Twitch finally lets you upload videos

You no longer have to broadcast to post content on Twitch.

The popular livestreaming-video site, a subsidiary of Amazon, revealed during a stage presentation at its TwitchCon fan event today that it has launched video uploads as its latest feature. This enables anyone with a Twitch account to upload videos from their video-manager dashboard. Unlike archived livestreams, these clips will remain on Twitch forever without expiring. Now, with this capability, Twitch creators can make highly produced videos that they can share directly with their audience without having to go to YouTube or starting a live broadcast.

Uploading is a feature that diehard Twitch broadcasters have requested for years. To build an audience on a platform like that, creators feel the need to release new content every day — sometimes even multiple times each day. That means someone who is trying to make a living as a Twitch partner (sharing ad and subscription revenue) doesn’t really get a lot of time off. Uploading, however, can change that because broadcasters can schedule videos to go live whenever they choose.

“When you upload a video, you don’t have to be on your toes, live on-stream,” Twitch product-marketing manager Noreen McInnis wrote in a blog post. “Anyone can record and edit full-game playthroughs, step-by-step tutorials, highlight reels, montages, or any other videos that now have a home on Twitch. If you do already stream, you can download your past broadcasts and highlights, and use them to create new videos that you can schedule and share with your viewers when you’re offline  —  whether you’re just between streams or taking a well-deserved vacation.”

I tried out the uploader, and it worked well in that first test. Here’s the result:

Twitch uploads are in beta, so the company is asking its creators for feedback. To do that, Twitch is using Curse — one of its most recent acquisitions — to listen to constructive criticism. Curse is a communication tool where you can gather around certain topics and games to discuss in chat and with voice. The site is inviting everyone with ideas about uploading to join its Twitch Uploads Curse server to provide that feedback instantaneously.