Twitch streamers can now simulcast on any live streaming service

Twitch announced on October 20 that it was expanding its simulcasting policy to all live streaming platforms. This means there are now a ton of new places to meet your favorite streaming creators.

The announcement is made as part of TwitchCon 2023where Twitch also announced new security policies such as adding swatting and doxxing to its off-service conduct policy and allowing streamers to send anonymous warnings to Chatter.

Twitch had already updated its simulcasting policies in August 2023 when it allowed simulcasting on mobile services such as TikTok and Instagram. This policy change opens streamers’ access to other web-based platforms, including Twitch competitors such as YouTube and Kick. (The latter has recently signed contracts with prominent streamers such as xQc, Amouranth and Nickmercs.)

The new simulcasting policy still brings its own Guidelines. First and foremost, if a streamer has an exclusive agreement with Twitch, they are not allowed to broadcast to other platforms at the same time. Elsewhere, the new guidelines require that Twitch users’ experience on a simulcast be “at least and no less than the experience on other platforms or services.” This means that the streamer must interact with the Twitch community as much or more than the other non-Twitch users watching, and must not interfere with or degrade the video quality of the Twitch stream.

Under the new simulcasting guidelines, streamers also cannot provide links to their simulcast on other services during a stream. This rule only applies to streams and Twitch chats – streamers can still indicate where they are simulcasting in the About section of their channel. Finally, streamers cannot use “third-party services that combine activities from other platforms or services,” such as chat merging. However, the streamer can use third-party tools for personal use only.