Twitch will now let its creators simultaneously stream across any live streaming service, the company announced on Friday as part of a big batch of news from TwitchCon. Previously, streamers could simulcast on mobile platforms like TikTok and Instagram, but as of Friday, Twitch is significantly broadening where streamers can simultaneously go live. (Well, assuming the streamers don’t have a Twitch exclusivity agreement in place.)
As of late, some Twitch streamers have been exploring options on other platforms. Big names like xQc, Amouranth, and Nickmercs have signed major deals with Twitch competitor Kick this year; xQc’s and Nickmercs’ deals are non-exclusive, and given that Amouranth has a video on her Twitch account from a couple months ago, it seems hers is non-exclusive, too. Ninja dropped his exclusive contract with Twitch in September 2022 so he could simulcast on multiple platforms. (He dined with Twitch CEO Dan Clancy earlier this month and seems pleased with Friday’s news.)
There are a few guidelines for Twitch’s new simulcasting policy, according to a support document. Streamers will have to make sure the quality of their stream on Twitch is “no less than the experience on other platforms or services.” Streamers “should not” share links to their Twitch community to their simulcasts on other platforms. (Streamers can still share links to third-party websites on their About pages on their channels, they just can’t link out to their other simulcasts while they’re also live on Twitch.) And streamers can’t use third-party services to do things like merge chat across platforms.
At some point in the future, Twitch says it will add a tool so that streamers can indicate that they are simulcasting.
Twitch also announced a big update to its off-service conduct policy. “To further protect our streamers, we’re adding doxxing and swatting to the list of Off-Service Conduct behaviors we will enforce against,” the company says (emphasis Twitch’s), and the changes are in effect as of Friday. The addition of doxxing to the policy follows a recent controversy involving YouTuber Jacksfilms accusing SSSniperWolf of doxxing him in an Instagram story; on Friday, YouTube announced it would be temporarily demonetizing SSSniperWolf’s channel and SSSniperWolf posted an apology on X (formerly Twitter).
Twitch revealed some product changes, too. Guest Star, which lets streamers host co-streams with others, will now be named Stream Together and will be getting features like the ability to merge chats. Twitch says a version of its TikTok-style Discovery Feed that surfaces live channels is in testing. And Twitch’s own alerts system for notifications like subscribers and Bits donations will “soon” support a streamer’s custom animated emotes.
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