Playing copyrighted music on Twitch can get your VODs muted, your channel struck, or your account banned. The rules are strict, enforcement is automated, and "I didn't know" isn't a defense. This guide covers the best royalty-free music services for Twitch streamers in 2026 — both paid and free — along with how Twitch's DMCA system actually works so you can stream with music safely.
Quick Comparison: Music Services for Streamers
| Service | Price | Library Size | Free Tier? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epidemic Sound | $9.99/mo (annual) | 40,000+ tracks | 30-day trial | Best overall quality & variety |
| Artlist | $9.99/mo (annual) | 400,000+ assets | No | Music + SFX bundle for multi-platform creators |
| Soundstripe | $9.99/mo (annual) | 10,000+ tracks | No | Budget paid option with stems |
| Pretzel Rocks | $4.99/mo | 50,000+ tracks | Yes (5,000 tracks) | Built for Twitch, has chat integration |
| Monstercat Gold | $7.49/mo | Thousands (EDM focus) | Partial* | EDM & electronic music streamers |
| StreamBeats | Free | 1,500+ tracks | Yes (fully free) | Best free option — no credit needed |
| NCS | Free | 1,500+ tracks | Yes (credit required) | Electronic/EDM, free with attribution |
*Monstercat tracks can be used without a subscription, but revenue from your content will be claimed and redirected to Monstercat and the artists.
How DMCA Works on Twitch
Before choosing a music service, you need to understand what happens if you get caught playing copyrighted music on Twitch. The rules are not suggestions — they're enforced automatically and the consequences are permanent.
What is a DMCA strike?
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) requires Twitch to act when rights holders report unauthorized use of their music. Twitch uses automated audio recognition (similar to YouTube's Content ID) to scan both live streams and VODs for copyrighted tracks. If a match is found, your VOD audio gets muted. If a rights holder files a formal takedown, you receive a DMCA strike.
Twitch's three-strike system
- First strike: 24-hour ban from streaming
- Second strike: 24-hour to 7-day ban
- Third strike: Indefinite or permanent ban
DMCA strikes are never removed from your record. Unlike other Twitch bans that have a 90-day probation period, DMCA strikes stay on your account permanently. Three strikes and your channel is gone.
What you cannot play
- Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music — A personal subscription does not grant you a license to broadcast that music. It's a personal listening license only.
- Music you "bought" — Purchasing a song on iTunes, a CD, or vinyl gives you personal listening rights, not broadcasting rights.
- Radio-style broadcasts — Playing recorded music as your primary content (without a live visual performance) is not allowed.
- DJ sets with copyrighted music — Unless you're enrolled in the Twitch DJ Program, which requires revenue-sharing agreements with labels (Universal, Sony, Warner).
What you can play
- Music you created yourself
- Music licensed through royalty-free services (listed below)
- Music where the rights holder has explicitly given you permission
For the full official guidelines, see Twitch's Music Guidelines and DMCA Guidelines.
Best Paid Music Services for Twitch
Epidemic Sound — Best Overall
Epidemic Sound is a Swedish music licensing company with a library of over 40,000 tracks and 90,000 sound effects across every genre. It's widely considered the highest-quality royalty-free music library available, and their tracks are composed exclusively for the platform — you won't hear them on the radio, which means fewer false Content ID matches.
Pricing: The Creator plan costs $9.99/month (billed annually) or $17.99/month on a monthly plan. This covers Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and podcasts — one channel per platform. A 30-day free trial is available.
Why streamers like it: Consistently high production quality. The search and filtering tools are excellent — you can browse by mood, genre, energy level, and BPM. Every track is pre-cleared for all platforms, including Twitch VODs. Epidemic Sound no longer offers a separate "Streamer" plan — the Creator plan covers streaming use.
Artlist — Best for Multi-Platform Creators
Artlist bundles music, sound effects, and (on higher tiers) stock footage into one subscription. If you stream on Twitch but also produce YouTube videos, TikTok content, or client work, Artlist's all-in-one approach can save money compared to separate subscriptions.
Pricing: The Music & SFX Social plan costs $9.99/month (billed annually) and covers personal use on one channel per platform, including Twitch. The Pro plan at $16.58/month (music only) or $24.92/month (music + SFX) adds commercial use, client work, and up to 3 channels per platform.
Why streamers like it: Massive library (400K+ assets), new tracks added daily, and good search tools. The higher-tier plans that include footage and templates are useful if you also edit YouTube content.
Soundstripe — Budget Paid Option
Soundstripe offers a solid library of 10,000+ studio-quality tracks and nearly 100,000 sound effects with a straightforward subscription model.
Pricing: The Personal plan costs $9.99/month (billed annually) or $19.99/month on a monthly plan, covering personal projects with one auto-cleared YouTube channel. The Pro plan at $19.99/month (annual) adds stems, alternate versions, commercial licensing, and up to 5 YouTube channels.
Why streamers like it: Stems access on the Pro plan is genuinely useful — you can strip out vocals or isolate specific instruments for custom background music. The library is smaller than Epidemic Sound or Artlist, but the quality is consistent.
Pretzel Rocks — Built for Twitch
Pretzel Rocks is designed specifically for live streamers, not general content creators. It works as a music player app (desktop or web) that streams DMCA-safe music directly to your broadcast, with built-in Twitch chat integration that announces the currently playing track.
Pricing: The free tier includes 5,000 tracks across 10 radio stations (with mandatory chat attribution). The Premium plan at $4.99/month removes the attribution requirement, adds hotkey controls, and opens up the full 50,000+ track library with 60+ curated stations. A Pro plan with download capability uses tiered pricing based on your audience size.
Why streamers like it: It's the only service on this list built from the ground up for live streaming. The chat integration, station-based browsing, and Stream Deck integration make it easy to use mid-stream. 70% of subscription fees go directly to artists.
Monstercat Gold — Best for EDM Streamers
Monstercat Gold is the streaming license from electronic music label Monstercat. If your stream's vibe is EDM, bass music, dubstep, or drum and bass, Monstercat's catalog is one of the best in the genre.
Pricing: $7.49/month for full access. You can connect up to 6 channels (YouTube and Twitch only). Downloads available in MP3, FLAC, or WAV.
Important caveat: You can technically use Monstercat music without a Gold subscription, but your content will receive a revenue claim — ad income from that content goes to Monstercat and the artists. Subscribing to Gold removes all claims and lets you keep 100% of your revenue. Also note: not every Monstercat release is available under the Gold license, and the license covers YouTube and Twitch only (not TikTok, Instagram, etc.).
Best Free Music for Twitch
You don't need to spend money to have DMCA-safe music on your stream. These options are genuinely free and legitimately safe.
StreamBeats by Harris Heller
StreamBeats is the most popular free music library for streamers. Created by YouTuber and streamer Harris Heller, it offers 1,500+ tracks across 15 genres — from lo-fi and chill hop to rock and EDM. All tracks are registered with Twitch's Audible Magic and YouTube's Content ID systems, so they're fully cleared for live streams and VODs.
Why it works: No attribution required. No signup. No catch. Heller's business model is simple — streamers play his music, which drives Spotify/Apple Music streams, which generates royalty income for his label. You get free music; he gets exposure. Available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Bandcamp, and SoundCloud.
Note: StreamBeats has had occasional issues with Facebook's more aggressive audio detection. If you multistream to Facebook, be aware this may cause problems on that platform specifically.
NCS (NoCopyrightSounds)
NCS is an electronic music record label with 1,500+ tracks available for free use by independent creators. The catalog skews heavily toward EDM, dubstep, trap, and house music.
Usage rules: NCS music is free for independent creators (streamers, YouTubers, gamers) as long as you credit the artist and song in your stream description. Add "Music provided by http://spoti.fi/NCS" to your stream description and you're covered. Commercial use (ads, products, games) requires a separate paid license.
Other Free Options
- Chillhop Music — Lo-fi and jazz hop playlists on YouTube that are free to use with credit. Popular for chill, study-vibe streams.
- GameChops — Video game music remixes on YouTube, free to use with credit. Good fit for gaming streams.
- Comfi Beats — Lo-fi playlists by LilyPichu on YouTube, free to use with credit.
For any "free with credit" source, always check their specific usage policy before streaming — terms can change, and some channels that claim to be royalty-free may include tracks that are not actually cleared.
How to Play Music on Stream Without Broadcasting It
If you want to listen to whatever music you like (including Spotify) while streaming but don't want viewers to hear it, you can separate your audio sources using a virtual audio cable. This routes your personal music to your headphones only, while OBS captures only your microphone and game audio for the stream. Check our Virtual Audio Cable setup guide for step-by-step instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play Spotify music on my Twitch stream?
No. A Spotify Premium subscription gives you a personal listening license, not a broadcasting license. Playing Spotify on stream is a copyright violation regardless of whether you pay for the subscription. The same applies to Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, and any other streaming service.
Is there a "10-second rule" for copyrighted music?
No. This is a myth. There is no duration of copyrighted music that is automatically "safe" to play. Even a few seconds of a recognizable song can trigger Twitch's automated detection system or a manual DMCA claim from a rights holder.
Will my VODs get muted if I use royalty-free music?
If you use a properly licensed service (Epidemic Sound, Pretzel Rocks, StreamBeats, etc.), your VODs should not be muted. Muted VODs happen when Twitch's Audible Magic system detects copyrighted audio. Legitimate royalty-free services register their music with these systems to prevent false matches. Occasional false positives can happen but are rare with established services.
What's the Twitch DJ Program?
Twitch has agreements with major labels (Universal, Sony, Warner) that allow enrolled DJs to play copyrighted music on stream in exchange for revenue sharing. Twitch splits the cost of paying labels with the DJ. This program is specifically for DJ-focused content — it doesn't apply to regular gaming streamers who want background music.
Can I use royalty-free music on YouTube and other platforms too?
Most paid services (Epidemic Sound, Artlist, Soundstripe) cover multiple platforms including YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Free options vary — StreamBeats covers all platforms, NCS covers YouTube and Twitch with credit, and Monstercat Gold covers YouTube and Twitch only. Always check the specific license terms for the platform you're publishing to.
Which free option should I start with?
StreamBeats. It requires no credit, no signup, and no payment. It has the widest genre selection of the free options and is fully registered with Twitch's and YouTube's content detection systems. If you want electronic music specifically, add NCS to your rotation.
