The problem isn’t as simple as “Spotify Bad”, you’re right.

It’s that the default contracts for artists are outdated, written for the world of cd and record sales. In the new world of streaming, artists need to bargain for greater rights to streaming proceeds in their contacts - and they’re working on it, but god knows the publishers don’t want to give anything up.

Spotify as a company barely makes money; I’ve heard they’re actually in the red. The villains are the labels, and Spotify and other streaming services are the weapon they are using to rip off their artists.