Twitch and National Music Publishers' Association Strike Music Agreement

By Marc Deschamps

Music rights issues have been a major problem for Twitch streamers for some time now, as DMCA takedown notices have resulted in countless clips being pulled from the site. However, a new agreement between Twitch and the National Music Publishers' Association could make things easier on streamers and musicians alike. According to a press release, the two companies aim "to build productive partnerships between the service and music publishers." It's important to note that this is not a licensing deal, but it seems to be a first step towards better negotiations, following strong tensions between the music industry and Twitch. Twitch's Tracy Chan talked up the agreement.

"We are pleased to reach this agreement with the NMPA and excited about our shared commitment to empowering songwriters and other creators to share their work and passions while connecting with audiences. That's what Twitch is all about, and we know that great music starts with a great song. We look forward to innovative collaborations that further unlock the incredible potential of our service and our community for music publishers and their songwriter partners," Chan said in the press release. 

As part of the deal, music publishers will be "offered an opt-in deal allowing for future collaborations to bring new facets to both the gaming experience and songwriter exposure," and there will also be "a new process that participating music rights holders can opt into to report certain uses of their music, to address when creators inadvertently or incidentally use music in their streams."

All in all, this sounds like a great first step towards easing the tensions between Twitch and the music industry! The new agreement could also prove mutually beneficial, allowing musicians the ability to get their songs heard by massive audiences. It remains to be seen how this agreement will work in practice, but the deal could mean less takedown notices, and more specific reporting when there has been an inadvertent use of a particular track. Hopefully, this agreement leads to even stronger partnerships in the future! NMPA President and CEO David Israelite seemed equally optimistic about the future.

"Both NMPA and Twitch are creator-focused and our respective communities will greatly benefit from this agreement, which respects the rights of songwriters and paves the way for future relationships between our publisher members, songwriters and the service," said Israelite. "Through our discussions, Twitch has shown a commitment to valuing musicians and to creating new ways to connect them with fans in this burgeoning and exciting space."

Are you happy that Twitch and the NMPA have entered into an agreement? Do you think this will be beneficial to streamers and musicians? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

[H/T: Variety]

Trending Now: