Twitch, the popular streaming platform, has announced plans to impose a new storage limit on users' highlights and uploads, capping them at 100 hours. This significant policy change will take effect after April 19, leading many content creators to act quickly if they hope to save their existing content.
The move has sparked considerable discussion within the Twitch community as it means channels exceeding this limit risk having their highlights and uploads automatically deleted. According to Twitch, users with content at risk of deletion will receive notifications both in their Notifications Inbox and on the Video Producer page by February 19.
This new storage policy applies to all published and unpublished content, but it is important to note what remains unaffected: the storage of Past Broadcasts (VODs). VODs are automatically deleted after seven days for standard users, whereas Twitch Partners and premium subscribers enjoy a 60-day retention period. Likewise, the limit does not extend to Twitch’s Clips feature, which remains capped at 60 seconds per clip.
Despite the pushback, Twitch has offered some clarity on their decision, stating, "Less than 0.5% of active streamers on Twitch are over the 100-hour storage limit today." This suggests the platform does not anticipate widespread backlash from the change. Their rationale for terminating highlights revolves around their ineffectiveness when it came to driving user engagement compared to other features like Clips, Tags, and the Mobile Discovery Feed. Part of the reasoning also lies in the high costs of storage, even though Twitch’s parent company, Amazon, owns Amazon Web Services, the world's largest cloud storage provider.
Many streamers, particularly those involved with speedrunning—a niche community where gamers attempt to complete games as quickly as possible—have expressed frustration with the imminent changes. A community manager from Speedrun.com voiced strong sentiments, stating, "Twitch’s changes put years of history at risk." This highlights the concern shared among creators who regard their highlights as more than just clips but as part of their streaming legacy.
The timing of Twitch's decision also coincides with Facebook introducing similar limitations on video storage, where live videos will be automatically deleted after 30 days, notwithstanding their tools for video download. The trend of tightening storage policies indicates broader shifts within social media and streaming platforms as they navigate the challenges linked to managing massive amounts of user-generated content.
For those unable to part with their treasured Highlights, Twitch users still have the option to download their content and migrate it to other platforms, such as YouTube. This provides alternative paths for content preservation, yet many streamers lament the additional burden this creates. Users may find themselves needing to juggle multiple platforms to maintain their streaming legacies.
Overall, Twitch's policy shifts raise questions about the longevity of user-generated content on the platform and the direction of online streaming services more broadly. With the announcement illuminating potential impacts on communities and individual streamers alike, the streaming giant now faces the dilemma of balancing cost management with community satisfaction.