Twitch alters service ahead of rumoured YouTube buyout

Twitch is about to make some considerable alterations to its service in an attempt to keep copyright lawsuits and takedowns at bay.

According to The Verge, the changes are seemingly to prime Twitch as an ideal acquisition prospect for a larger, wealthier company.

Going live today, the new copyright feature cracks down on unlicensed music by muting the audio of any video on-demand, excluding livestreams, should Twitch match it with content it recognises.

The company has partnered with Audible Magic in order to achieve this feat.

Twitch says that the technology operates by scanning 30-minute chunks of time and muting the whole thing if it picks up something it recognises during that block.

Already the feature has become problematic for some users who find the tool overzealous at blocking the very music from the games.

In order to ease their frustrations, Twitch has set up a way for content owners to challenge instances where the system may have muted something accidentally, as well as for those who might own the rights to use the track. Users are also being encouraged to get music from the Creative Commons, Jamendo, and SongFreedom if they want to add any music without fear of blockage.

The YouTube-Twitch deal first appeared in a Variety report in May and would give YouTube a powerful grasp in the booming e-sports streaming market.