The Twitch DJ Program, which attempts to fix some of the issues created by live streamers using copyrighted music on the platform, was officially launched on August 1.
According to its announcement blog, Twitch is partnering with “Universal, Warner, Sony, and hundreds of independent labels” to create a system that allows disc jockeys the opportunity to spin their favorite beats without fear of account deletion.
But even in the program’s infancy, DJs and streamers have already started to question some of its lop-sided rules, messaging, and rollout.
If you join the Twitch DJ Program, you’ll have access to a catalog of millions of tracks that Twitch has collected for you. You’ll be able to play those songs on your channel and mix them as you please. Using songs that are not on the pre-approved list may “be subject to DMCA penalties and enforcement actions,” according to the Help page.
Any creator can sign up for the Twitch DJ Program. All they need to do is opt into it on their dashboard. But Twitch does not recommend everyone join the program, since it imposes quite a lot of limitations on your account.
For example, Twitch will “set aside a portion of earnings” your channel generates to pay musicians whose work is used. However, it’s unclear how much that share will be. The platform says that it will split the cost of paying musicians 50/50 with streamers, according to the Help page, but says it cannot disclose “exact rates.”
“While we are prohibited from sharing the exact rates upfront, our subsidy program will make sure that these costs come in gradually over time,” Twitch wrote on its Help page. “It’s crucial that DJs understand the status quo on Twitch was not sustainable, and that any viable future for the community required we find a solution that recognized the contributions of musicians.”
In addition, DJs will also not be allowed to have Clips, VODs, Highlights, or upload non-live-streamed videos onto their channels. The program’s Terms also share that those in the program can’t show music videos, concerts, and the setlist they’ll use beforehand. Lastly, you also can’t play the entirety of an album or have branded content outside of “product placement.”
Since creators must give up part of their revenue and their ability to store content to use the program, it’s clear that it is only useful for a very niche group of DJs.
Yet, despite this, some creators on social media have claimed that Twitch is pushing notifications to streamers on their Creator Dashboard to sign up for the program. (Passionfruit was unable to independently verify the claim.)
The ad does not list any of the negatives of the program. It only shares that you can “legally stream the majority of popular music.”
“Please be aware you lose clips, VODs, and a portion of your revenue! It’s not just free promo and the right to stream music,” Twitch reporter Zach Bussey tweeted.
“DO NOT SIGN UP FOR TWITCH’S DJ PROGRAM,” added V-Tuber CuppyCakiee.
The music industry has been on a crusade against creators who use their artists’ songs without paying them. Twitch streamers have had to deal with DMCA claims from large music conglomerates, taking down their content and sometimes even their whole channel.
But Twitch has been trying to make deals to limit the friction between the platform and the music industry. In 2021, Twitch marked a deal with Warner Music Group, which created channels for some of their artists. It also made a deal with the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA). The NMPA said at the time it wanted to “work together to build productive partnerships between the service and music publishers.” (Although, it’s unclear if anything came to fruition.)
Playing your favorite Drake song on Twitch is still a risky move. Considering all these restrictions, this DJ Program does very little to move the needle. Giving away so many of your rights and ways to make money just to give a few extra pennies to Universal Music Group feels like an overall loss for the creator.
Further reading:
- Twitch DJs Will Have to Start Paying Record Labels
- Bleeding Red: Twitch’s Viewership Declines as Ads Plague the Platform
- Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Making Money on Twitch
- What Are The Best Games To Stream On Twitch When You’re Building A Following?
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