Twitch, Amazon Music, Audio Fingerprint and DMCA Solution
Recently a lot of streamers have been getting DMCA notices for streams that are 2-3 years old. 50 Cent - In Da Club has been flagged on many channels along with other music from RIAA. This is a problem because streamers are now scared of getting punished or banned off the platform for listening to the music they want to listen to. This is not good for the longevity of the platform if it wants to survive the entertainment industry.
To be brutally honest, Twitch is not good for the music industry at all. If a streamer has 10,000 viewers and is listening to a song it only counts for one single stream/play/view instead of 10,000 which is what the music industry wants. They want to be able to claim more streams and plays on their songs as that's how they make money.
Twitch is owned by Amazon, which also owns Amazon Music. Amazon needs to purchase rights to a larger range of music for their Music platform. Amazon is a TRILLION DOLLAR market cap company so I think they have more than enough funds to be able to purchase some streaming rights to more songs.
With a wider range of music to play on the Music app, Twitch could implement Amazon Music within a broadcast and can then count viewers towards streams for the Music played.
This will only work if the streamer is listening to the music through Amazon Music. If they are listening to a copyrighted song that's not on Amazon Music, then they should not broadcast unless they want the possibility of getting a DMCA notice. Amazon and Twitch can only enforce what is within their control.
Another solution would be for Twitch to implement and use other music platforms such as Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Music and their streaming rights for music.
Another solution is to use audio fingerprint matchers like Shazam to identify what music is being played in the background. Then counting the streamers viewers as listeners to whatever song is being played.
Overall, Twitch needs to be able to match the music that's being played in a live stream and count the number of viewers/listeners the streamer has. If they cannot solve this streamers will not be able to broadcast while listening to their favorite music without getting a DMCA.
I do not believe anyone within the past few weeks should have any sort of strike or punishment on their channel for past music DMCA/copyright notices.
MllCZ
shared this idea
29 comments
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AlexOhKay
commented
To avoid penalising streamers for content they might not have control over, try working with spotify etc. and develop an algorithm that generates plays for tracks used, or featured in games on those services, so that everyone can be happy.
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XORCIST_official
commented
Yes, you should be getting notices. You need a SYNCHONIZATION LICENSE to keep VODs - this is nothing new. Twitch doesn't pay for that as it's expensive. What Twitch has (and I checked) is an ASCAP license which allows for livestreaming of DJ/VJing and music in the background with the only caveat that you can't save it in any way, shape or form.
Why DMCA is a thing is bizarre. With the ASCAP license, it shouldn't be.
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monkeyslikebananas
commented
This is it. This is probably the biggest thing Amazon can do with Twitch and Amazon Music. Have everyone on the stream be able to experience synchronized listening via Amazon music. boom no more DMCA. Users who don’t have Amazon music get a secondary channel with no music or free to use music.
Music discovery is completely untapped on Twitch right now.
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Anime__Bae
commented
I know Amazon Just Owns It But I would Assume DMCA will Get to Amazon at some point. But Some how Bring new artists that don't have contracts with big music company's. And put them on a Station or channel on amazon music Or "Twitch Prime music".
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LudaLuke
commented
Why has Twitch not worked with its parent company in the same way they have for Watch Parties, to have Listen Parties, I would love as a broadcaster to be able to use my Prime subscription to Amazon Music and play that music separately and viewers with Prime be able to listen along, this would also make me more likely to purchase Amazon Music Premium to increase the number of songs I and my viewers could listen to, that way music stays off stream but licencesed music can be listened to concurrently.
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Grid21
commented
I am just going to put it to you straight, though I doubt if anyone is going to read my message on the Town Hall today, I realize that at the end of the day, Jeff Bezo' doesn't really care about twitch at all. But ****, Amazon has the money to HELP YOU guys PAY for the licenses for the biggest artists and music record labels. Why aren't you going to Amazon for help? Not to mention, your skirting the rules with soundtrack like you can't be bothered to pay for the licenses for Soundtrack. This makes your whole platform of streamers, WHO HELPED MADE THE PLATFORM, make us feel like numbers to you, and not people. I love this platform, but you guys need some accountability here with the DMCA issues, and just stop being dishonest, handing us bull, and not even working with groups like Pretzel Rock if you can't get Amazon's help. These are my ideas, but also my frustrations which I doubt twitch will ever address at all. FeelsBadMan
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thestfn
commented
I understand that the copyright law is pretty bad, but you can add a lot of functions that will suit the labels. For example, Twitch creates a partnership with Spotify, the streamer listens to music, and in the lower panel under the stream everyone can see which track is currently playing, and in one click you can go to the app and add it to your playlist. For VODs, embed an algorithm like Shazam, as on YouTube, which will detect music so that you can cut it out. With partnership like that it might be possible to give different subscriptions in the form of drops, streamers can create their special playlist that will be easily available, etc.
What is happening now with music on streams is terrible, labels do not lose anything from music on streams anyway, they only get advertising actualy, because when they viewers hear a nice track, half of the chat asks for the name of it. So, maybe with some extra features for music, labels will be somewhat satisfied. -
josefsknigge
commented
Please offer Streamers something like "Amazon Music Creators" with a price range from 10 - 500 Dollars a month depending in your Viewer count. Most streamers with 10-15 viewers like me would love to pay 10-15 Dollars a month, and for streamers with 20.000 + viewers it would be no problem to pay 500 or more. I mean, as a streamer you don't only Play music like a radio Station, it's mostly quiet in the Background, so No one can rip it / or wants to rip it if you Talk over it.
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memetics
commented
This seems like the only real solution, the industry working out an industry-wide change to their business practices (and maybe also involving governments in revising copyright laws so they're less draconian) - but considering how conservative the music rights apparatus is, I doubt it'll go anywhere, and change will happen from the grass roots, as this poster suggests it will absent an industry-driven solution. (Don't forget how the industry typically responds to change: Threaten and sue the customers [Napster era]. They only changed when Apple used its corporate power to implement another, slightly better solution [$0.99 songs via iTunes].)
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Iliae
commented
Music is an important part of a stream, whether it’s for fun or just putting an activity on.
My idea would be to force streamers to listen to music from a platform known as Spotify, Deezer, etc., and to necessarily put the title and the author’s name on the stream so that the viewer is aware of what music he is listening to and that it makes the "pub" to the author.
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Iliae
commented
Music is an important part of a stream, whether it’s for fun or just putting an activity on.
My idea would be to force streamers to listen to music from a platform known as Spotify, Deezer, etc., and to necessarily put the title and the author’s name on the stream so that the viewer is aware of what music he is listening to and that it makes the "pub" to the author.
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Iliae
commented
Music is an important part of a stream, whether it’s for fun or just putting an activity on.
My idea would be to force streamers to listen to music from a platform known as Spotify, Deezer, etc., and to necessarily put the title and the author’s name on the stream so that the viewer is aware of what music he is listening to and that it makes the "pub" to the author.
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WireManFGC
commented
Licensing in both Gaming and Music is not fit for modern purposes.
Twitch is already operating on good faith in the streaming of games, with or without licensed music, and it looks like the window for one of those privileges is closing, if not both.
Trying to manage outdated, complex restrictions like this with "tools" will not fix the issue, only increase the workload for both Twitch and their creators indefinitely. Furthermore, it likely won't be sustainable, as licenseholders continue to put pressure on platforms. Worse still, they could extend to restricting broadcasting of their games entirely.
Leaders in both industries need to work together for a modern solution that takes into account how we consume media in the 21st century. This means licenses to purchased games opting in/out of extending to the broadcasting of their games as part of their license and music partnerships with games/publishers extending into the use of their music (in the context of the game) extending to this broadcasting.
This is not an issue that Twitch can resolve itself, which is why the solutions currently all fall back to putting all of the onus and risk onto creators. Working with music and gaming publishers to devise more modern licensing solutions will benefit both industries and remove this burden.
Without an approach to licensing that actually integrates streaming, games with licensed music will otherwise lose value to streamers, thus losing any viral benefits, games with licensed music integral to the gameplay will deplatform to other streaming services and other monetisation routes, such as privately hosted streams for patreon patrons and Twitch will continue to be burdened by copyright trolls, who will always be willing to stay 1 step ahead tooling solutions. This has been demonstrated elsewhere on other platforms that are years ahead of Twitch in battling nusiance claims and they're still losing. Put that energy into fixing the root issue, rather than trying to manage the fallout. -
DANFINITY
commented
Offer a Streamer License through Amazon Music that would allow purchasers the allowance to use RIAA and other representative music organizations music that is paid for. I know Amazon is a LARGE company and not every branch talks to one another, but this would be a quick and seemingly feasible solution.
Facebook is HUGE and understandably was able to work a deal out with labels and rights orgs in order to create an AMAZING feature for people who stream to their platform. Amazon, while also massive, has the channels in place and could work out terms if they so desired.
As a streamer and former musician, I want to be paid for the work I've done. I understand that need. Amazon seems to have the tools to make it happen, just not all in the same place and feels like the will is not there to put it together.
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VirtualNightclub
commented
There are two copyrights in recorded music: the musical work (represented by music publishers) and the sound recording (represented by record labels). The issue Twitch is likely facing is legal disputes from the latter.
Terrestrial radio stations in the U.S. only have to secure a license for the musical works. They are exempt from paying royalties to record labels. This is not the case for digital online transmissions (a-la Twitch) which are legally obligated to secure a license for both the musical works AND the sound recordings. That is what makes this situation so much complicated.
There is no equivalent blanket-licensing agency like ASCAP and BMI for record labels. You must instead go through the statutory license which is administered by SoundExchange. And I can tell you, the rates are not cheap.
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idrawrobots
commented
Radio stations pay licensing fees for music. Why can’t John Amazon do the same for his broadcasting platform?
Maybe create a system that allows music playing from Amazon Music Unlimited? -
GranSumire
commented
Since the release of Soundtrack by Twitch, I have been having of this idea:
Why don't we have and web and/or desktop application for Amazon Music that we can add to our broadcasting softwares such as StreamlabsOBS?
This way, creators would influence their viewers to sign to Amazon Prime more often and would be able to listen to music while streaming, avoiding the DMCA strikes.
An application that words as Watch Parties for musics, where viewers have to prove they are prime subscribers, that shows an widget above the broadcast video on Twitch, so viewers can listen to the streamers music stream.
This way, the music artists on Amazon Music would also see thousands more of streamings on their songs.
It is an win-win-win improvement.
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GhostGlitch2600
commented
An app/plugin that lets streamers stream while playing amazon prime music (not sent through the stream or recorded on VODs) but a data channel encoded into the stream that allows viewers to sync the music through their own amazon prime music subscription. Would help with DMCA problems.
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StarRiderSC2
commented
Totally. there is an option to "listen along on Spotify" in discord that could be used as reference.
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Eagorath
commented
as we're all aware of how DMCA takedowns are raiding creators world wide.
I would think Twitch could make it fairly simple to satesfy label companies by partnering with lets say Amazon Music or Spotify where a streamer uses one of said programs (like Spotify).. plays regular songs with 600 viewers, the song would get 600 playoffs.
This would technically give the label and artist the revenue for the songs the streamer plays right?
Can be that hard to do, concidering their ads system basically works the same way? where each viewer count as a "play" on the ad video.