The article has all the pieces but doesn't connect that Spotify's incentive is "Discovery Mode":
https://newsroom.spotify.com/2020-11-02/amplifying-artist-in...> artists and labels can identify music that’s a priority for them... it won’t require any upfront budget. Instead, labels or rights holders agree to be paid a promotional recording royalty rate for streams in personalized listening sessions where we provided this service
"Payola" is the term for radio stations secretly charging labels to feature their songs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payola
"Discovery Mode" is the modern structure. Instead of a station's single broadcast, it's many algorithmic playlists. Instead of the publisher paying up front because the radio and retailer are separate businesses, they just accept a lower royalty rate on plays because Spotify plays are the discovery and the sale together. Perhaps these differences and this press release is enough "disclosure" to avoid prosecution, I'm not a lawyer. I wish Spotify's internal legal analysis was public.
But all these gripes come back to: Spotify makes more money from this than when playing albums, curation, personal playlists, etc etc. There isn't a general issue of control or caring, there's a specific, nameable moneymaking "feature".