To say it has been a challenging year for Twitch is quite an understatement. Since May of 2020, the popular video-streaming site has been slammed with DMCA notifications for copyrighted music. Many dedicated Twitch users have been forced to delete decades-worth of content in a matter of days.

On November 11, 2020, Twitch addressed this issue head-on with an official blog post. In addition to apologizing for its lack of preparedness, the company charted a potential path forward to help creators stay within the law when making Clips or VODs.

According to Twitch, it was rare for the company to receive over 50 DMCA violations annually. Therefore, it was quite surprising that at the start of May 2020 the site faced a deluge of DMCA notifications on content creators’ Clips.

To appease DMCA laws, Twitch made the tough decision to delete many of the videos that were singled out. The company also forbade content creators from archiving any videos or leveling counterclaims. Executives said they were sorry they didn’t have a better program to address these DMCA concerns.

Looking ahead, Twitch says it’s developing new technologies to help creators pinpoint potential copyright violations. There’s also a new service called “Soundtrack” that could help Twitch users get rid of copyrighted material from live streams before sending them into their archives.

Twitch is also investing heavily in educating users on the proper use of music on its platform. For instance, the company recently created a page called “Copyright and Your Channel” to address Twitch users’ concerns.

However, since DMCA notices continue to pour into Twitch, the company strongly encourages users to be proactive about their music selection. To avoid future legal issues, Twitch advises all creators to avoid playing copyrighted music on live streams.

For more detailed info on Twitch’s response to these DMCA notifications, you can read the company’s official blog on this page.

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