Soptify has defended itself by pointing to the money it has paid out to music rightsholders – $500m by the end of 2012, with another $500m expected this year. And while that doesn’t answer Yorke’s specific criticism about major labels, Spotify has been praised by companies in the independent music world too. In January, Beggars Group chairman Martin Mills said that 22% of his label group’s digital revenues had come from streaming in 2012. Meanwhile, independent labels’ trade body Merlin – which like the major labels has a stake in Spotify – said in May that a third of its members had seen streaming revenues more than double in the last year.