Introduction
Twitch is great for going live and reaching your audience. However, unless you modify your Twitch settings, your videos won’t be saved by default after you end your broadcast. Thankfully, whether you want your past Twitch broadcasts to be available to your audience on Twitch or on other platforms, you can change your Twitch settings to save your videos. This will enable you to make those videos automatically available on your Twitch channel, and also make it possible for you to download your Twitch videos as MP4 files so you can save a copy and even upload them to other platforms. The only caveat is that your videos will only be saved for 14 days if you’re a standard Twitch user before being removed. Alternatively, your videos will be saved for 60 days if you’re a Twitch partner, or Turbo or Prime member.
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Steps to Save Twitch Streams
- Open a web browser and navigate to www.twitch.tv. Log into your account if you’re not logged in by default. You’ll land on your Twitch home screen.
- Click your profile icon at the top of the screen to open a drop-down menu, and then click “Creator Dashboard.” Your Creator Dashboard screen will be displayed.
- Click “Settings” in the menu on the left to expand that option, and then click “Stream” in that menu. Your stream settings options will be shown on the right side of the stream.
- Scroll down to the VOD Settings section, and then click to toggle on “Store Past Broadcasts” if it isn’t enabled already. As a reminder your videos will only be saved for 14 days if you’re a standard Twitch user before being removed. Alternatively, your videos will be saved for 60 days if you’re a Twitch partner, or Turbo or Prime member. You’ll see additional options for whether you automatically publish your saved Twitch broadcasts, and whether you want to exclude any categories from being published automatically.
- Click to toggle off “Always Publish VODs” if you don’t want your saved Twitch broadcasts to be published to your channel automatically after you’re done broadcasting. Additionally, if you want to automatically publish some saved videos but not others, leave the “Always Publish VODs” option toggled on, but then enter the names of any categories you don’t want to be published automatically in the field in the Exclude Categories section.
Steps to Download Saved Twitch Streams
After you finish a Twitch recording you’ll want to give Twitch a few hours to process your stream and get it posted to your channel. After you allow some time to pass, you can find and download your saved Twitch streams by doing the following.
- Navigate back to your Twitch Creator Dashboard.
- Click “Content” in the menu on the left side of the screen to expand it, and then click “Video Producer” in the expanded options. Your saved Twitch streams are displayed in the menu on the right side of the screen.
- Find the saved Twitch stream you want to download to your computer, and then click the vertical ellipses to the right of that video. A menu is displayed.
- Click “Download” in that menu. The Download text will change to say “Processing.” After the video is finished processing, the Processing text will change back to Download and a Save As dialog box will be displayed on the screen.
- Choose where you want to download your saved Twitch stream to, and then click “Save.” Your past Twitch broadcast will be downloaded to your computer as an MP4 video.
Six Reasons to Save Twitch Streams
1. Watch Later
Saving Twitch streams can be a great way to catch up on content that you might have missed. Whether you were busy during the live broadcast or simply want to re-watch a favorite stream, having the ability to save streams can be incredibly useful. With the ability to pause, rewind, and fast-forward through a saved stream, viewers can enjoy the content at their own pace and convenience. Additionally, saving streams can allow viewers to keep up with ongoing series or long streams that might not fit within their schedule. With the option to save a stream for up to 14 days, viewers can have peace of mind knowing they won’t miss out on anything.
2. Share with Others
Sharing is caring, and sharing a great Twitch stream with friends or followers can be a fantastic way to show your appreciation for the content. Saving a stream and sharing the link with others who might have missed the live broadcast can help build community and keep viewers engaged. Additionally, sharing streams on social media can be a great way to help a streamer gain more exposure and reach new audiences.
3. Create Highlights
As a streamer, saving streams can be incredibly helpful when it comes to creating highlights. Highlights are short clips that showcase the best moments of a stream, and they can be used to promote the stream or create engaging social media content. By saving streams, streamers can go back and review their content to find the best moments to highlight. Once a highlight is created, it can be shared on social media or used in future content to engage with the audience and help grow the channel.
4. Archive Content
Saving Twitch streams can be a great way to build an archive or library of past broadcasts. This can be helpful for streamers who want to review their content and see how their channel has evolved over time. An archive can also be helpful for viewers who want to catch up on past content, or for anyone who might be interested in the history of the channel. Additionally, having an archive can provide a sense of security, as streamers can always go back and retrieve their content if it is lost or deleted.
5. Backup Content
As with any digital content, Twitch streams can be vulnerable to data loss or technical issues. By saving streams as a backup, streamers can ensure that their content is protected and can be retrieved in the event of an issue. This can provide peace of mind for streamers who put a lot of time and effort into creating their content. Additionally, backups can be helpful for viewers who might want to re-watch a stream that has been deleted or lost due to technical issues.
6. Comply with Legal Requirements
Finally, some streamers might be required to save their streams in order to comply with legal or regulatory requirements. This might include streamers who are streaming in a professional or educational setting, or who are streaming content that is subject to specific laws or regulations. By saving their streams, streamers can ensure that they are in compliance with any relevant requirements, and can avoid any potential legal or regulatory issues. While not all streamers will need to save their streams for legal or regulatory reasons, it is important to understand any applicable requirements and ensure that you are in compliance.
