SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Twitch, the leading video platform for gamers, today announced music.twitch.tv, a library of songs of free-to-use music, cleared for use by Twitch broadcasters for both live content and associated archived video. Twitch is also experimenting with music content creators with its new beta Music category.
The Twitch Music Library already features more than five hundred songs provided by established and burgeoning labels, including Dim Mak, Mad Decent, Spinnin Records, OWSLA, Monstercat, Fools Gold, and many more. Twitch will be continually adding to this library as more music industry partners become part of the system.
To view the full list of labels and songs cleared for use visit the Twitch Music Library. These tracks will not be flagged by the audio recognition system implemented in 2014 to protect audio copyright holders and Twitch broadcasters alike.
“Our community has been vocal about the importance of music for their broadcasts and their love of music in general,” said Colin Carrier, Chief Strategy Officer, Twitch. “By working with both established and upcoming record labels, we are now able to offer music for them to use that is cleared for live broadcasts and archiving.”
Twitch’s other new music initiative allows artists to broadcast their music using the beta Music category. The Music category - which is listed among the hundreds of game titles a broadcaster can designate for a particular stream - is for musicians who are creating, performing and presenting original songs. Certain established labels and artists, with Twitch’s approval, will also have the option to host radio-style listening shows and broadcast large scale events, such as music festivals.
“With our new Music category, artists are able to create and perform music on Twitch, bridging these closely linked entertainment mediums,” adds Carrier. “Because the response to our previous music experiments resonated with our community, it’s clear that artists and labels now have a new outlet to successfully reach their fans.”
The appeal of live music on the platform was illustrated when Los Angeles-based producer/DJ Steve Aoki used a live performance to launch his Twitch channel. The broadcast had more than 400,000 total views and was responsible for almost half the clicks on the pre-order links for Steve's Neon Future album.
"When I performed the live concert on Twitch, the positive response paved the way for more music on the platform," said Steve Aoki. "Since then, the Twitch community has continued to be supportive of my channel, so providing them with content from Dim Mak is our way of giving a little back."
Skrillex’s OWSLA is another label involved with the Twitch Music Library which had success melding live music and gaming on Twitch. Their 2014 holiday party on Twitch featured both gameplay and a live performance from OWSLA artists with Skrillex headlining the show.
Illustrating a different use case for labels to build a successful presence on Twitch is Monstercat. The independent label currently broadcasts a 24-hour Twitch music channel called Monstercat FM which attracts thousands of visitors during its entire cycle.
“We have found huge success with the response to Monstercat FM on Twitch,” said Mike Darlington, CEO & Co-Founder, Monstercat. “Not only do our fans now have 24/7 access to streaming Monstercat music, but Twitch users can tap into the Twitch Music Library to use music approved for both broadcasting and VODs. This has been a proving ground that the music and gaming industries can coexist and thrive on the platform.”
As part of this new music strategy, Twitch has partnered with Beatport, an SFX Entertainment company and the world’s leading online destination for electronic music DJs and producers. The Beatport channel will consist of original programming for the Twitch community, featuring all-access interviews with both established and up-and-coming DJs, live broadcasts from major SFX festivals around the world, and other innovative experiences that will bring best-in-class electronic music and video content to our passionate fanbase.
Artists such as Deadmau5, Steve Aoki, Porter Robinson and many others have turned to Twitch to launch channels where they play games instead of music. With the beta Music category, they are now able to make music a central part of their Twitch presence.
About Twitch
Twitch is the world’s leading live video platform and community for gamers where more than 60 million gather every month to watch and talk about video games with more than 1.5 million broadcasters. Twitch’s video platform is the backbone of both live and on-demand distribution for the entire video game ecosystem. This includes game developers, publishers, media outlets, events, user generated content, and the entire esports scene. In February 2014, Twitch was ranked the 4th largest website in terms of peak internet traffic in the U.S., fortifying the brand as an entertainment industry leader and the epicenter of social video for gamers. For more information visit: www.twitch.tv.
