Licensing to commercials, TV, and movies I’d guess. A single major licensing deal can be worth a lot. It’s definitely not based on spotify streaming revenue.
It’s not like Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, etc. haven’t already extensively licensed their recordings for commercial use like that. They have never had an particularly precious attitude towards their music that it could only be used for “worthy” purposes.
The main difference is that now they (or their heirs) no longer are responsible for managing and promoting that licensing business.
I understand why some artists want to exercise a lot of control over who licenses their music but I also see the argument that if you are a musician and an artist, maybe what you want is for more people to hear, use, and enjoy your music. Another way to do that would be to put the recordings in the public domain, but there is also no reason Disney, Ford, and Netflix should get a free ride.
