Livestreaming To Go Legal On Twitch With New DJ Program

DJs who do, or who want to, livestream on (by far) the most popular DJ livestreaming platform – Twitch – will soon be able to play legally on the platform, thanks to Twitch’s just-announced partnerships with hundreds of music companies, including all of the major labels.

What does this mean for livestreamers?

Twitch says that DJs who do not monetise their streams will see no real change, other than being able to do so knowing there will be no legal repercussions to what they’re doing. For DJs who monetise their streams, though, the less good news is that a currently undisclosed portion of streamer revenues will now go to the record labels (note: Not 50% of total revenues, which is how we read this initially – although it is still unclear what this final amount will be).

We have been told that this does not affect recording of livestreams, which will still be subject to mutes etc on channel if they contain copyrighted material, as the new agreement is only for livestreaming.

In their official announcement today, Twitch’s CEO Dan Clancey said: “It’s crucial that DJs understand the status quo on Twitch was not sustainable, and any viable future for the community required we find a solution. We’ve worked with music partners over the past few years to develop this program.

“Without it, those who stream DJ content on Twitch without the necessary rights do so at the risk of receiving DMCA notifications and copyright penalties which could restrict their ability to stream on Twitch.”

Learn to livestream your sets like a pro: DJ Livestreaming Made Easy

What, you need a dedicated DJ channel?

In another development, DJs will need to use dedicated channels for livestreaming sets. Clancey again: “DJs will need to opt-in to a new agreement that will apply to all streaming on their channel. For those who only stream DJ content part-time, we recommend creating a second standalone channel dedicated to DJ live-streaming.”

The changes will start to happen later this summer, but for now, you can get more info on the Twitch DJ Program website.