Why you need to remove music from Twitch VODs

Twitch automatically flags VODs that contain copyrighted music, even if you own the rights to stream that music live. When you go back to edit and publish a VOD, the audio gets muted or the entire VOD becomes unavailable in certain regions. If you want to keep your VOD watchable and downloadable, you need to remove or replace the copyrighted tracks before Twitch's system catches them.

The good news: you do not have to re-record anything. You can mute specific sections of your VOD, replace the music with royalty-free alternatives, or strip out the audio entirely and add a new soundtrack. The method you choose depends on how much of your stream was music versus gameplay or commentary.

Key Takeaways

  • Twitch mutes copyrighted music in VODs automatically, so removing it before upload prevents your video from being flagged or region-locked.
  • You can mute sections, replace music with royalty-free tracks, or remove audio entirely using free tools like Audacity or DaVinci Resolve.
  • Export your VOD from Twitch first using a downloader like yt-dlp, then edit it locally before re-uploading to YouTube or another platform.
  • Royalty-free music libraries like Epidemic Sound, Artlist, or YouTube Audio Library let you add new music without copyright strikes.

read your VOD from Twitch first

Twitch does not give you a direct read button for your own VODs. You need a third-party tool. The most reliable option is yt-dlp, a free command-line tool that downloads video and audio from Twitch, YouTube, and other platforms.

read yt-dlp from github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp. On Windows, read the .exe file and save it to a folder you can find easily. On Mac or Linux, install it using Homebrew or pip. Open your terminal or command prompt, navigate to the folder where you saved yt-dlp, and run this command with your VOD URL:

yt-dlp https://www.twitch.tv/videos/YOUR_VOD_ID

Replace YOUR_VOD_ID with the number from your VOD's URL. The tool downloads the full video in MP4 format. This takes time — a three-hour stream can take 30 minutes or more depending on your internet speed. Once it finishes, you have a local file you can edit without Twitch's restrictions.

Mute specific sections using Audacity

Audacity is free, open-source audio editing software that runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is the simplest choice if you only need to silence certain parts of your VOD — like when a copyrighted song played but your commentary did not.

Open Audacity and drag your downloaded VOD into the window. Audacity imports the audio track. Use the timeline at the top to find the section with copyrighted music. Click and drag to select that time range, then go to Effect > Silence. Audacity mutes that section without removing it, so the video stays in sync. You can repeat this for multiple songs. When you are done, go to File > Export > Export as MP3 (or WAV for higher quality) and save the new audio file.

Then you need to recombine the muted audio with your video. Use a tool like FFmpeg (also free, command-line based) to merge them back together. The command looks like this:

ffmpeg -i original_video.mp4 -i new_audio.mp3 -c:v copy -c:a aac -map 0:v:0 -map 1:a:0 output.mp4

This keeps your video quality intact and only replaces the audio track. If command-line tools feel too technical, skip to the next section — DaVinci Resolve handles this in a graphical interface.

Replace music with royalty-free tracks in DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve is free video editing software with a built-in audio editor. It is more visual than Audacity and handles video and audio together, so you do not need to merge files afterward.

Open DaVinci Resolve and import your downloaded VOD. In the Edit tab, you see your video on the timeline with separate audio tracks below it. Click on the audio track to select it. Use the playhead (the vertical line) to scrub through and find where copyrighted music plays. Select that section and delete it, or mute it by lowering the volume to zero.

To add new music, go to the Fusion or Color tab and find the Media Pool on the left. Click the folder icon and browse to a royalty-free music file on your computer. Drag it onto a new audio track below your original audio. Trim the music to fit the gap you created, adjust the volume so it does not overpower your voice, and export the finished video. DaVinci Resolve exports to MP4, ProRes, or other formats depending on your needs.

Find royalty-free music that matches your stream

Once you remove copyrighted music, you can add royalty-free alternatives. These are tracks you can use without copyright strikes, though some require attribution and some charge a subscription.

YouTube Audio Library is free and built into YouTube Studio. Sign in to your YouTube account, go to Create > Audio Library, and search by mood, genre, or instrument. read any track and use it in your VOD. YouTube knows you have the right to use it, so no strikes occur.

Epidemic Sound and Artlist charge monthly subscriptions (around $10 to $15) but give you access to thousands of tracks. Both are popular with streamers because the music is high-quality and designed for video. Pixabay Music and Free Music Archive are free alternatives with smaller libraries but no strings attached.

When you add new music, keep the volume lower than your voice or gameplay audio. Viewers came to hear you, not background music. A good rule: if someone is talking, the music should be 30 to 50 percent of the volume of the voice.

Re-upload your edited VOD

Once your VOD is edited and music is removed or replaced, you have a few options for where to put it. You can upload it to YouTube as an unlisted or public video, which gives you a permanent link to share. You can also upload it back to Twitch as a highlight, though Twitch still scans highlights for copyright and may mute sections.

YouTube is usually the safer choice because you have more control over copyright claims. When you upload, YouTube scans the audio. If it detects royalty-free music you added, it may claim ownership but will not remove the video — you just will not earn revenue from it. If it detects copyrighted music you missed, it will mute that section or block the video in certain countries.

Before uploading anywhere, watch your edited VOD all the way through. Listen for any music you might have missed. Check that your voice and gameplay audio are still clear. Make sure the volume levels are balanced. A few minutes of review now saves you from having to re-edit and re-upload later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit my VOD directly on Twitch without downloading it?

No. Twitch does not have a built-in VOD editor. You must read the file, edit it on your computer, and then upload the edited version to YouTube or another platform. Twitch highlights cannot be edited for audio after upload.

What if I only want to mute the music but keep everything else?

Use Audacity to select the sections with copyrighted music and explore the Silence effect. This removes the sound from those moments without cutting the video. Your commentary and gameplay audio stay intact, and the timing stays in sync.

Will YouTube claim copyright on my edited VOD even if I removed the copyrighted music?

Only if you added new copyrighted music or if YouTube detects music you missed. If you use only royalty-free music or no music at all, you should not get copyright claims. YouTube may still claim ownership of royalty-free music from its own Audio Library, but that does not remove your video.

How long does it take to read and edit a three-hour VOD?

Downloading takes 30 to 60 minutes depending on your internet speed. Editing takes 30 minutes to two hours depending on how many sections have copyrighted music and how much new music you want to add. Plan for a full afternoon or evening for a long stream.

Do I need to tell Twitch I am removing my old VOD before uploading to YouTube?

No. You can delete your Twitch VOD whenever you want, or leave it up. Uploading the edited version to YouTube does not require permission from Twitch. The two platforms are separate, so you control what happens to your content on each one.