Twitch’s DMCA rules are completely ruining IRL streams

Twitch has been under fire for weeks now as more and more streamers fall victim to DMCA takedowns, resulting in suspensions from the platform. Now, things have gotten so ridiculous that even IRL streams are being ruined because streamers are afraid to broadcast.

According to Twitch, the recent DMCA controversy began after the platform was spammed by DMCA notifications from representatives for major record labels.

While Twitch advised streamers to stop playing licensed music while broadcasting, they even went as far as to suggest muting gameplay if music is being played.

With all these warnings and cause for concern, IRL streamers are feeling the heat, too. In fact, some broadcasts are being ruined because they’re afraid of getting hit by DMCA strikes if music plays in the background.

During a November 16 broadcast, Twitch star ‘Nmplol’ was shopping at a Whole Foods, but had an epiphany before he could even buy anything.

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“Oh my God,” he realized. “There’s music in the ceiling.”

Malena chimed in and started wondering if this meant they had to leave the building. “I think we do!”

“Is there always music in grocery stores?” she pondered. “The more we stand here the worse it’s going to get.”

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Eventually, the two ended up leaving the store and putting the stream on pause. Once outside, Nmplol dug into the issues with streaming now.

“It might be GGs with the music,” he sighed. “Unless we go like outside hiking or something. But when it comes to going any place, I say we wait a couple months until this DMCA sh*t gets resolved or something changes, really.”

As Malena even referenced, IRL streams are just as vulnerable as traditional broadcasts when it comes to DMCA takedowns.

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Notably, Jake ‘Jake’n’Bake’ Abramson was in danger of losing his channel because a Kanye West song played when he “passed by a shop, or was in a place that was playing the song in the background.”

Hopefully, Twitch can get these issues revolved and work out some sort of an agreement so that IRL streams can go back to the way they were before the DMCA madness.