Streamers playing licensed music on Twitch has recently become a contentious issue, and now Twitch has struck a new deal with the National Music Publisher’s Association (NMPA) that includes new warnings for streamers. The NMPA keeps a close eye on the use of licensed music on Twitch, and as it has taken steps to crack down on this use, Twitch has had to institute new policies to keep in compliance. This has affected streamers on the platform in a variety of ways, and this new deal slightly changes the situation even further.

Twitch has had to make some strong moves in order to comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), including banning streamers over DMCA claims. In the past, streamers were often warned about copyright claims against their videos and given the option to dispute these claims. However, late last year, facing increasing pressure from the music industry, Twitch eschewed this strategy in favor of simply deleting videos cited in copyright claims and warning streamers that it was up to them to learn copyright law and adjust their streams and videos accordingly. This puts the onus more on streamers to fix this issue than on Twitch, which, while better for the company, can make things a little more difficult for those who use the platform.

As it tries to balance appeasing the music industry and helping streamers manage DMCA claims, the Washington Post reports that Twitch has struck a new deal with the NMPA that includes sending warnings to streamers before it suspends them or punishes them further. This is slightly different from before when DMCA claims against a streamer were likely to result in consequences first and warnings afterward. The new policy uses the term “going-forward flagrant uses of music” to explain what will result in further penalties, and gives examples of broadcasting concerts or streaming prerelease tracks. These are useful, but there isn’t another clarification given as to what else may result in strong action.


Of course, the main question on the minds of streamers everywhere is how this affects them. DMCA claims are wide-ranging, and some have even been leveled at clips Twitch streamers have uploaded of themselves. Under this new policy, little seems to have changed for streamers. Their content will still be removed when DMCA claims are made. Now they will be given warnings before further steps are taken, and if they continue these “flagrant” uses of licensed music in their stream, Twitch will take further action. This is a definite change from when Twitch used to simply alert streamers of DMCA claims and give them options of how to dispute the claims.

While this is likely more appealing to the music industry, streamers may not take it well. The tension between Twitch streamers and the music industry is forcing Twitch to come up with new policies on the fly as the NMPA demands more action from the company. It remains to be seen how the rules will change going forward. This is an issue not easily solved, and the discussion continues.