Twitch officially announced its new DJ program on June 6, 2024. The program formalizes a legal agreement between the music industry (Warner, Universal, Sony + Merlin) and Twitch. That agreement, in short, allows DJs to create and monetize their sets live on Twitch without fear of DMCA takedown, as long as they comply with the program's requirements.
DISCLAIMER: This article aims to provide a comprehensive but simple overview of everything you need to know about Twitch's DJ program. Twitch's current documentation is filled with confusing legalese and is scattered among a dozen+ different help articles, legal documents, and blog posts. I'm attempting to cut through that noise with my interpretation. However, please know Twitch's documentation is the most accurate and current. If you feel something needs to be added or updated, contact me on any social platform or via the contact form.
What do you GET by joining Twitch's DJ Program?
By joining Twitch's DJ Program, here are the following perks you receive:
- A DJ Chat Badge that appears in chats (if you are an Affiliate or Partner.)
- A DJ Badge that appears on your profile and in search results (regardless of channel status.)
- Access to stream the "Vast Majority of Mainstream Music"
- An Initial Subsidy (Starts at 100% in August 2024. Declines Monthly. 92% in September. Likely ends in July 2025.)
- Promotion in DJ Category.
- The ability to copy your account status (Affiliate/Partner) to a second channel if you are a Part-Time DJ.
What do you LOSE by joining Twitch's DJ Program?
- An estimated 30% of your total earned revenue. (It may be expressed between 25-40% depending on your earnings breakdown on an individual channel basis.)
- Channel VODs (Videos on Demand), Clips, Highlights, and the ability to Upload Videos are disabled on every channel that signs up for the DJ Program and removed from any channel that streams in the DJ Category.
- Users cannot listen to your stream in Audio-Only on Mobile.
All Relevant Resources
- Announcement Blog (June 6, 2024)
- Launch Blog (August 1, 2024)
- DJ Program Landing Page
- DJ Program Signup Page
- DJ Program FAQ
- DJ Program Secondary Accounts
- Approved Artist Catalog
- Restricted Artists Catalog
- Legal: DJ Program Terms (Last updated: August 1, 2024)
- Legal: Rights Holder Reporting Process (for DJs and Other Creators) (Last updated: August 1, 2024)
- How to Opt Out of the DJ Program
- Twitch Support Contact Page
Questions WITH Answers
- What percentage is taken from your revenue?
We don't know the exact amount, as Twitch claims they are legally not allowed to say, but data suggests it's around 30%! - What does it cost to join the DJ Program?
If you are a NEW DJ streamer, it will cost you nothing UNTIL you become an Affiliate (or Partner). Twitch covers the cost of "Community/Non-Monetized" DJs. Once you become an affiliate (or Partner), you will have an estimated 30% of your earned income taken monthly. - Estimated Subsidy Program Decreases:
- August 2024: 100%
- September 2024: 92%
- October 2024: 83%
- November 2024: 75%
- December 2024: 67%
- January 2025: 58%
- February 2025: 50%
- March 2025: 42%
- April 2025: 33%
- May 2025: 25%
- June: 2025: 17%
- July 2025: 8%
Questions without Clear Answers
- How can I submit my music to add to the catalog?
I haven't found solid documentation on this (a Facebook post...) Your label (not independent artists) can email dj-catalog-requests@justin.tv. - What does Twitch "Splitting the Cost 50/50 Mean"?
It's unclear how Twitch splits the cost 50/50 with creators in practice. It's suggested that the industry cut comes first (which works in theory with Subs), but what about Bits? Ads? When do those cuts hit, and how does Twitch's burden shift?
Earn Revenue While Live, Outside of Twitch Revenue
Each of the services below is a third-party company I feel comfortable recommending. They all offer integration into live broadcasts on Twitch in the form of alerts, sound effects, overlays, etc., but they have their own token/payment systems used outside of Twitch. That means you earn income that is NOT part of Twitch's payment systems (Bits/Subs) and thus not subject to revenue sharing.
- Fourthwall is well-known for its merch but offers an incredible membership program. You can create your own tiers, set your prices, and offer text, photos, videos, and more for your paid members. They also provide Membership gifting, allowing your community to give memberships to your chat live on stream!
- Tangia is an excellent service offering many stream engagement functions that they constantly add to weekly. They have overlays, memes, green screen-like effects, and TTS. It is one of the best interactive monetization tools for creators. They offer a first-party token system where you earn an 80% split.
- Blerp has been around for a while and is known for its sound effects system. They have a massive database of sound effects, memes, and other fun voice lines. One of the ways my community has used Blerp (one of the key differentiators) is being able to create near real-time Blerp of my stream! They'll clip something memey, turn it into an mp3, and play it back to me every stream! Their first-party Beets system offers you 100% of all Beets used.
