Twitch streamers have been encountering issues with copyright music claims as a result of playing copyrighted music in their streams without obtaining the proper licenses. This results in the streamer’s content being taken down and facing potential legal consequences. The use of copyrighted music in Twitch streams is subject to the same laws and regulations as its use in other media, such as film and television.
Music copyright law grants the owner of a musical composition exclusive rights to control the use of their work, including the right to control its public performance. In order to play copyrighted music in a Twitch stream, the streamer must obtain a license from the owner of the composition, typically through a performing rights organization such as ASCAP or BMI.
Music streaming services like Spotify and YouTube have agreements in place with these organizations to legally play music on their platforms, but Twitch streamers must independently obtain the necessary licenses. Many streamers are unaware of this requirement and play copyrighted music without obtaining the proper licenses, leading to copyright claims against their content.
In order to avoid copyright claims, Twitch streamers can utilize music that is in the public domain or licensed under a creative commons license, which allows for its use without the need for a separate license. They can also use music produced specifically for Twitch or other gaming platforms, as well as music tracks created by independent artists who have granted permission for their work to be used in Twitch streams.
Twitch has taken steps to address the issue of copyright music claims by implementing audio recognition technology to detect copyrighted music in streams and automatically mute or block the infringing content. However, this technology is not foolproof and some streamers may still be at risk of facing copyright claims even if they take steps to avoid using infringing music.
In conclusion, Twitch streamers are encountering copyright music claims because they are playing copyrighted music in their streams without obtaining the proper licenses. The use of copyrighted music in Twitch streams is subject to the same laws and regulations as other forms of media and requires streamers to obtain the necessary licenses. To avoid these issues, streamers can utilize music that is in the public domain or licensed under a creative commons license, or use music specifically produced for gaming platforms.
