Twitch is a popular livestreaming platform primarily focused on video games and esports. The platform’s VOD feature automatically saves past broadcasts for a temporary period—14 days for regular users and 60 days for Twitch Partners, Turbo, or Prime users. But what if you want to keep these videos permanently? This post will introduce the best ways to Save Twitch streams effortlessly.
VODs
The VOD feature on Twitch allows streamers to archive their streams and allow viewers to watch them for a certain period of time. This can be useful for those who want to revisit a specific moment in the stream or catch up on previous broadcasts.
You can enable VODs in your account settings by going to the Creator Dashboard and then the Content section. You can then switch on the option “Store Past Broadcasts.” Typically, these are saved for 14 days for regular users, while those who are Twitch Partners, Turbo Subscribers, or Amazon Prime members have up to 60 days of access.
Using VODs is easy and straightforward for creators who want to preserve their content. However, it may be difficult for viewers who need more advanced tools to save other streamers’ videos. Thankfully, third-party applications such as Twitch Leecher can make the process easier. This app enables you to download videos as MP4 files and gives you greater control over your file’s name, size, and resolution.
Highlights
Whether it’s a match-winning headshot or a perfectly timed chat-activated fart noise, highlights are incredible moments that you want to keep forever. But, after the stream ends, it’s easy for those magical memories to fade away.
Fortunately, Twitch allows you to save highlights as VODs or turn them into Highlights so they never expire. To do so, log into your account and click your profile icon in the top-right corner of the screen. Then, click the Creator Dashboard button and select Content from the menu that appears.
This will take you to your Content page, where you’ll find both your VODs and Highlights. To download a highlight, simply click the three-stacked dots to the right of it and select Download. It may take a while for the video to process, depending on its size.
Backups
Whether you’re streaming to showcase your skills or simply to engage with fans, having a reliable system that automatically records live sessions is important. It ensures your VODs are saved immediately, without interrupting gameplay, and provides you with a backup to review or share with viewers at any time.
Fortunately, Twitch has a few ways to help you save your broadcasts as VODs or Highlights. The easiest option is to enable the “Store Past Broadcasts” setting in your stream settings, which will save your streams as VODs for 14 days (for non-Partners) or 60 days (for Partners, Turbo, and Prime users).
You can also create Highlights to keep a specific part of your stream alive. These are available in the Content section of your Creator Dashboard, and they’ll stay visible for as long as you want them to. You can edit them to trim out unnecessary parts and focus on the most engaging moments, then click Publish Highlight to save them forever on your channel.
Organizing
Streamers use Twitch to entertain their viewers by playing video games and engaging with the community via live chat. It is also a popular platform for streaming non-gaming content, such as cooking, makeup tutorials and music performances.
Twitch offers a range of parental controls to protect kids. These include CCLs (content-categorization lists) that filter out streams with inappropriate content. These include streams labeled with Sexual Themes, Drugs, Intoxication or Excessive Tobacco Use; Violent and Graphic Depictions; and Gambling. Streamers can also enable Shield Mode to prevent harassment and abuse by blocking messages or “Whispers” from strangers in their stream.
Embedding Twitch streams on WordPress websites is easy with plugins such as EmbedPress. These plugins let users set streaming start times, color schemes and chat visibility, among other settings. They also support mute options and fullscreen buttons. Some even offer an auto-upload feature to ensure that your website always displays the most recent video. This saves you time and effort.