The problem for niche producers isn't really with the concept of the long tail; the problem is that in all mass markets consumer sentiment follows two fundamental rules: (a) lowest-common-denominator, and (b) follow-the-herd. Trash always outsells quality, and people always want to do precisely what other people like them are doing. So nobody is ever going to be able to use the "long tail" to make millions from producing something that appeals to a tiny number of consumers. Digital distribution, however, does mean that ultimately more customers can learn of the product than would formerly have been possible. So for the skilled craftsperson this could (at least in theory) translate eventually into more customers, but given the noise level in the digital marketplace it's not self-evident that discovery is a solved problem.