Streamers on Twitch can save their past broadcasts as VODs or Highlights for on-demand viewing. You can also download these videos to your computer for offline watching. However, you’ll need to enable VODs and turn any highlights into a VOD before the stream ends. Once a stream ends, you won’t be able to view it again unless you’re a subscriber to the streamer’s channel or a member of their community. In this article, we’ll show you how to enable Save Twitch replays and highlight streaming videos from a live broadcast, as well as download them directly to your computer.
The easiest way to save a Twitch replay is by using the Video Producer tool built into the website. Log into your account on the Twitch website, click the profile icon in the top-right corner of the screen and select Creator Dashboard from the drop-down menu. This will open your stream editor, the Video Producer, where you can find a list of your archived broadcasts. From here, you can download any VOD or highlight by clicking the three-dot menu next to it and selecting Download.
This will download an MP4 file to your computer that contains the entire broadcast, including chat messages and any music or audio that was played during the stream. If Twitch’s Audio Recognition system muted sections of your VOD due to copyrighted content, those segments will also be muted in the downloaded file.
To enable VODs, head to the Stream Settings section of your Creator Dashboard and scroll down to the VOD Settings area. Toggle the “Store past broadcasts as VOD” setting to the on position. You can also decide if VODs should be automatically published when they end by toggling the “Always Publish VOD” option to the on position. You can unpublish or delete VODs in the Video Producer later if you want to make changes.
If you’re a Twitch Partner, Prime or Turbo user, your VODs will stay up on your channel for 60 days. Otherwise, they’ll be deleted after 14 days. To keep a VOD forever, you can turn it into a Highlight, which is similar to a VOD but never expires.
If you’re not a Twitch Partner, you’ll need to use third-party software to save your live streams or VODs to your computer. One such tool is Free Twitch Downloader, which lets you save your favorite broadcasts to MP4 files for offline playback on your PC or mobile devices. The tool also supports SD card storage, so you can install it on a portable device like an Android phone and watch your Twitch content even without an internet connection. Another great option is Screen-O-Matic, which is available for Windows, macOS and iOS. It has a free version that lets you record up to 15 minutes of footage, and there’s an advanced Pro edition with more features. Both options are free to try out, so give them a go and see which one you prefer.