Twitch, Amazon Slammed by RIAA and Major Industry Groups for Using Unlicensed Music

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Twitch, the rapidly growing livestreaming platform, and its owner Amazon received a blistering letter on Thursday signed by multiple major U.S. music organizations including the RIAA, the Recording…

, the National Music Publishers Association, the Music Managers Forum, the American Association of Independent Music, SAG-AFTRA and more than a dozen others over its lack of licensing deals with many major music rights-holders. The letter is addressed to Amazon founder/CEO Jeff Bezos, with Twitch CEO Emmet Shear on copy .

“Twitch appears to do nothing in response to the thousands of notices of music infringement that it has received nor does it currently even acknowledge that it received them, as it has done in the past,” the letter continues.

The COVID-19 crisis has boosted streaming on Twitch, which delivered some 5 billion hours of livestreamed content in the second quarter of 2020, up 83% year over year, per a report by Streamlabs and Stream Hatchet. As lockdown has paralyzed the concert industry, many artists have turned to Twitch as a platform for livestreamed concerts, DJ sets and other broadcasts involving copyrighted music. The service, which was acquired by Amazon in 2014 for $970 million, is expected to top 40 million U.S.

“We represent artists, songwriters, musicians, vocalists, managers, producers, audio engineers, major and independent labels and publishers, and many other professionals in all genres of music in the United States,” the letter begins. “We read with interest Twitch’s recent announcement regarding its Soundtrack tool. According to Twitch, this tool gives Twitch’s users the ability to feature a curated library of licensed music in their live streams.

“However,” the letter continues, “we are confounded by Twitch’s apparent stance that neither synch nor mechanical licenses are necessary for its Soundtrack tool. We are also deeply disappointed that Twitch continues to allow and enable its streamers to use our respective members’ music without authorization, in violation of Twitch’s music guidelines.[

 

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That’s why all our music is free to stream.

the music industry still stuck in the 20th century

If ur not using stream beats or music u own on twitch then u have ur self to blame

SimplieRen

I mean everyone just use streambeats from HarrisHeller it's great....simples

I hate the music industry

Tried using the program but it was so glitchy that I just deleted it. I’ll stick to HarrisHeller Streambeats from here on!

Twitch licensed out the music for their new tool, the music industry is intentionally misleading you into thinking otherwise. The only missing licenses are a sync and mechanical license, both of which are not needed. More in the next comment. -

The letter is right Twitch should have strikes and banned people from the beginning, so everyone on the platform is aware of DMCA. Streamers just want to use other people's work without paying for it like everyone else. That is the truth of Twitter posts and comments.

I knew this day would come

the labels can go fuck themselves.

Man, imagine if they tried to enforce this in bars across the country.

Twitch should have done what Facebook gaming did with music liscenses

Its isnt the artists it's the label.... so many artists (bbno$, lil tecca, juice wrld etc) said that they give permission for people to use their music while streaming.... but the massive multi billion dollar labels dont want to lose their daily ice cream money.

AdamKamoroff

The record companies should be paying streamers to advertise their songs.

Good job RIAA.

Im a new and smaller artist, feel free to use this. DMCA free. Ill always look out for my fellow streamers

Free advertisement. Generally, if someone doesn't like the music playing they won't watch that stream. So the artists have a direct path to.people who like their music by allowing streamers to play their music.

Any gamer/steamer wanna use my music feel free to. And I'll rap about you & put you in a video or a song. Dead ass though.

Wat about amazon music. Shouldn’t that be twitch music link

This is why our company is stepping up to give the power back to artists! It's take to stand up and revolutionize the way the music industry operates.

From what I hear, the RIAA is a bunch of industry bullies and don't even pay artists much, if any, of the money they take, in lawsuits and such.

CopyrightOffice 🦖🧑‍🏫♻️

If it were 'fully licensed' it wouldn't need to be built to strip audio from vods to avoid licensing issues with stored content.

RLewisReports

I found TheTrueAbstract thanks to a YouTuber, and according to his YouTube comments a LOT of people found his music thanks to his music being included at the end of every video. It also helps that he makes some killer songs!

wow, the RIAA has gotten desperate. Too bad they have nothing to show for it.

Don't be mad at the artists. Be mad at the record labels for being super greedy. but then again the artist will get some cut of it.....ehhhh it's 2020 what else is new. the year of the F it all lol

DevinNash It seems you were right

MegaC66 DarkPanda94 This is what we talked about on stream yesterday

If any streamers need copyright free music feel free to use mines link:

krbridge1023 MsPinky313Play_ greensp_r1g

Honestly we should just all use free music so these assholes can understand the amount of free promotion streamers give musicians and v game publishers. Fuck them. They wanna harass streamers for money, won't get off our necks, then let's boycott and see what happens.

“But it’s free promo”-people probably never had to buy an album lol. Born and bred pirates.

akamikeb ooo man some delayed news

Karma No one is safe from it Karma MondayMotivation Thank you cutiegemini15 Koytez7_28 BrandiMelvin2 carlaval31

The music industry is in the right here. Period. Twitch should have struck a deal years ago. They didn't nor do they have systems for us to prove ahead of time the we have rights use of song we purchase rights too. Artist must be compensated. welcome to entertainment everyone

I find it greedy af that companies want to make money from music playing on a Twitch stream. I listen to music to get me hype during games but I guess I have to pay extra if people are watching me get hyped up SMH

TwitchSupport , put me a on blacklist. for using it. $%

Amazon Music Twitch integration/deal. Something...Anything!

👀 HoegLaw

ZuluOnly

Getting bullied by the all-powerful music industry, I see. This is what happens when copyright laws are influenced by big executive money. Unfortunately, the artists aren't even involved with this drama. This is all on the record labels.

Can we get a modern licensing method for sync licenses? I'd pay hundreds of dollars a month for this.

Sick money hungry fucks. Most artist want their music to be heard on streams.

ultradavid Fuck the RIAA copyright is a joke

They have Amazon music so just strike a deal, my lord

ultradavid Ironically the RIAA is shooting itself in the foot, considering much like people discover games on twitch, they discover new music as well. No-name indie studios have become billionaires because of Twitch streamers. The music industry however is still stuck back in the late 90s.

money-hungry boomers need to get off the internet forever.. so many creators were forced to delete years of their work thanks to amazon's incompetence too

Twitch is not even paying artists. They have the soundtrack program and are allowing this music without the proper compensation. Pay the artists and rights owners Twitch!

AvatarOfWrath SkylineSC LeJewbacca I’m sure you’re on the up and up but good things for mods to have knowledge of as well.

So Twitch doesnt comply and expects streamers to?

FapParaMoar digale a rabos peepoRun

This is hardly Amazon's first dance at the copyright infringement ball, the only question is if they've made up an excuse more creative than not being able to find the artists.

Poor fellas these RIAA; don't yall realize how hard it is nowadays to dupe young artists into signing life-long, predatory, indentured-like,record contracts? Winter is cold.

Fom bruhrj_ 🤡

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