Twitch Nearing Licensing Deal With RIAA and NMPA After Prolonged Conflict
For over a year, Twitch has been engrossed in a well-documented war with the music industry over its approach to licensing—or perhaps a lack thereof—on its platform.
Now, according to sources close to the US National Music Publishers Association, the Amazon-owned video streaming service is finally close to reaching an amicable deal with licensing stakeholders.
Last year, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) flooded the platform with DMCA takedown notices, sparking fears of potentially sweeping permabans among Twitch streamers.
In response, Twitch acted quickly to roll out "Soundtrack By Twitch," a tool designed to provide users with a pre-cleared catalogue of music for their streams. However, the RIAA and NMPA pushed back against this solution, stating that Twitch had not engaged them to ensure they had the proper synch and mechanical licensing needed in order to properly host such musical content.
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While the two sides are close to a deal, nothing has been signed as of yet, one anonymous source told Billboard. As they note, assuming a deal comes to fruition, Twitch's next step will be to negotiate contracts with the major recording labels Sony, Warner, and Universal Music.
