Why HookSounds is the best solution for Twitch streamers

Many new streamers struggle with Twitch’s strict music guidelines. Just like with any other social media, you can’t just play any kind of music during your streams or videos on Twitch. In fact, the best choice is to go for royalty free music, but we will get to that in a bit. If you are just starting to get your feet wet on Twitch, be sure to first read our article on how to stream on Twitch.

Can you play music while streaming on twitch?

First things first, let’s answer this question that a lot of you have asked us. The answer is, of course, yes, but not any kind of music. As we said, it is important that you use the right kind of music, meaning that one that Twitch allows you to. 

You may have heard about many Twitch streamers having problems with the music they have used. If you are wondering what happens if you play copyrighted music on Twitch: it can go from the stream to be taken down to even being banned from Twitch and, worst-case scenario, having legal issues related to copyright. 

In conclusion, don’t take copyright lightly. Especially if you want to monetize your Twitch streams, you will want to be extra careful and avoid any problems with the app. Following the DMCA guidelines, Twitch works with strikes (notices) and you can get up to three copyright strikes before getting permanently banned from the app. So if you use copyrighted music on only three streams, you risk losing your account altogether.

Since most twitchers tend to share their content on other platforms like YouTube, Facebook or even Instagram, it is always a good idea to have a license that covers all types of social media. And HookSounds allows you to do exactly that. Both our Premium and Business subscriptions cover all kinds of social media and even video on demand platforms, so you don’t have to worry about where to post your content. 

Unfortunately, Twitch doesn’t work too well when it comes to consistently banning copyright music, which has caused many users to complain about it on social media. In 2018, for example, more than 10 popular streamers were temporarily blocked by the platform and it all turned out to be a mistaken copyright claim at the end. 

How to add music to Twitch stream

Many streamers use background music to create a better viewing experience for users. They mostly play it in the background while talking or playing a game, but even like this, you can’t use any playlist around. Once again, always remember to use music with no copyright when posting on Twitch. 

Let’s say that you have bought a license on Spotify. That still doesn’t mean that you can play it on your stream. You can only use music on Twitch that fits under either one of these categories:

• Music that you created yourself, therefore is your property
• Tracks from the Twitch Music Library
• Music for which you are licensed, meaning that you have bought online, for example at HookSounds

Let’s analyze each of them.

The main problem with having music that you created yourself is the technical knowledge. Even if you don’t have to be Mozart to be a musician, you still need some talent and knowledge to create music. No wonder here at HookSounds we leave it to our talented teams of musicians to create our royalty free songs. So, unfortunately, unless you are a singer, musician or simply gifted with a natural talent for creating music, then this option will be a difficult one for you.

On the other hand, we have the Twitch Music Library, a feature the website created as a first step to resolve their copyright issues. It has over 1,000 pre-cleared songs for use in live broadcasts and VODs, which for a website that has over 3 million users seems a bit low. The problem is, then, that with such a quantity of tracks, it is very possible that you will be playing the same tunes as other streamers. 

If you are looking to take your Twitch streamings to the next level, then the third option is the best. Think of buying a subscription on a royalty free music service as an investment that will help you to produce high-quality content for your audience. 

With over 3000 highly curated tracks and sound effects, HookSounds is simply the best solution for Twitch streamers. Our licenses, not only cover Twitch and social media, but have many other benefits depending on which one you choose. Most importantly, you get lifetime use of the tracks you buy, meaning that even after your subscription ends, you won’t get any copyright claims for the content you produced while it was active.

Still have doubts about our licenses and subscriptions, contact us via chat and we will help you out 🙂