Gaming, Streaming, and Content Creation

Twitch Video Upload Rules

You do not need a paid account to upload or stream to Twitch. However:

• In order to directly upload a video file to Twitch, you must be a Partner or Affiliate with Twitch. Steps for becoming a Twitch Affiliate or Partner.
• You can live stream to Twitch on a regular account.

Twitch Account vs St. Olaf Account

It is up to you on what email to use to create a Twitch account. If your graduation is in Spring, you will have access to your St. Olaf account until September of that year. In the event that you would like to keep creating content past graduation, you can use a personal email to create a Twitch account.

It is your responsibility to move any content from your Stolaf to a personal account. St. Olaf IT does not have the ability to manage any account on Twitch.

Upload Videos

If you need to upload a file to stream online and are not a Twitch affiliate/partner - YouTube is the best place to stream videos. There are a couple of things to keep in mind:

• Know what is in your videos. Anything that could violate usage and copyright laws will most likely get your video suspended or banned, or further action could be taken. Please read copyright and usage policies for content that you are creating.
• Do not stream any licensed music during your video for any reason.
• Follow all of YouTube's guidelines for posting videos.

Videos can be made private, unlisted, or public on YouTube. When uploading the video, read the prompts carefully to decide if the correct settings are in places. Settings can always be changed later.

Along with the Terms of Service (ToS), there are rules for material in your stream. Twitch, YouTube, and other streaming services may monitor your channel and ban/block certain content that is a violation. Production companies also have the ability to block or ban your account on the game if Terms of Service are violated on your stream.

• Harassment of other players on your stream while playing the game is not allowed.
• Many games have limitations or ban the use of Third Party programs (ie. mods, data mining, etc.) that change the look or play of the game. It is good to check the ToS for each company to see what they allow.
  • In some cases, this might be "use at your own risk". While companies don't have the resources or ability to track everything, if it appears on a stream that could result in a penalty. 
• Use of Third Party apps to harass other players on your stream will get your account banned in most scenarios.

Visit the individual links to see specific content guidelines. While requirements are similar for most production companies, it is recommended to read over the guidelines before posting videos. Violating content usage guidelines could result in your video being reported, removed, or your account suspended or banned. Questions on usage for individual companies should be directed to associated support centers.

General or common usage requirements for streaming and content creation:

1. It is not allowed to monetize a stream (require paid YouTube, Patreon, or other paywall services) unless you obtain a contract from that company. For example, you can not require users to have a YouTube Premium subscription to watch your stream unless you have a contract with YouTube.
2. You are not allowed to charge money for your stream unless you have a signed contract that states otherwise.
3. Streaming content that includes commentary, game play, and review is allowed. Live streaming is the most common example of this - although, it is highly encouraged to include a "spoilers" marker if showing new content.
4. Most services will say it is okay to include the background music from the game while doing commentary or game play - however you can't splice music from the video and post the music only.
5. You are not allowed to play licensed/copyrighted music while streaming game play. For example, you can't stream Metallica while playing League of Legends.
6. You are not allowed to distort or separate the content into different assets.
7. Harassment of other players will usually result in a suspension or ban depending on the violation. Always be good online citizens!

Player Names

Although it may not be required in ToS to cover up player's name - it is good community etiquette to cover up names or ask for permission to show their names while streaming.

Keep track of where player names appear on the heads-up display (HUD). It is recommended to cover up other player's names the best you can, unless everyone knows that it's your intent to stream. There may be some situations were it is unavoidable, but alerting everyone in the party that you are streaming is also recommended.

If for some reason you are unable to cover up names with video editing software, most applications have ways to change how text appears for player's names. Abbreviating or removing other party member's names is a good way to protect someone's identity.

For groups that stream publicly on a regular basis (Example: If it's a group of players that you live stream on a scheduled basis), it is not required to cover names.

Chat Boxes

Make a reasonable effort to cover up your chat boxes while streaming. You can be held responsible for text conversations that appear in your stream. 

For example, if your stream is marked "okay for kids" and another user in the chat posts explicit content or profanity - there is a risk that your account may be suspended until the ratings are updated.