Marc Mysterio takes legal action against Amazon Music over alleged shadow-ban
Marc Mysterio, a globally recognized Irish-Canadian artist, is fighting back against Amazon Music and DistroKid in a legal battle that is quickly gaining attention across the music industry. At the heart of this lawsuit is the claim that Amazon Music intentionally used a shadow-ban mechanism to block his music from reaching his audience. This tactic, identified as the IF/THEN protocol, could have significant implications for how streaming platforms manage artist visibility and chart rankings.
The Shadow-Ban and the IF/THEN Protocol
Mysterio’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on February 27, 2025, alleges that Amazon Music used the IF/THEN protocol to shadow-ban his tracks. This method essentially tells the system, “If it’s Marc’s music, then mark it with a dash, making it artist-less.” As a result, his tracks were excluded from key features like related artist connections, Amazon Stations, and AI-generated playlists, directly affecting his ability to engage with his 1.25 million fans.
The impact was immediate: starting September 10, 2024, Marc Mysterio’s music was effectively silenced. Despite being one of Amazon Music’s top global artists, with over 80 million streams from September 2023 to August 2024, Mysterio’s streams began to plummet after the alleged shadow-ban.
What’s at Stake?
The shadow-ban has significant consequences, not just for Mysterio but for the integrity of the music charts. Mysterio’s songs were ranking on the Billboard Hot Dance and Electronic Songs Chart, and the shadow-ban disrupted this by preventing his tracks from appearing on Amazon’s streaming platform, which is a key component in chart calculations.
Moreover, Mysterio claims that Amazon’s actions could affect the credibility of independent charts like Billboard and the UK Official Charts. By manipulating data, Amazon has the power to skew artist rankings, causing harm not just to Mysterio but to the broader music community.
A 3-Part YouTube Series Exposes the Shadow-Ban
To support his claims, Marc Mysterio released a 3-part YouTube series, detailing his experience with Amazon Music’s shadow-ban. The first video, released on March 19, 2025, highlights errors in streaming data across his profile. The second video contrasts Mysterio’s station with that of Neon Tom, an artist with no Amazon followers, revealing the stark differences in how Amazon promotes various artists.
The third video provides concrete evidence of the damages caused by the ban, showing how Mysterio’s station saw 225,463 streams, while Taylor Swift’s station, playing his songs, had over 3.6 million streams, all of which were reduced to zero in late September 2024.
The Legal Strategy and Next Steps
Mysterio’s legal team, headed by attorney Michael H. Joseph, is now focusing on preserving evidence crucial to the case. They are targeting 17 key evidence categories, including metadata logs, algorithm traces, and station logs, which will help prove the shadow-ban’s scope and Amazon’s intent. The team is aiming to secure punitive damages as well, as Amazon’s partial efforts to reverse the ban—such as restoring Mysterio’s “Related Artists” section—were insufficient and failed to address the core issue.
The Fight for Artist Rights
Mysterio’s case is more than just a legal battle over money; it’s about ensuring fairness and transparency in the music industry. He has been a loyal Amazon exclusive artist, pulling his catalog from platforms like Spotify and Apple. The shadow-ban is seen as a betrayal, one that could happen to any artist, regardless of their global success or contributions to the community.
Marc Mysterio’s fight against Amazon Music is not just about him—it’s about ensuring that artists’ rights are protected in the digital age, where streaming platforms have immense power over an artist’s visibility and success.
As the lawsuit progresses, the music industry and artists alike will be watching closely to see how this case unfolds. If Mysterio wins, it could set a precedent for how streaming platforms handle artist visibility, chart rankings, and transparency. His story is a reminder of the power that digital platforms hold over creators and the need for greater accountability in the music streaming world.
For more details on Marc Mysterio’s legal battle and to watch his YouTube series, visit www.alexaemail.com.
