Live streaming platform owned by Amazon twitch It has reached what it calls “first-of-its-kind” agreements with multiple rights holders to allow DJs to legally play music during live broadcasts on the platform.
Twitch has reached deals with three major music companies through Merlin, including Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Sony Music, and a number of independent record labels.
According to Twitch, the number of DJs streaming through the service has more than quadrupled since the start of 2020 and “more than 15,000 Some of them have been able to build and monetize communities of music fans on Twitch.”
Twitch said the new program, launching later this year, will also create promotional opportunities both inside and outside Twitch, including a presence on the Twitch homepage and exclusive sponsorship opportunities for DJs.
“We’re proud to be the first major service to provide DJs with a safe, permanent home, and we’re excited to now promote and support these creators as they build on our service and beyond,” said Dan, CEO of Twitch. Community.
Commenting on the news, Michael Nash, executive vice president and chief digital officer of Universal Music Group, said: “Expanding opportunities for artists to reach fans and connect with new audiences through licensing and innovative services like Twitch is integral to continued growth. a part of.
“We’re excited that music from UMG’s catalog is now licensed and legal for DJs to stream and mix on Twitch.”
Michael Nash, Universal Music Group
“This unique engagement platform.”
Twitch says a percentage of the revenue generated by a DJ’s livestream will be paid to the artist and record label of the music being played “to help pay for music royalties,” and Twitch says it will share the cost with the DJs on the show.
According to Twitch, the fee will be split 50/50 for most DJs.
For existing DJs on Twitch, a one-year subsidy will be provided to help make up the difference in revenue paid to record labels and their artists, the platform said.
DJs who haven’t made a profit yet don’t have to pay any fees.
Twitch said on Thursday (June 6) that the agreement for its new DJ show only applies to users who live as DJs and does not apply to other uses of music on its platform, such as VOD, Clips and Highlights.
MBW asked Twitch CEO Dan Clancy how close we are to seeing the platform reach agreements with rights holders to use music on its platform outside of DJ live streams.
“I’d love to have it, but there are all kinds of complexities around rights,” he told us. “Twitch’s core platform is live. 90% of on-demand playback [on Twitch] It’s within the first 24 hours. This is actually an experience of catching up.
“It’s more complicated because they’re different rights and it’s not Twitch’s core platform. [rightsholders] Already have other distribution sites [music]. So really, I don’t know if we’ve ever been…our focus, our strength is live streaming.
“This is a huge deal.”
DJ Jazzy Jeff
Today’s news marks the latest chapter in Twitch’s relationship with the music industry.
In January 2022, Universal Music Group (UMG) expanded its agreements with Amazon Music and Twitch.
In September 2021, news broke that Twitch and Warner Music Group (WMG) had entered into what the companies described at the time as an “unprecedented” partnership, marking the platform’s first partnership with a major record label.
In February 2022, Twitch also reached an agreement with the independent record company Merlin to “create revenue-generating opportunities for Merlin members and their artists.”
Twitch also reached an agreement with the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) in September 2021, and according to a statement at the time, the two parties will “work together to build productive partnerships between the service and music publishers” ”.
The agreement between the NMPA and Twitch comes two months after Twitch said it was “disappointed” in the music publishing industry after being hit with 1,000 copyright infringement claims.
The Platform is legally required to comply with Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown requests filed by rights holders (such as record labels) or entities acting on behalf of rights holders (such as the RIAA) in order to be protected by the U.S. safe harbor laws and is not responsible for infringing content generated by users on the platform.
“It is vital that DJs understand that the current state of Twitch is unsustainable and that any viable future for the community requires us to find solutions.”
danclancy, twitch
“When playing pre-recorded music online, there are various regional copyright issues to consider,” Twitch CEO Dan Clancy said in a blog post on Thursday.
“DJs have been streaming on Twitch for some time, but they are personally responsible for the challenges of addressing these issues and the risks of not doing so. Twitch has been able to mitigate these risks in ongoing negotiations with music companies, who Be willing to maintain the status quo during our discussions.
He added: “It is vital that DJs understand that the current situation on Twitch is unsustainable and that any viable future for the community requires that we find solutions.
“We have 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 risk receiving DMCA notices and copyright penalties. This may limit their ability to stream on Twitch.
He also said DJs will need to opt into a new deal that will apply to all streamers on their channels.
Record producer, DJ and famous Twitch streamer Jazzy Jeff said in an interview with MBW: “This is a huge deal. When you really sit down and think about it, most of the time, what DJs have been doing [has] Although illegal, it is necessary. DJs are the messengers of music.
“So, the day that Twitch made the deal… I never thought I’d see this day come. I have to tip my hat to Dan and the Twitch team for putting this all together.
Elsewhere, Twitch launched a creator tool called Soundtrack by Twitch in September 2020, through partnerships with labels and publishers including UnitedMasters, DistroKid, CDBaby, Anjunabeats, SoundCloud, EMPIRE, Future Classic and more , providing clear copyright music for live broadcasts.
According to SoundTrack’s landing page, the service is no longer available.
A message on the website states: “The soundtrack is no longer available. Every great song has an ending. Unfortunately, the soundtrack’s time has come and its decks have been closed. We have decided to shut down Soundtrack and focus on A better way to support our music community and all the streamers on Twitch.
Last July, Los Angeles-based B2B music licensing company Songtradr formed a partnership with Twitch to bring Songtradr’s music service Pretzel to Twitch streamers, providing what it calls a “treasury of licensed music to enhance their streaming experience.”
