Are you looking to recorda Twitch streamto share at a later time as a guide or meme? Keeping and sharing segments of a Twitch stream doesn’t have to be hard. This is the best way to do it. Let’s start with the simplest option: Enabling Video on Demand (VOD) mode on Twitch itself.
Saving with VOD on Twitch
VOD is an optionTwitch offers streamersso they can keep parts of their stream in storage for later access and easy viewing for their fans. If you haven’t tried this part of Twitch yet, it’s the easiest way to turn streams into long-term videos. Here’s how to enable it.
Step 1: Log on and visit theCreator Dashboard. Once here, select the three-linedHamburgericon at the top-left of the window to open settings.
Step 2: In the menu, choosePreferences, then selectChannel. This will shoot you over to theChannel Settingspage. Once there, select yourProfile Iconin the top-right corner to open another menu. Here, chooseSettings, then chooseChannel and Videos.
Step 3: In theChannel and Videossection, look for the heading that saysStream Key and Preferencesor similar wording (the format sometimes changes with Twitch updates). Here, you will see an option toStore Past Broadcasts. Make sure the slider here is turned on to enable storage. This will automatically save your broadcasts.
Storage will last a certain amount of time based on the streamer type. Twitch Partners, Prime users, and Twitch Turbo users will be able to keep videos for 60 days. Others will keep videos for 14 days before removal. However, you can also highlight certain clips as particularly important videos, and these will stay permanently. Otherwise, you should transfer videos to YouTube or a similar platform if you really want to keep them or show them for years to come.
Step 4: If you ever want to share a video, upload separate videos, or make a video a Highlight, visit your stored videos by going to theHamburgermenu icon again and selectingContent, thenVideo Producer. This will show all your stored videos.
This section has several useful categories, including showing all your current Highlights, as well the videos that are about to expire. However, the most useful function is theThree-Dot Linesat the right of each video. Select these for a drop-down menu that gives you all the options for managing videos, including editing them down to a certain clip, downloading them to local storage, turning them into a Highlight, or deleting them entirely. If you use YouTube, you can also use theExportfunction for fast uploading to that platform.
Saving streams at a higher video quality
Twitch VOD is the answer to many recording issues, but in some cases, a streamer may want to record a video with higher resolution or other extra features, something VOD doesn’t allow. VOD also doesn’t allow for especially long streams, which is problematic for many streamers. Fortunately, Twitch does allow local recording of your stream using third-party tools. Twitch specifically recommends using the free, open-source Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) for this, and since this is a solid, compatible app, we recommend it, too.
Step 1: If you haven’t already done so,visit the OBS Project and download their software, then spend some time getting acquainted with the tools. You will need touse OBSto stream to Twitch with this approach, so it’s a good idea to try a couple of streams in OBS just to get used to the process.
Step 2: When ready, open OBS and select theSettingsmenu at the top, and selectSettings.
Step 3: In theSettingsside menu, selectBroadcast Settings. Here, look for the section that saysSave to File. Select it so that it is enabled.
Step 4: Below Save to File, you will see a section calledFile Path. Type or paste a file path for the folder you want all these videos saved to. File names will, by default, be the date and time of the recording, although you’re able to change that. SelectApplywhen you’re finished.
Step 5: Now, the stream will automatically save to local storage when you are finished, allowing you to edit or store it from there.
Recording someone else’s Twitch stream
In general, we don’t recommend recording a Twitch stream that you are watching. Twitch streamers frequently produce this content as part of their job. With their ownership, the responsibility of saving and sharing it — or choosing not to — is theirs. It’s also legally dicey.
On the other hand,ifyou obtain authorization from a streamer to film their work while you’re watching their stream, there are plenty of invaluable gadgets that can assist you. Many capture applications will permit you to film a portion of your screen with tailor-made tools. One of the apps that do this extraordinarily well is the free application we previously discussed earlier in this article, OBS!
If youhave OBS Studio downloaded, this method is relatively easy from start to finish. You can begin capturing video when you switch toWindow Capturemode. While you’re looking at the capture zone, press and hold theAltkey and pull your cursor to one side to adjust the size of the capture area. Once you do this, you can change its size according to your Twitch video window and record what occurs there. Keep in mind that your video’s quality may be restricted a bit when using this technique.
If you’re not thrilled about using OBS, you can opt for other useful video capture tools that may work better for you. If you view Twitch with VLC, for instance, you can typically use the VLC recorder to record certain bits and pieces of the stream.
