Throughout history, masters of any given craft have often taken on apprentices to share their knowledge, but this access to genius has always been an exclusive privilege for the lucky few. Now, a US startup called MasterClass is democratizing this process by providing affordable online classes from some of the world’s most talented professionals.

MasterClass currently offers six series of online classes for USD 90 each from selected household names. They include lessons in acting from Kevin Spacey or Dustin Hoffman, photography from Annie Leibovitz, writing from James Patterson and performance from Usher. Coming soon is a singing masterclass from Christina Aguilera.

The masterclasses vary in format and length depending on the field — for example, James Patterson imparts knowledge how to create characters, write dialogue, and keep readers turning the page over 22 video lessons and exercises. Dustin Hoffman teaches the pupil how to create memorable characters, hone their craft and perform in auditions over five hours of video lessons, with companion notes and office hours for fellow students to offer feedback. The videos are created by high quality filmmakers such as Oscar-winning documentarian Bill Guttentag, and MasterClass are currently expanding their offerings.

How else could online video allow people access to previously unattainable knowledge?