can i download twitch vods through the twitch app How to Download Twitch VODs. Twitch is a streaming service designed primarily for gamers. Twitch is a platform gamers can use to broadcast their games to (in many cases) millions of their followers across the globe in real-time. The streaming service revolves around the idea of streaming games live and as they happen, and since they can’t be on Twitch watching their favorite streams all the time, viewers missing out on content was basically inevitable. This is where Twitch’s VOD (Video on Demand) feature comes in. All of a Twitch streamer’s streams are saved as VODs on the platform so that both viewers and streamers can access them even if the actual streams are offline. Twitch VODs, however, expire and are automatically deleted from Twitch servers after a specified amount of time which varies depending on the kind of Twitch account the streamer has. To be more specific, VODs belonging to streamers with regular accounts expire in 14 days, those belonging to Twitch Partners expire in 60 days, and VODs belonging to Twitch Affiliates expire in somewhere between 14-60 days. Since VODs cease to exist on Twitch’s servers after the expiry period has lapsed, many viewers (and streamers) want to download their favorite VODs so that they can simply store them locally on their computers, edit them and/or upload them to other video streaming and hosting services. Thankfully, viewers can quite easily download VODs of their favorite streams, and streamers can download VODs of their streams without much difficulty, although the procedure for downloading a Twitch VOD varies significantly depending on whether you’re just a viewer of the stream the VOD is from or its owner. Here’s how you can download Twitch VODs to your computer: Downloading your own Twitch VODs. If you want to download a VOD and are the owner of the stream the VOD is from, downloading the VOD is a pretty straightforward process that you can go through on the official Twitch website itself without any outside help whatsoever. However, before you can download your own Twitch VODs, you need to make sure that all of your streams are automatically saved to your Twitch profile as VODs, and only when you have done so will your future broadcasts be turned into VODs you can download. To enable broadcast auto-archiving for your Twitch stream, you need to: Make your way to the Twitch website and make sure you’re logged in. Open the dropdown menu in the top-right corner and click on Settings . Locate and click on the link that reads Channel and Videos . On the next page, scroll down until you reach the Channel Settings section. Locate the Automatically archive my broadcasts option and enable it by checking the checkbox beside it. Once this change has taken effect, all of your streams will be saved to your Twitch profile as VODs once they end. When your streams are being archived to your profile as VODs, you can go ahead and download them. To download a Twitch VOD from one of your streams, you need to: Make your way to the Twitch website and make sure you’re logged in. Open the dropdown menu in the top-right corner and click on Video Producer . You will be taken to a library containing a collection of all the videos associated with your Twitch account, including both VODs from past broadcasts and videos you have uploaded to Twitch. Open the dropdown menu and click on Past Broadcast to select it. You will see all of the VODs from past streams that are currently available for you to watch, and right under the thumbnail for each VOD will be a Download button. Click on the Download button located under the VOD you want to start downloading it to your computer. Downloading VODs from someone else’s stream. Downloading VODs from streams that you do not own and are simply a viewer of is where things get a bit more complex – you can’t download VODs from someone else’s broadcasts, at least not directly from Twitch. You can, however, download any VOD that exists on Twitch and its servers using a program known as Twitch Leecher. Twitch Leecher is a completely free, third-party application designed expressly for the purpose of downloading VODs from Twitch, and it is by far the Twitch community’s favorite candidate for the job. Twitch Leecher is in no way connected to Twitch and neither does the streaming platform condone its use, but the program is really well crafted and has an intuitive yet extremely simple Graphical User Interface. It’s design even compliments that of Twitch and it has an active team of developers that actually listens to user feedback working on it. If you would like to use Twitch Leecher to download VODs from Twitch, here’s how you can go about doing so: 4 Ways to Download Twitch Videos, Both VODs and Clips Included. Twitch.tv is a real-time streaming video platform for video games. It attracts more than 38 million page views and over 20 million game players per month. Not only can you watch or live the game on Twitch, but also learn strategies from other gamers. Game enthusiasts will often mention Twitch VODs. Then, what is VOD? It contains both past broadcasts and highlights. A past broadcast can only be saved up to 14 days at most. For Turbo subscribers and members, the storage time increases to up to 60 days. In the meantime, VODs are saved as FLV format, which is not able to be played in mobile, console devices, etc. For a variety of reasons, we have to download Twitch videos to MP4/MP3 with a Twitch VOD downloader. In this post, we are going to see how to download Twitch VODs & clips videos. So you will never worry about the inconvenience of online watching and the requirement of heavier bandwidth. Download Twitch Videos with Professional Desktop Software. How to Download Twitch Videos on Mac? Whether you have totally no experience or are quite accustomed to online Twitch VOD downloader, Cisdem Video Converter for Mac will meet your demands. It comes with an easy-to-use interface and countless advanced functions. All the tools are displayed in the main window. There is no need to spend much time searching for its hidden features. Cisdem Video Converter for Mac. Download Twitch gaming videos like Fortnite, LOL, WOW, IRL, GTA V, etc. Download your own or someone else’s Twitch VODs, clips, and streams Support more video download sites (over 1000), including YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, etc. Download 1080p & 4k videos without quality loss Convert Twitch videos to 300+ formats, like MP4, MP3, AVI, WMV, WebM, etc. Save videos to iPad, iTunes, iPhone, Android, and any other formats Merge/crop/trim Twitch video or add watermarks & subtitles to it Batch processing with fast speed. Install Twitch VOD downloader for Mac and launch it. By default, it will show the “Convert” tab. Now visit https://www.twitch.tv/ and find out a VOD or a clip such as Criken Twitch, after which copy its URL. Go back to the interface of Cisdem Twitch VOD downloader. Click on the “Download” tab and paste the Twitch video URL to download link. Start Twitch video download on Mac. Pro tip: convert Twitch to desired formats. If you want to convert the Twitch videos to MP4/MP3, you can go to “Convert” tab to finish the process. Click the button to find downloaded Twitch videos. Drag them to the first tab > choose output formats > click the button. How to Download Twitch Videos on Windows? Many Windows Twitch VOD downloaders are saturated with spyware, adware and aggressive toolbars. They also depend on FFmpeg to save content, which restricts the downloading speed. Twitch Leecher is one of the few exceptions. It is absolutely safe and takes a different way to download Twitch videos in thousands of small parts. Twitch VOD Downloader for Windows. Easily search Twitch VOD videos and highlights within the app Queue multiple downloads Up to 20 times faster download speed Clear-cut layout and stylish GUI Specify default search parameters and download folders Specify a filename template with wildcards Download subscriber-only Twitch VODs (removed since version 1.8) Download, install and run Twitch Leecher on your PC. Click the search button on the top menu, then find your favorite Twitch VOD video and copy the URL. Go to the Urls tab and paste the copied link to the blank box. Click another search button on the bottom. Wait for a loading screen. Finally, click on download button. FAQ 1: Can I install Twitch Leecher for Mac or Android? The answer is no. Twitch Leecher is merely available on Windows 10/8/7. Some merchants will use keywords like "Twitch Leecher Mac" or "Twitch Leecher Android" to get you to click and download their software. Be sure not to fall for it. FAQ 2: Why I can’t download sub only Twitch videos? Subscriber Streams serve for subscribers, VIPs, and moderators. To comply with Twitch’s Terms of Service and protect streamers' content, Twitch Leecher changed its codes and stopped downloading sub only videos since the release of version 1.8. Meanwhile, the earlier versions would not download those protected content as well and would return a 410 error. How to Download Twitch Videos Online? 1. Saveting.com. Saveting.com will be my first recommendation as a free online Twitch VOD downloader. Its simple and well-organized interface ensures you download Twitch videos without obstacle. You only need paste VOD URL to input field. It will redirect to a new page for choosing output format. Select one of the formats > right click on the “Download” link > Choose “Save Link As” option. Advantages: Intuitive interface with simple operations. Fast downloading. Disadvantages: Pop-up appears when clicked The background picture might make you a little uncomfortable Sometimes, the downloaded Twitch video can’t be played. 2. Fetchfile.net. It is a basic yet useful online tool to download Twitch VOD videos straightforwardly. You can put different formats in, like MP4, WebM, 3GPP, audio, etc. All you should do is to enter a Twitch VOD or clip URL in the field above > click “Download video” button > Select the format and quality > start download Twitch VOD or clip. Advantages: This page supports 17 languages The input quality can be 480p, HD, FullHD, UltraHD. Disadvantages: The pop-up ads are annoying The page is also interspersed with some redundant ads Beginners will be confused with m3u8 files. 3. Twitch.online-downloader.com. Twitch.online-downloader.com earns a spot on my list as it has more rich functions. The web-based service can download videos from Twitch, YouTube, Vimeo, CNN, Youku, Yahoo, CNET, etc. With it, besides, you can convert Twitch to MP4, MP3, 3GP, OGG, MOV, etc. Just paste URL and download Twitch VOD or clip in few seconds. Advantages: Support 200+ sites Support a wide range of your video file. Disadvantages: To convert video, you need register an account When choosing 1920*1080 download option, you will be taken to another site Beginners will be confused with m3u8 files. Currently, the performances of online Twitch downloaders are leaving much to be desired. The bigger site video-download.co was taken down. Another Twitch download site pickvideo.net has been disabled. Others like tubeoffline.com occur error when we trying to download Twitch videos online. Needless to say those sites that misleading you to download junk software, spam, and viruses. Download Twitch VODs and Clips on Mobile Devices? How to Download Twitch Videos on Android? 4Vid video downloader is a free and reliable app to download Twitch videos on Android. In addition, this free app helps you to download YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, VK, etc. videos from the video links as well. From now on, 4vid has limited downloads while 4vid Pro doesn’t have. But the Pro version needs cost $0.99. You can find the Android app in the Google Play Store. Open the Twitch VOD and copy its URL. Paste the link on 4Vid and press the download button. The Twitch video will open in a browser. Now you can easily download Twitch VODs on Android. How to Download Twitch Videos on iPhone? VLC for iOS is the perfect Twitch videos downloader for iPhone with unlimited features that are present among other programs. As a media player, it can play all videos, movies and shows in most type without conversion. But very few VLC users know the app can also download videos, which includes downloading Twitch VODs and clips. VLC for iPhone has been released back onto the App store and you can get it there. Go to the link you want to download and copy the URL. Open VLC on iPhone. Tap on the top left corner with the logo of VLC. A new menu will show up. Tap on Downloads option and paste the Twitch link in the upper address bar. Finally, start to download Twitch VODs or clips on the iPhone. How to Download Your Own Twitch Videos Directly? As we said at the beginning, no matter you are a Regular Broadcaster, a Partnered or a Turbo Subscriber, the validity period to save Twitch videos is 14 days to 60 days. Fortunately, there is a wonderful feature that you can download your own broadcasts and highlight to a personal computer for keeping them forever. The biggest fly in the ointment is you are unable to download other streamers’ Twitch videos. Log into your Twitch channel. Click on your channel name at the top right corner of the Twitch.tv website. A drop-down menu appears. You should select Video Manager option. Or you can get the option from your channel profile page. You will see all your archived broadcasts. Choose the one that you intend to download and click the Download button. Someone would see a Begin Download link. That’s the same thing. Larger videos will give the wording Preparing Download, rather than Begin Download. You may also be interested In: Final Words. Twitch's popularity lies not only in its content, but also in its ability to develop strong and loyal communities. Users enjoy watching live streams and chatting with stream viewers to the top of their bent on Twitch.tv. If you are one of them, be sure to keep safe and wish you having a good time there. Ideally, the solution to download Twitch videos mentioned above will more or less fix the problem you are facing. After using Cisdem Video Converter for Mac for over 1 year, I can say in all honesty that it should be the best Twitch VOD downloader. The software is not compatible with all systems, but it’s affordable, uncluttered, offers great features, and lets Mac users escape from terrible viruses and slow speed. Peter has always had great enthusiasm for writing, programming and web development. He likes writing about software and technology, his works are featured on some tech blogs or forums like Tom's Hardware, CNET, etc. Guide to Download Twitch VODs. Do you want to download Twitch VODs to broadcast your games? Our comprehensive guide will show exactly how you can Download Twitch VODs. What is Twitch VODs? Twitch is a game streaming service designed for users who wish to broadcast their shows online. By doing so, many gamers have built a wide array of followers, and it’s almost like a proper source of employment. Through this platform, gamers can broadcast games as soon as they are released. They can also broadcast earlier games that are still in demand. The only drawback of Twitch is that it is only a live streaming platform. Thus, you can’t access its videos, once the live streaming is over. By default, all users have their broadcasts saved for 14 days; whereas, Twitch Prime & Turbo users can access their past videos for almost two months. Once the said period is over, the broadcast files will automatically be deleted. Therefore, downloading Twitch VOD or Video-on-Demand allows its users to access saved files from the live Twitch streams and play them either offline or via YouTube. How to Download Twitch VODs. Downloading Twitch VODs is quite easy. However, you must know where to begin and which specific steps to execute the same. Let’s look at the various methods you can employ: Method 1: Download Your Twitch VODs. To download Twitch VODs that are yours, the pre-requisite is that you must create a profile on Twitch first. You can become a regular Twitch user, Twitch affiliate, or Twitch partner as per your requirements and features offered with each profile. Let’s see the steps involved to download Twitch VODs that were previously streamed by you: I. Enable Auto-Archiving: 1. Launch the Twitch Website . 2. Click on the Profile icon . From the menu that drops down from the top, click on Settings as shown below. 3. Next, choose Channel and Videos tab as highlighted. 4. Now, toggle on the Store past broadcasts option located in the VOD settings. Refer to the given pic. Hereon, all future broadcasts will be automatically saved in your profile. How to Download Twitch Videos: 1. Navigate to the home page of your Twitch account. 2. Click on your profile icon. Choose Video Producer as highlighted below. 3. Select the More option (it’s a three-dotted icon) next to the video you want to save. 4. Click Download and your video will be saved on your device. Method 2: Download Others’ Twitch VODs. Although, numerous applications are available that claim to download Twitch VODs but, Twitch Leecher is a free application that enables its users to download Twitch videos. Twitch does not promote or support it because it is a third-party app. It is available for Windows 7, 8, and 10 operating systems. Note: Your Windows PC should have .NET Framework 4.5 or a higher version installed for it to support Twitch Leecher. The following features make it a hot favorite: It has a well-designed and user-friendly interface . This makes it less daunting as compared to similar apps that serve the same purpose. The biggest advantage it offers is, its ability to download Twitch videos from any user on the network. This app is updated regularly in order to stay up- to-date with significant changes on the Twitch app. If you need help, you can contact the app designer using the support service provided in the application. Let’s see how to utilize this tool to download Twitch VODs published by other users: 1. Proceed to the Twitch Leecher page on GitHub and download it from there. 2. Now, run the installation file from the downloaded folder. Follow the installation instructions. 3. Once installed, launch the Twitch Leecher . 4. Select the Search option on the homepage of the Twitch website and enter the name of the preferred video. 5. Now, click on the Videos option which is available to the left of the Chat option. 6. Choose Copy Link Address by right-clicking on the said video. 7. Return to the Twitch Leecher homepage and switch to the tab-marked URLs . 8. Click on the Search button after pasting the video URL in the white space provided. 9. The video you selected from Twitch should appear. Click the Download option displayed at the bottom of the video. 10. On the next screen, choose the video resolution size and the location on your computer where the video needs to be saved. 11. Finally, select Download once you’ve executed all the steps. 12. Your video will be accessible from your chosen file location shortly. This is how you can easily download videos streams or broadcasted by other users. Recommended: We hope our guide was helpful and you were able to download Twitch VODs . If you have any comments/queries, drop them in the comment box. Elon Decker. Elon is a tech writer at TechCult. He's been writing how-to guides for about 6 years now and has covered many topics. He loves to cover topics related to Windows, Android, and the latest tricks and tips. How to Download Twitch VODs in Different Ways. Being a big fan of audio and video editing software, she always wants to share her skills with friends like you. That’s why she is here to help you. Do not hesitate to ask her if you are confused with our products. If you a hardcore gamer, you must know Twitch, the largest live-streaming game videos platform. It gathers considerable gamers to watch and discuss about the videos. Twitch VODs and live videos are supported to stream on Xbox, PS4, Mac, Windows, etc. But there are some questions that might be annoying to Twitch users, for example, "How can I download past game videos that longer than 3 hours from Twitch?" or "Can I watch Twitch VODs anytime even offline or save it forever?" What is Twitch VODs? A VOD (video on demand) on Twitch is past streamed content on Twitch. Utilizing VODs can help grow your channel and also allow your fans to watch content they may have missed otherwise. By default, the saving of VODs is disabled, however the following guide will show you how to enable and download Twitch VODs. Method 1 Download Twitch VODs with AllMyTube. Actually, there are several ways to download VODs, the software I will recommend first is AllMyTube.This is a professional video downloader that contains powerful functions. This program can download Twitch VODs that over 3 hours and save it to your PC forever. In addition, It can convert videos into adaptive formats based on your mobile. Moreover, you can transfer the downloaded videos via Wi-Fi instead of transferring via USB. The Best Twitch VODs Downloader: AllMyTube. AllMyTube designed for you to record and download Twitch VODs without any limitation. Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, etc. The Guide to Download Twitch VODs. Before you can download Twitch VODs, you need to install AllMyTube to your computer for the following fluent operations. Way 1. Paste URL of Twitch VODs. Copy the URL of Twitch VODs then click the "Paste URL" button at upper-left corner, then VODs will be added to the download list automatically. Notes: Or you can directly open the Twitch site inside AllMyTube by clicking "Online Video" button at the top of interface. It will simplify the downloading process. Way 2. Record and save VODs on PC. To download Twitch VODs through videos recording, please click on "Record Videos" button at the upper-left corner. Then you will see a recording window pop up. You can place it to the middle of VODs streaming window with either "Full Screen" mode or "Small Screen" mode. After that click on the red "REC" button to start recording. Once the recording is finished, click on "Esc" button to stop capturing. Go to the left panel and select "Finished", you can see the downloaded files there. Click "Convert" button, AllMyTube can directly convert downloaded Twitch VODs to video formats supported by your device, like iPhone 7, iPad Pro2, Samsung S8 or gaming console like Wii, PSP, Xbox, etc. It's very easy to use AllMyTube to download VODs from Twitch and download other online videos. AllMyTube supports downloading more than five videos at a time, this program will let you enjoy game videos anytime you want. Method 2 Download VODs from Twitch.tv or TwitchDown. Way 1. Download Directly from Twitch. Go to the "Channel and setting" page and find "Archive Broadcast", tick on the option "Automatically Archive My Broadcast". Then you are free to save past broadcast for 14 days. Way 2. TwitchDown. TwitchDown allows people to download high-quality VODs and merge 30 sections of VODs files together when the downloading completes. But the shortcoming of this online downloader is that it cannot download VODs longer than 3 hours. The process is unstable and slow. Twitch: Everything You Need to Know. Twitch is Amazon's video game streaming service. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn. Tweet Share Email. Consoles & PCs Gaming Services Game Play & Streaming Mobile Gaming. Twitch is a popular online service used to watch and stream digital video broadcasts. It originally focused almost entirely on video games but has since expanded to include streams dedicated to artwork creation, music, talk shows, and the occasional TV series. How Popular is Twitch? The streaming service boasts over 2 million unique streamers every month and more than 17 thousand of these users earn money through the Twitch Partner program, a service that provides streamers with added features such as paid subscriptions and ad placements. Twitch was purchased by Amazon in 2014 and it remains one of the highest sources of internet traffic in North America. Where Can I Watch Twitch? Twitch streams can be viewed on the official Twitch website and via one of the many official Twitch apps which are available for iOS and Android, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Sony's PlayStation 3 and 4, Amazon's Fire TV, Google Chromecast, Roku, and the NVIDIA SHIELD. Watching broadcasts and videos on Twitch is completely free and doesn't require viewers to log in. Creating an account, however, does allow users to add their favorite channels to a follow list (similar to subscribing to a channel on YouTube) and participate in each stream's unique chatroom. Hosting is a popular way for Twitch streamers to broadcast another channel's live stream to their own audience. How Can I Find Twitch Streamers to Watch? Twitch recommends streams on the front page of its website and its apps. Another popular way to discover new Twitch channels to watch is by browsing the Games category. This option is available on all of the apps and the Twitch website and is an easy way to find a live stream relating to a specific video game title or series. Other categories to explore are ​Communities, Popular, Creative, and Discover. These can be found in the Browse section of the main site, though not all of them are present in the official Twitch apps. Many of the more-popular Twitch streamers are quite active on Twitter and Instagram, which makes both of these social networks a solid alternative for discovering new streamers to follow. Using social media is particularly useful for finding new streamers based on their personality and other interests, something that can be hard to discern when searching on Twitch directly. Recommended keywords to use when searching Twitter and Instagram include twitch stream, twitch streamer, and streamer. Twitch Is More Than Just Video Games. Twitch may have begun as a video game streaming service but it's since expanded and now offers a variety of different live streams aimed to appeal to a broader audience. The most-popular non-gaming category is IRL (In Real Life) which features streamers simply chatting with their viewers in real-time. Talk Shows is another popular non-gaming option which contains a mix of live panel discussions, podcasts, and even professionally produced variety shows, while Cooking contains, as many would correctly guess, cooking and food shows. Viewers looking for something a bit more artistic should check out the Creative category. This is where artists, programmers, animators, cosplayers, and designers share their creative process with the world and these streams usually attract a very different audience than those watching other categories. Is Twitch a Social Network? Over the years since its launch, Twitch gradually introduced a variety of features that have helped it evolve from being a basic streaming media site into something that more closely resembles a social network such as Facebook. Twitch users can follow and DM (Direct Message) each other, each stream has its own unique chatroom where users can connect, and the popular Pulse feature essentially functions as a Facebook or Twitter timeline and allows for everyone on the network to post their own status updates as well as like, share, and comment on what others have written. All of these features are accessible via the official Twitch mobile apps as well, which puts it in direct competition with other social apps. Did Twitch used to be a social network? No. Is it one now? Absolutely. What Are Twitch Partners and Affiliates? Partners and Affiliates are special types of Twitch accounts that essentially allow for monetization of broadcasts. Anyone can become a Twitch Affiliate or Partner but certain requirements must be met in regards to a stream's popularity and the number of followers a user has. Twitch Affiliates are given access to Bits (a form of mini-donations from viewers) and 5% of game sale revenue made through their profile. Twitch Partners also get these perks in addition to video ads, paid subscriptions options, custom badges, and emoticons, and other premium perks for their channel. Are People Really Making a Living on Twitch? In short, yes. While not everyone on Twitch has quit their day job, a large number of streamers do actually make a full-time living (and more!) by streaming on the service through a combination of recurring paid subscriptions, micro-donations (i.e. Bits), regular donations (which can range from a few dollars to a few thousand), sponsorships, advertisements, and affiliate sales. Reaching that level of financial success on Twitch requires a lot of dedication though, with most of the more-popular Twitch Partners and Affiliates streaming five to seven days a week to maintain their audience. What's TwitchCon? TwitchCon is an annual convention organized by Twitch that takes place over a period of three days in either September or October. The official aim of TwitchCon is to celebrate video game and streaming culture but it also serves as a platform for the company to promote new services to users and acknowledge Twitch Partners who have been particularly successful. Events and activities at TwitchCon range from discussion panels and workshops to meet and greets with popular Twitch Partners and even a special party with live music and drinks. Events run from around midday to later in the evening. Children are welcome at TwitchCon, but those under 13 years of age are required to be accompanied by an adult. In general, TwitchCon has a more mature age demographic than similar video game conventions such as PAX or Gamescom. The first TwitchCon was held in San Francisco in 2015 and attracted over 20,000 attendees over its two days, while the second convention in 2016 in San Diego, which ran for three days, had over 35,000 attendees. The count seems to grow every year. How Is Twitch Connected to Amazon? Amazon purchased Twitch in 2014 and while the change of ownership hasn't affected Twitch too dramatically on the surface, there have been some significant evolutions to the platform with the introduction of Bits, a digital currency purchased with Amazon Payments used to make micro- donations to streamers, and Twitch Prime. What Does Twitch Prime Do? Twitch Prime is a premium membership for Twitch which links to Amazon Prime. Anyone with an Amazon Prime membership automatically gains a Twitch Prime subscription and the two are often used as a way to cross-promote the other. Users with a Twitch Prime membership are given an ad-free experience on Twitch, free digital downloadable content (DLC) for select titles, video game discounts, and a free subscription which they can use on any Twitch Partner's channel as a way to support them. Twitch Prime is now available in all major regions worldwide. Does Twitch Have Any Competition? Twitch is by far the most popular service for streaming and watching video game footage and related content. This is partially due to the fact that Twitch was the first company to focus on dedicated video game streaming but its success can also be credited to its own innovations in the industry, particularly when it comes to helping users monetize their own content. While still not as popular as Twitch, YouTube is gaining ground in the video game streaming market with its YouTube Gaming initiative which launched in 2015. Twitch's biggest rival, though, could potentially be Microsoft, that purchased the video game streaming service, Beam, in 2016 before re-naming it as Mixer and incorporating it directly into its Windows 10 PCs and Xbox One consoles. There are several smaller streaming services such as Smashcast (formally Azabu and Hitbox) but YouTube and Mixer are the only real threat to Twitch, due to the size of their respective companies and existing user base. If you have a Twitch account and it's not what you expected, you can always delete the account to get rid of it.