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Twitch has reached a deal with the National Music Publishers’ Association, promising a more flexible approach to the use of copyrighted music in the future (via Kotaku).
Music publishers will now be offered a “offered an opt-in deal allowing for future collaborations.” As explained in an email to streamers, this deal will allow for a process that is “more flexible and forgiving to creators who inadvertently or incidentally use music in their streams than the existing process required under the DMCA and similar global laws.”
Essentially, if a streamer accidentally uses copyrighted music during their stream, they will have the opportunity to “course correct,” with Twitch issuing a warning before content is removed.
“At a high level, this new process, which is distinct from the DMCA, focuses on going forward flagrant uses of music and starts with a warning instead of penalties,” said Twitch. “This new process does not change how music can be used on Twitch. As we’ve said consistently, it’s never okay to include music in your channel unless you’ve secured the necessary rights or have the authority to do so — doing so violates the rights of music creators and runs counter to Twitch’s mission of supporting all creators. But we recognize that not all unauthorized uses of music merit the same treatment, and it is our hope that we can, as part of our agreements with music rights holders, take a balanced approach that supports creators on Twitch.”
“Both NMPA and Twitch are creator-focused and our respective communities will greatly benefit from this agreement,” added NMPA president & CEO David Israelite, “which respects the rights of songwriters and paves the way for future relationships between our publisher members, songwriters and the service. Through our discussions, Twitch has shown a commitment to valuing musicians and to creating new ways to connect them with fans in this burgeoning and exciting space.”
