to city makes for a great evening.
While some of the other comics might have material that isn't exactly living room friendly with mom and dad, I think Zoltan's comedy is not just hilarious but also great for anybody, from college mates to families to coworkers.
That last one is very hard to enjoy a comedy show with.
Conclusion
These are comics who are setting the stage (no pun intended) for what the future of the comedy show business looks like. In the future you might see specials released on Instagram, or Twitter or directly to your smartphone via a private link only you can stream to your TV.
So what are your favorite comedy specials that are free online?
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