In wake of Taylor Swift's Spotify pullout, music industry debates value of streaming services

A debate has been brewing in music industry circles about the financial and creative value of streaming music, even as its popularity and impact skyrocket.

Pop singer Taylor Swift and country star Jason Aldean have removed or limited their music that's available to Spotify's 50 million users for free. They cite concerns about whether the service fairly compensates everyone who makes the music. That message resonates among Nashville artists.

Country songwriter Rodney Clawson called the revenue he gets from streaming services "an absolute joke."

Up-and-coming country singer Chase Rice said while he understands Swift's motivations, he gets valuable exposure to fans through Spotify.

Paul Roper, president of Nashville-based Dualtone Music Group, said the streaming model has yet to reach its full potential, but Spotify is feeling pressure to increase paid subscribers.