Marc Mysterio's Attorney: Amazon is ‘playing god with data' Billboard uses for charts

Core Viewpoint - Marc Mysterio is escalating his lawsuit against Amazon Music and DistroKid, alleging that Amazon employed a shadow-ban on his music, significantly impacting his reach and potential earnings [1][2]. Legal Action - The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, claiming damages "in excess of $75,000" and alleging millions in losses due to the shadow-ban [2]. - Mysterio's legal team is preparing to serve a letter of preservation of evidence to Amazon Music, targeting 17 categories of evidence related to the shadow-ban [1][6]. Shadow-Ban Details - The shadow-ban, initiated on September 10, 2024, utilized an "IF/THEN" filter that rendered Mysterio's tracks "artist-less," preventing them from reaching his 1.25 million fans and affecting his visibility on Amazon Music [2][3]. - The ban has implications for chart integrity, particularly affecting Mysterio's standings on the Billboard Hot Dance and Electronic Songs Chart [3][4]. Evidence and YouTube Series - Mysterio's 3-part YouTube series highlights discrepancies in streaming data, showcasing how his music was blocked while other artists' tracks were promoted [5][6]. - The series includes evidence of streaming errors and contrasts Mysterio's station performance with that of other artists, emphasizing the impact of the shadow-ban [5]. Amazon's Response - Amazon partially restored Mysterio's "Related Artists" section but did not remove the shadow-ban, which Mysterio's legal team argues demonstrates intent to cause harm [6][7]. - The legal team claims that Amazon's actions indicate a manipulation of data that undermines the credibility of independent charts [4][7]. Artist Background - Marc Mysterio is a seasoned artist with over 80 million streams from September 2023 to August 2024, and he has collaborated with notable artists [3][8]. - He previously pulled his catalog from competing platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, raising concerns about how Amazon treats its exclusive artists [9].