Twitch has unveiled its Soundtrack By Twitch (Beta) tool, which will allow the platform’s creators to feature licensed music from the independent sector within their streams.
Twitch has been criticised for not paying royalties. The latest move allowing users to “stream worry free” will be seen as an attempt to placate artists, songwriters, publishers and labels.
Independent label and distribution partners at launch include SoundCloud, Distrokid, CD Baby, Empire, UnitedMasters and Nuclear Blast, as well as artists such as Mxmtoon, Above & Beyond and Porter Robinson. Soundtrack will initially have more than a million tracks available from over 30 indie labels and distributors. The majors have not yet licensed the platform.
In a blog post, Twitch said: “We know how important music is to your creative process, and have heard how frustrating it is to understand and navigate the complex and evolving music ecosystem. Soundtrack gives you access to a curated collection of rights-cleared music and integrates with your streaming software to separate your audio sources, allowing you to keep your channel safe while you create compelling content and grow as a creator.”
Soundtrack, which rolls out over the next few weeks, gives creators the opportunity to access regularly updated playlists, which include a set list of curated tracks, or select a station with a larger set of rotating tracks from specific genres.
Playlists and stations are managed by Twitch music curation staff, as well as select streamers and industry partners. The curation team will be expanding the content offering with new playlists and stations regularly.
Gaming and music drive today’s culture and Soundtrack is the next essential step to support this thriving community
Ghazi Shami
"Gaming and music drive today’s culture and Soundtrack is the next essential step to support this thriving community," said Ghazi Shami, CEO and founder of Empire.
“This launch from Twitch is a game-changer for independent artists everywhere," said Steve Stoute, founder & CEO of UnitedMasters.
“We Believe that Twitch is a companion platform to SoundCloud in that we are both passionate about helping creators make a living through their audiences online, on their own terms,” said Jeff Ponchick VP, head of repost at SoundCloud. “We are excited to partner with such a like-minded platform in an effort to build towards a uniform goal of creator empowerment.”
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