The Long Tail of Content

A phenomena first observed by Wired magazine editor Chris Anderson in 2004: the internet’s removal of physical limitations would empower niche products and creators to flourish.

But for content platforms, the move to digital content hasn’t been correlated with a burgeoning long tail: the top creators are massively successful, while long-tail creators are barely getting by:

• On Spotify 1.4% of artists pull in 90% of royalties
• On the online gaming platform Roblox, top game accounts for 25% of concurrent users.

This is a core problem: Creator platforms flourish when they provide opportunity for anyone to grow and succeed.