Spotify:
It all used to be so simple. People would hear a tune they liked on the radio, then go to a shop and buy the physical recording of it. Over the past few decades, this simple standard has fragmented into a diversity of consumption activities, from piracy and iTunes downloading to on-demand streaming from YouTube and others. Unfortunately, the majority of music consumption today generates little to no money for artists. We are working hard to fix this, and are proud to offer music fans a legal and paid service capable of generating for artists the royalties that they deserve.
Spotify has been copping it sweet from the press lately, regarding their apparent ability to rip off artists with such meagre streaming fees. In this website/report, Spotify explain how they operate. Interesting read if you’re into the mechanics of the music business.