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# Tommy Silverman: “Hobbyists… Clutter The Music Environment With Crap.”
- URL: https://www.hypebot.com/silverman-the-internet-is-a-medium-like-air/
- Published: 2010-07-12T05:32:00.000Z
- Updated: 2010-07-12T05:32:00.000Z
- Description: Over at Wired, there's an intriguing interview piece where the ever curious Eliot Van Buskirk talks with Tommy Silverman, founder of Tommy Boy Records, about "What’s Wrong With Music Biz." . Continue reading [https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/07/silverman-the-internet-is-a-medium-like-air.html]
- Author: admin
- Tags: Conventions & Awards, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-01-21 10:59

Over at Wired*,* there's an intriguing interview piece where the ever curious **Eliot Van Buskirk** talks with **Tommy Silverman**, founder of Tommy Boy Records, about "**[What’s Wrong With Music Biz](http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/07/tom-silverman-proposes-radically-transparent-music-business/all/1?ref=hypebot.com)**." As expected, there are some rather controversial things said in relation to **what it means** to "break" an artist in the music industry these days, and it leaves the reader to question whether or not Silverman's criteria match that of the emerging **musical middle class** dynamic. Silverman also shares his own interpretation of how Chris Anderson's theory of the long tail has played out in the record and music industries. But, those things aside, it is a **great introduction** into Silverman's **unique view** of the industry.

> "

[![image from www.blackvibes.com](https://a2.typepad.com/6a0111683c7a25970c0134855d8f2a970c-250wi "image from www.blackvibes.com")](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3a/95/3a957c06-c825-4057-9939-0a274cc16d23/content/images/www-blackvibes-com/images/stories/tom-silverman-tommy-boy.jpg?ref=hypebot.com)

\[

Hobbyists

\]…

those are the peoplewho 

are using TuneCore and iTunes to

clutter the music environment with crap

, so that the

 artists who really are pretty good

have

more trouble breaking through than they ever did before

."

Silverman also co-chairs the **[New Music Seminar](http://newmusicseminar.com/?ref=hypebot.com)** which begins next Monday, July **19**th in New York City.