Twitch has reportedly inked a new deal with all of the major record labels and launched a new DJ program. As part of the deal, DJs will be able to monetize their streams as they play music. In return, a portion of the earnings generated by DJ channels will be split with the musicians and the record labels that represent them. Twitch says it will be covering the costs for DJs who aren’t yet monetizing and “most streamers” who do monetize their music-heavy streams will be asked to split the cost 50/50 with Twitch. However, the company says it will “absorb more of the cost” more often.
“It’s crucial that DJs understand the status quo on Twitch was not sustainable, and any viable future for the community required we find a solution. We’ve worked with music partners over the past few years to develop this program,” a blog post from Twitch reads.
“Without it, those who stream DJ content on Twitch without the necessary rights do so at the risk of receiving DMCA notifications and copyright penalties which could restrict their ability to stream on Twitch.”
The newly-launched DJ program will only be available for DJs. Music used in other streams will not be supported by the new deal. As a result, the company is encouraging those who only stream DJ content part-time to make “a second standalone channel dedicated to DJ live-streaming.”
“We are announcing this now to give DJs a heads up about what is coming. When we launch later this summer, DJs will be able to opt-in to the program without any immediate impact to their revenue. A few weeks later, we’ll be celebrating the launch of a DJ Category,” the blog post continues.
“We strongly encourage DJs to read through the specifics of the program on this page, so you know what to expect moving forward.”
? Attention DJs on Twitch! ?
We're launching a new DJ Program that will let you stream the vast majority of popular music in a new DJ Category launching later this summer.
? Made possible by a first-of-its-kind partnership with hundreds of companies, including all major… pic.twitter.com/qblcnS7BTR
— Twitch (@Twitch) June 6, 2024
