Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge
Livestreaming platform Twitch announced a new program aimed at DJs today that will allow creators to use copyrighted music in their streams by paying a fee.
Twitch signed deals with major record labels like Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music as well as “hundreds” of independent labels, the company says. CEO Dan Clancy hinted in April that the company was working on building an official system for DJs.
In order to cover the cost of the rights, streamers will pay a percentage of their earnings from a stream to rights holders. The percentage, which Twitch hasn’t shared publicly, will vary slightly depending on which monetization methods streamers use. They’ll share that cost with Twitch in a 50 / 50 split, though…