Artist Files Federal Complaint Against Spotify Alleging Systemic Metadata Failures and Misrouting

Recording artist and attorney Mark M. Kratter has filed a motion to amend a federal lawsuit against Spotify, alleging widespread systemic failures within the platform's ingestion and routing infrastructure. The proposed Third Amended Complaint introduces new claims under the Lanham Act, specifically citing phantom identities, metadata errors, and impossible reporting metrics that allegedly divert earnings away from independent creators. The legal action, currently pending in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, seeks to address long-standing grievances regarding how independent music is tracked, attributed, and monetized.

The updated complaint highlights critical issues, including alleged stream suppression and the creation of phantom identities that fragment artist catalogs. Kratter argues that these technical inconsistencies result in the misrouting of listener traffic and the improper attribution of earnings. By expanding the case to include counts of false designation of origin and false advertising, the litigation aims to hold the streaming giant accountable for platform-level conduct that negatively impacts the visibility and revenue of independent musicians across the industry.

Beyond individual grievances, the filing draws attention to broader industry concerns, such as the controversial 1,000-stream threshold that excludes a vast majority of creators from royalty payouts. Kratter emphasizes that these systemic challenges pose a significant threat to the financial viability of independent small businesses in the music industry. The legal team is currently inviting other affected artists to provide documentation, underscoring a broader push for transparency and equitable treatment within the digital streaming ecosystem.