Spotify, the Swedish-owned online streaming service, has been deemed by many as a potential savior for an ailing music industry. This week, though, the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (Basca) publicly slammed the company, claiming that the ultimate payoff for artists is minimal, and that Spotify should be more transparent about how it coordinates financial deals with record companies or publishers. According to the Guardian, Lady Gaga made just $167 from Spotify playing her song 'Poker Face' for five months. As Basca chairman Patrick Rackow says, "At the moment, the amounts of money that are actually being received are tiny. That might be because there is no money there. But there is no clear trail that can be established so that the songwriter can trace back what they ought to have got. These things are behind a blanket of secrecy, and that is extremely worrying." Spotify, for its part, did not comment on Basca's claims, but did insist that as Spotify's membership increases, ad revenue will increase, and artists will begin seeing more of that money.
