Twitch makes changes to audio in VoDs

I know there's another thread about Twitch changes, but that one's about the changes to the archives (there's now a time limit until your VoDs are deleted for good). The two topics are so different that I think they deserve two threads. If a mod disagrees, lock/merge.

Twitch has with immediate effect implemented "Audio Recognition" to the VoD archive (not to streams...yet):

Please Note: Audio Recognition applies to VODs only.

Starting today, Twitch will be implementing technology intended to help broadcasters avoid the storage of videos containing unauthorized third-party audio. We respect the rights of copyright owners, and are voluntarily undertaking this effort to help protect both our broadcasters and copyright owners.

What Is Audio Recognition?

We’ve partnered with Audible Magic, which works closely with the recorded music industry, to scan past and future VODs for music owned or controlled by clients of Audible Magic. This includes in-game and ambient music. When music in the Audible Magic database is detected (“Flagged Content”), theaffected portion of the VOD will be muted and volume controls for that VOD will be turned off. Additionally, past broadcasts and highlights with Flagged Content are exportable but will remain muted.

The Audible Magic technology will scan for third party music in 30 minute blocks — if Audible Magic does not detect its clients’ music, that portion of the VOD will not be muted. If third party audio is detected anywhere in the 30-minute scanned block, the entire 30 minutes will be muted.

How It Works: Scanning VODs Only

Audio Recognition will only be run against audio in VODs. We are not scanning live broadcasts and there is no automated takedown of live content.

Flagged Content will display an on-screen notification informing viewers that content owned or controlled by a third party has been identified. The progress bar will also be red for the duration of the muted section.

Please note that Audio Recognition is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate. It may return false positives or miss content from copyright owners who do not work with Audible Magic. If you wish to include music in your VODs, please remember that you are responsible for clearing all such rights (this includes ambient music that may be playing in the background while you are broadcasting). If you would like to include free-to-use music in your VODs, there are a variety of resources available to you, including:

• Creative Commons
• Jamendo
• SongFreedom

Broadcaster & Copyright Owner Appeals

If you believe that your video has been flagged improperly and that you have cleared the rights to all of the sound recordings in your uploaded video, then we will consider unmuting your video if you send us a counter-notification that is compliant with the provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”).

Any copyright owner that believes that any of their content is used in any live broadcasts or VOD without authorization should submit a notification of claimed infringement to Twitch pursuant to ourTerms of Service.If you are the legal owner of copyrighted music that you would like to protect via Audible Magic’s technology, visit AudibleMagic.com.

Twitch has partnered with Audible Magic without waiving any rights or defenses available to it under law. Twitch is not obligated to filter content stored on the Twitch platform by its users and assumes no liability for the actions of its users notwithstanding the implementation of the Audible Magic technology. Twitch reserves the right to stop filtering audio content in VODs in its sole discretion at any time and without liability to any third party, subject only to any contractual obligations.

We want to hear your feedback and questions. Tune in to the following events to ask us (almost!) anything:

• Reddit AMA on /r/Twitch: Thursday, August 7, 10:30am PST
• Twitch Weekly: Friday, August 8 at 2pm PST

And, as always, please feel free to leave your comments below. We will answer as best we can.

http://blog.twitch.tv/2014/08/3136/

This has already affected a ton of VoDs which only use in-game music, like this one, and this one.

My feeling is that this seems like way too much, too fast for Twitch. It risks alienating a large part of their community.

edit: Seems like Hitbox, a site similar to Twitch, will take full advantage of this:

This didn't need it's own thread, but like I said in the other thread- blame the litigious music industry. That's where the pressure comes from.

Twitch doesn't have a say in the matter (even if they did it voluntarily, they're just making this move now before they HAVE to do it).

It's also important to note: Audio Recognition will only be run against audio in VODs. We are not scanning live broadcasts and there is no automated takedown of live content.

This really sucks

Whoops.

Yeah, with an automated system like the one they're using here, stuff like this was bound to happen. But since they say that "This includes in-game and ambient music", VoDs on Twitch are fucked even before the new time limit on how long VoDs can stay up. Seems insane to me.

My question is for games with licensed music playing on stream, will those be shut down too? As if being blocked on Youtube (which they suggest to move to!) isn't enough. This is Youtube x Google+ all over. We're going to get plenty of outcry and no motion from the big names.

On the last thread I said "this seems like the worst" but now I can confirm this is the worst.

Streams won't be affected for now, only VoDs. But yeah, this is in-game music too. Zelda and Pokemon VoDs have been hit. So if you have music owned by "clients of Audible Magic" in your stream, in-game or otherwise, your VoDs can be muted 30 minutes at a time.

There's already a discussion on the new Twitch changes:

http://www.giantbomb.com/forums/general-discussion-30/twitch-makes-huge-changes-to-vod-1491582/#22

Breaking News!

Press space twice over muted areas and it will be unmuted!

@pie: if that is true it won't be for long now that you've highlighted it.

Don't worry, this can be a secret just between us two ;)

This is awful. Twitch is most welcome to disallow playing of copyrighted music outside of game without permission, that is fine and that is already soft-banned on the service anyway. The business of going after native in-game audio is a major problem. That cannot be allowed to go forward.

I guessing if someone sings or hums the tune of "Happy Birthday" they'd be flagged on twitch too by the time all this copyright stuff is done. even parody songs get flagged/muted/silenced on youtube when the sound is too similar...

I feel that the best way for all parties, both the people and the copyright owners to be happy is to have the software instead of mute the stream or video, in-pose a link to the itunes and Amazon pages of said song/artist so viewers could have the option to buy the track... even nintendo/movie & tv studios could do this instead of taking down let's play review videos, have a link to a store page for nintendo games, etc..... MUST I THINK OF EVERYTHING INTERNET!!!!!!!!!

There are a bunch of twitch's own show vods that are muted due to this system. Holy shit the irony is real.

This is honestly the worst way this could have been done. There are a lot of bigger streams that have paid for the licences to play certain music, and they are still going to get hit by this because their system doesn't take that into account. The streamer has to dispute every single mute if they want their vods to be seen. It's bad enough that videos of games with music in them will be muted, but the fact that streamers are going through the legal route and paying for the right to use this music and still have to fight this new system is insane.

@amyggen: That makes more sense. Be kind of hard to monitor and shut down live streams. Wouldn't write that off for the future though.

I'm of the opinion that this goes against the very fabric of the internet and Twitch is spitting in peoples faces right now. This kind of copyright automation is detrimental to creativity. Average people are being silenced because of background noise that some rich prick wants to get paid on again. I think this should be illegal. We should make using automated scanners like this illegal or at least get some fucking regulations that work for normal citizens instead of rich powerful citizens.

I'm disappointed :(

Does anyone know if Ustream uses similar policies? For those who stream on their next-gen consoles, they at least have to option to use another service.

@sunbrozak: Ustream definitely doesn't use this kind of automation.

I can't believe they would do this, I primarily get my music by ripping audio from low quality live streams!

I feel super bummed out about this. I feel like a lot of my new music nowadays was coming from watching streams. Seems like free advertising to me. Maybe something will get worked out soon.

As for the REAL crazy stuff, like in-game music getting hits and such, I feel like these are growing pains that are going to occur once you flip the switch on content ID all at once and will get ironed out I assume (and hope)

So this doesn't yet affect live streams? If the content creators out there weren't aware of this prior someone gone dun fucked up. Eyes are on Twitch to smooth this over quickly as it's likely to turn very nasty in short order.

Totally. All that extra mic noise from the streamer and game sound in the background is really nice to have on the recording and is just as good as a clean audio track. T_____T

The Twitch CEO stepped into the Lion's Den with this one: a full AmA on the policies on Reddit.

Edit: link to actual AmA if you don't want the GS article.