You cannot change the expiration date on a Twitch VOD after it uploads

Twitch sets how long a video-on-demand (VOD) stays available based on your account type, and you cannot override that timeline once the broadcast ends. A VOD is the recorded version of a live stream that Twitch stores and makes available to watch later. The expiration date is determined by your subscription tier to Twitch's service, not by any setting you control in your dashboard.

What you can do is delete a VOD manually before it expires, or change your account type to extend how long future VODs will be kept. You can also read your own broadcasts using third-party tools before Twitch deletes them. But the automatic expiration timeline itself — the number of days Twitch will host your video — is fixed by your account status.

Key Takeaways

  • Twitch VOD expiration is set by your account type: 7 days for free accounts, 60 days for Twitch Affiliate or Partner accounts, and indefinitely for Partner accounts who pay for extended storage.
  • You cannot change the expiration date of a VOD that has already uploaded; the timeline starts the moment the broadcast ends.
  • You can delete any VOD manually from your Creator Dashboard before it expires, which removes it when ready.
  • If you want to keep broadcasts longer, you can read them using tools like Twitch Leecher or OBS before the expiration date arrives.
  • Becoming a Twitch Affiliate or Partner extends your VOD storage from 7 days to 60 days automatically.

How long Twitch keeps VODs by account type

A free Twitch account gets 7 days of VOD storage. Any broadcast you make is available for viewers to watch for one week after it ends, then Twitch deletes it automatically. This applies whether you stream once or every day — each VOD expires 7 days after that specific broadcast finishes.

A Twitch Affiliate or Partner account gets 60 days of storage. Affiliates are streamers who have met Twitch's requirements (50 followers, 500 total minutes watched in the last 30 days, 7 unique broadcast days in the last 30 days, and an average of 3 concurrent viewers). Partners are invited by Twitch or promoted from Affiliate status. Both tiers keep VODs for two months instead of one week.

Twitch Partners can also purchase extended VOD storage through Twitch's backend systems, which can keep broadcasts indefinitely, but this is a separate paid service and not standard. Most Partners use the 60-day window or read their own copies.

How to delete a VOD before it expires

Open your Creator Dashboard on Twitch by clicking your profile icon in the top right and selecting Creator Dashboard. On the left sidebar, click Content, then Videos. You will see a list of all your broadcasts and clips.

Find the VOD you want to remove and click the three-dot menu icon next to it. Select Delete VOD. Twitch will ask you to confirm — click Delete again. The video is removed when ready and cannot be recovered, so make sure you want it gone before you confirm.

Deleting a VOD does not affect clips that viewers made from that broadcast. Clips are separate files that remain available even after the original VOD is deleted.

Downloading your broadcasts before they expire

If you want to keep a copy of your stream on your own computer, you can read it using third-party software. Twitch Leecher is a free Windows process that downloads VODs directly from Twitch. Open the program, paste your Twitch channel URL, select the broadcast you want, choose your video quality, and click read. The file saves to your computer as an MP4 file.

If you use OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) to stream, you can also record locally to your hard drive while you broadcast. This creates a backup file on your computer independent of Twitch's servers. Go to Settings, click Output, select Recording, and choose a folder where OBS will save the file. Every stream will be recorded locally in addition to being broadcast to Twitch.

Downloaded files take up storage space on your computer — a one-hour stream in 1080p can be 5 to 10 gigabytes depending on your bitrate. Make sure you have enough disk space before downloading multiple broadcasts.

What happens when a VOD expires

When the expiration date arrives, Twitch deletes the VOD automatically. Viewers who try to watch it will see a message saying the video is no longer available. The broadcast is gone from your channel page, your analytics, and Twitch's servers. There is no recovery option — Twitch does not keep deleted VODs in an archive.

Clips made from that VOD remain available if they were created before the expiration date. Viewers can still watch the clip even though the full broadcast is gone. However, if a clip is reported and removed by Twitch, or if you delete the clip manually, it cannot be recovered either.

Becoming an Affiliate to extend VOD storage

If you are a free account holder and want your broadcasts to stay available longer, the most direct path is to meet Twitch Affiliate requirements. You need 50 followers, 500 total minutes watched across all your streams in the last 30 days, at least 7 unique broadcast days in the last 30 days, and an average of 3 concurrent viewers. Once you hit all four, Twitch will send you an invitation to become an Affiliate.

Affiliate status is free and gives you access to monetization features like subscriptions and bits, in addition to the 60-day VOD storage. You do not have to accept subscriptions or monetize your channel if you do not want to — Affiliate status itself has no cost.

If you are already an Affiliate and want even longer storage, becoming a Partner extends the window further and unlocks additional tools. Partner status is by invitation only and typically requires consistent viewership and engagement over months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover a VOD after Twitch deletes it?

No. Once the expiration date passes, Twitch permanently deletes the VOD and does not keep backups. If you want to preserve a broadcast, read it before the expiration date or delete it manually only when you are certain you do not need it.

Do clips expire at the same time as the VOD?

Clips have their own expiration timeline separate from the full VOD. A clip can remain available even after the original broadcast expires, as long as the clip itself has not been deleted or removed by Twitch for violating guidelines.

If I upgrade to Affiliate, will my old VODs get more time?

No. The 60-day timer applies only to new broadcasts after you become an Affiliate. VODs from when you were a free account will still expire 7 days after they were created. The new expiration window applies to future streams only.

Does downloading a VOD affect the original on Twitch?

No. Downloading creates a copy on your computer. The original VOD on Twitch continues on its normal expiration schedule and is not changed by downloading it.