What is VOD and How to Enable VOD on Twitch

VOD is an additional feature provided by Twitch to all Streamers. you can let your viewers watch the content they may have missed after the stream ended

Watching Twitch video

Let say during the stream you managed to achieve incredible achievement on your game. Be it speed run or you managed to defeat all your enemies alone, you don’t want your viewer to miss the stream. Luckily, if the viewers can’t watch your video live, they can watch your stream after the stream ended by using VOD

What does VOD stand for on Twitch?

VOD (Video on Demand) on Twitch is a saved video that belongs to your previous live stream content. By using VOD, you can save parts of or all the content of your previous live stream. Your viewers and follower can watch the VOD if they haven’t watched the live stream content previously.

Enabling VOD is always recommended to all streamers. Any Twitch channel can enable VOD, there is no additional requirement to use the feature. So even if you just a beginner streamer and have neither view nor follower, you can enable VOD on your channel

Why You Should Enable VODs on your Twitch Channel

By Enabling VOD (Video On Deman) on Twitch, your viewers can watch the content of the previous live stream after the stream ended. VOD is also a good way to save the streamed video content on Twitch. VOD can also be used to promote your Twitch channel. By connecting your Twitch account to YouTube, you can export the VOD content to YouTube.

There are also tricks to increase the followers and subscriber count by using the saved VOD. You can make it to only followers or subscribers that can view your VODS, past broadcast, and highlight.

Of course, you shouldn’t do this. Your viewers may see you as an avaricious person. By letting everyone can watch your VOD can make your Twitch channel more popular.

Using VOD allows you to save the “Past Broadcast” content. Past Broadcast is the entire stream content that is automatically saved every time you finish your stream. You download the Past Broadcast video content to your PC.

You can use Past Broadcast to easily promote your Twitch Channel. Download the VOD from your stream then edit it carefully. You can upload the video to other social media like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok to promote your Twitch Channel

The best part of VOD is, there is no additional cost to use VOD. So, it’s free. Every Twitch channel can enable VOD. You don’t need to become an Affiliate or Partner to have a VOD feature.

How to Enable VOD on Your Twitch Channel:

  1. Login To Your Twitch Account

2. Open This Link: https://dashboard.twitch.tv/settings/stream

3. If it doesn’t work. You can click your profile menu at the top right side on Twitch. Choose the “Creator Dashboard” option. Click Setting then Stream

Turn on Twitch VOD

4. Scroll Down. Under Section titled “VOD Setting” Toggle the slider on the “Store Past Broadcasts” option

5. Once toggled, it will turn purple with a checklist symbol. It signifies that you have enabled VOD on your Twitch channel account

6. If you want to disable VOD, toggle off the slider. Twitch will stop to store the VOD content. Previous saved Past Broadcast and Highlights after disabling VOD will not be deleted

How Long do saved Past Broadcasts stored on Twitch VOD Storage?

How long the Past Broadcast is based on your current Twitch status. If you are a regular and Affiliate broadcaster it will last 14 days. Twitch Partner’s Past Broadcasts are saved for 60 days. If you are not Twitch Partner, you can get Twitch Partner and Twitch Turbo to extend the duration from 14 days to 60 days

 Twitch PartnersTwitch Prime and Twitch TurboRegular and Affiliated Twitch Streamer
Past BroadcastsStored for 60 daysStored for 60 daysStored for Up to 14 days
HighlightsStored permanentlyStored permanentlyStored permanently
UploadsStored permanentlyStored permanentlyStored permanently

Since Past Broadcasts are only stored for up to 60 days, you can download the video to your computer before it is automatically deleted by Twitch.

Because video content will take up your SDD and HDD space quickly, it’s better to use External Hard Drive to save the VOD content. You can use External HDD like WD External Hard Drive and Seagate External Hard Drive to store the Past Broadcast content

You can also store the video on Google Drive. Because Google Drive storage is limited for free users, you can use your YouTube channel account to store the VOD content.

You can turn parts of the video on Past Broadcast content into Highlight. By turning into highlights, you can store the highlights on Twitch permanently, even as a Regular and Affiliated Twitch streamer.

What are Twitch Highlights?

A Twitch Highlight is the shorter video edited from your Past Broadcasts content that can be saved on Twitch permanently. Highlights video on Twitch usually lasts less than 3 minutes. Highlights are mostly used by Streamers to save video game achievement and highlights or important message from the streamer that can easily be accessed by the viewers from the streamer channel page

How to Make Highlights on Twitch

Twitch already provides tools to make easily highlights from the Past Broadcasts.

  1. Navigate to your Dashboard by clicking this link: https://dashboard.twitch.tv/
  2. Scroll Down, then Click Content -> Video Producer
  3. Press All Videos, changed it to Past Broadcasts
  4. Press The Highlight button on the right corner
  5. Twitch will open a new tab for Twitch Highlighter Tool
  6. Edit and Select the parts of the video you want to include as highlight
  7. Press the “Create Highlights” Button. Wait for the process to end
  8. Your Highlights are created. You can view your highlights on the Video Producer

To better use the twitch Highlighter Tool, you can open Official Twitch Highlighter Guide at

How to Unpublish Video on Saved Twitch’s VOD

You can Unpublish a VODs video to make it inaccessible to your viewers. The reason why you should unpublish a video is usually if you take DMCA strike on your VOD or you need to temporarily hide the video

To Unpublish VODS video:

Twitch Unpublish a VODs content
Image From: Twitch Help
  1. Navigate to your Channel Dashboard by clicking this link: https://dashboard.twitch.tv/
  2. Click Content -> Video Producer
  3. First choose the video you want to unpublish, then click the eye slash icon.
  4. You will get a prompt to make sure if you want to unpublish the video or not
Twitch Unpublish All VOD
Image From: Twitch Help

You can unpublish all VODs videos by clicking the 3 Vertical Dots at the top right corner then click Unpublish All Videos.

How to Delete Video on Saved Twitch’s VOD

You can permanently delete the VODs video on your channel. Beware that it will be unrecoverable. If you want to temporary hide the video, you can unpublish the video instead of deleting it

  1. Navigate to your Channel Dashboard
  2. Click Content -> Video Producer
  3. Choose the video you want to delete, then click the rubbish bin symbol beside the Unpublish icon
  4. You will get a prompt to make sure you want to delete the video or not. Choose it wisely, you can’t recover the video after deleting it

You can easily delete all your saved VODs video by clicking the 3 Vertical Dots at the top right corner then click Delete All Videos.  Click Yes on the prompt that appears.

The Benefit of Highlights Vs. Saved Broadcast on Twitch

Streamers can use Highlights to promote their channel by creating short advertisements of what their Twitch channel is to the new viewers. The Short duration of Highlights can be used to aim the short attention span of your new viewers. It’s easy to make new viewers watch your highlights compared to watch the entire duration of the stream

Having a Highlight is a must on any channel. Why?

A highlight is important to give quick information to new viewers that accidentally find your channel. Making a highlight can let the viewers show what type of streamer you are. This information is important because you can easily gain the right followers and viewers.

If the highlights show that you are a pro gamer, viewers that like watching a professional game or e-sport will more likely to watch and follow your stream. Casual gamer won’t be interested in your stream

Speed Run Channel can benefit by using Highlight. Many Speed Run streamers show their achievement on the speed run as highlights on their Twitch Channel. If you win a speed run, of course, you want to show it to anyone that open your channel

It’s always recommended to make your highlights less than 3 minutes. 1 to 2 minutes is the usual duration of most highlights

One of the benefits of creating a highlight is you can use the video in other social media like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok

How to Automatically Export Your Twitch Highlights to YouTube

  1. You can connect your Twitch account to YouTube. Go to https://www.twitch.tv/settings/connections
  2. Scroll Down, on the YouTube table, click connect at the right corner
  3. Sign in to your Google Account with your YouTube channel
  4. Go to your Channel Dashboard
  5. Click Content -> Video Producer
  6. Click the 3 Vertical Dots menu on the video you want to export, click the “export” option
  7. Set the video title, description, and tags. Description and tags are important in YouTube, unlike on Twitch
  8. Click Start Export

How to Export Your Twitch Highlights to Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok

Unlike on YouTube, you can’t connect Twitch to social media like Instagram and TikTok. You can still connect to Twitter

For Twitter:

  1. You can connect your Twitch account to Twitter. Go to https://www.twitch.tv/settings/connections
  2. Scroll Down, on the Twitter table, click connect at the right corner
  3. Sign in to your Twitter account
  4. Repeat the step for YouTube export

For Instagram and TikTok you need to manually download the Highlights then upload them using your social media account

  1. Go to your Channel Dashboard
  2. Choose Content -> Video Producer
  3. Choose the video, then click the 3 Vertical Dots
  4. On the drop-down menu, click “Download”
  5. Log in to each of your social media accounts
  6. Upload the video on your Social Media account

Philip Maynan is a hobbyist streamer and digital artist. What he loves most are writing, gaming, and drawing. Currently, he focuses on blogging and learning digital art.

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