There is trouble at Twitch over copyright violations. Twitch is now advising streamers to carefully read the terms of use for each game and to turn off the music. Especially now, with Cyberpunk 2077 approaching, this is a hot topic.
This is the problem at Twitch right now: Since May 2020, Twitch has come under the spotlight of the music industry: Rights holders are now sending “thousands of copyright complaints every week” to the platform. Twitch has to delete clips that use copyrighted material. Previously, there were only about 50 such complaints a year (via blog.twitch).
Twitch is now passing the pressure from the music industry onto the streamers: They should stop using protected music and delete clips and videos that commit copyright violations.
Twitch says: They have to be strict to comply with regulations. However, Twitch admits that it has been “confusing and frustrating” for streamers because of poor communication.
Twitch had to act quickly and delete. As a result, several streamers were warned and even banned.
Twitch needs time for a “good solution”
In the future, Twitch wants to provide streamers with better tools to tackle the problem. Twitch says they are also working on further solutions, but that all takes time. Until then, a temporary solution is needed.
Therefore, Twitch urges streamers to
- address copyright issues
- refrain from using music for which they do not have a license
- and delete videos that violate such requirements.
Twitch makes it pretty clear: Definitely turn off the background music and ideally mute all music in a game to avoid trouble.
For FIFA 21, EA quickly reacted and offered a “Streamer Mode” in a new update: The mode has “turned off all music.”
What about Cyberpunk 2077? Twitch says: Best to turn off the music
This is the new advice: On November 11, a user’s question about in-game music in games when streaming on Twitch caused a stir.
The user asks: Soon the “biggest game ever” is coming – how can one be sure that nothing happens? Apparently, “the biggest game” refers to Cyberpunk 2077, which has been postponed to December 10. The game from CD Projekt Red is considered a candidate for “Game of the Year 2020” and is awaited as eagerly as Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018.
Fans expect a strong story with Cyberpunk 2077. For many streamers, it is important that in-game music runs in the background to contribute to the atmosphere. But they do not want to risk copyright violations, which in the worst case could lead to a ban and loss of their Twitch channel.
Twitch also recommends in this specific case:
- The user should read the EULA carefully
- use every option to turn off and mute music in the game – either mute everything or turn off the music
This is how users react: This causes some frustration. One streamer says it is a “terrible solution to the problem”. Streamers are not copyright experts – Twitch is. They should take care of it, not individual streamers.
Other users accuse Twitch of being too stingy. They could make an effort to acquire licenses, but that would cost “real money.”
No one can give streamers a guarantee right now – not even CD Projekt Red
This is what Cyberpunk 2077 says: CD Projekt Red was also asked about this: Is CD Projekt Red planning a “Streamer Mode” for Cyberpunk 2077 to mute copyrighted music? asks DansGaming, a well-known streamer.
The developers say: They will reveal more details soon. However, all songs in the soundtrack have been created from scratch, including tracks from artists. All music in Cyberpunk 2077 has been specifically recorded for the game.
They hope this will ease and smooth the situation a bit.
This is what it’s about: The responses from Twitch support and CD Projekt Red show the problem that streamers are currently facing.
No one can really guarantee whether copyright complaints will come or not. No one wants to take responsibility for it. Ultimately, the responsibility rests solely with the streamers, who risk copyright complaints and thus warnings from Twitch, up to the banning of their channels.
This uncertainty creates a tense atmosphere on Twitch. When Cyberpunk 2077 is released and streamed on Twitch, it will likely happen in many streams without sound.
No one wants to take the risk.
At the moment, the complaints from Twitch streamers about how complicated copyright complaints make everything are being heard the most. The music industry has explained in an open letter how difficult the situation has become for artists during the Corona pandemic.
Therefore, they are reliant on participating in the economic success of a growing platform like Twitch:
The music industry writes Twitch a nasty letter: A matter of life and death.
