To post a video on Twitch, open the Video Producer in your Creator Dashboard and use the upload button on the right above the video list. Uploads are limited to Affiliates and Partners, files need H264 compression, and Highlights and Uploads share a 100-hour storage cap.
People ask this in lots of different ways, so I've laid it out as the questions I see most, answered from Twitch's own help page on on-demand content, which I checked as of Nov 2026. Where Twitch doesn't say something, I'll tell you rather than guess.
Can I upload a video to Twitch?
Only if you're an Affiliate or a Partner. Twitch's on-demand content guide says uploading videos is limited to Affiliates and Partners at this time. Uploads are for content you've made, saved or edited somewhere else and want to bring onto Twitch.
If you're not there yet, that's the first job. Here's what Twitch asks for in its Affiliate requirements. Until then, your on-demand content comes from your streams: past broadcasts and the Highlights you cut from them.
Where is the upload button?
It's in the Video Producer. To get there, go to your Creator Dashboard and select Video Producer under the Content dropdown menu. Use the button on the right above the video list and pick the file you want from the window that opens.
Twitch says it supports uploads using H264 video compression. It doesn't list other formats, file sizes or a maximum length on that page, so if your file won't go, check the compression first and contact Twitch Support for anything beyond that.
What's the difference between a VOD, a Highlight and an Upload?
- Past Broadcasts (VODs) are recordings of your live streams. They only exist if Past Broadcast storage is turned on in your Stream Settings before you go live.
- Highlights are segments of your past broadcasts, made with the Highlighter tool. Think of them as a reel of your best moments for new visitors to your channel page.
- Uploads are files you bring in from elsewhere, for Affiliates and Partners only.
- Channel Trailers are short introductions shown to new viewers when you're offline, also only for Affiliates and Partners.
Short moments are a separate thing again. If you want those, here's how clipping works.
How much can I store, and for how long?
This is where most people get caught out. Highlights and Uploads share one combined 100-hour storage limit, and that includes unpublished ones. They're stored indefinitely. Past broadcasts don't count towards that limit, but they're deleted after a set time:
| Account type | Past broadcasts kept for | Highlights and Uploads |
|---|---|---|
| Partners, Turbo and Prime users | 60 days | Combined 100-hour limit, stored indefinitely |
| Affiliates | 14 days | Combined 100-hour limit, stored indefinitely |
| Other streamers | 7 days | Combined 100-hour limit, stored indefinitely |
If you stream in 2K or in vertical or dual format, the higher-quality or vertical version expires 7 days after the stream. The 1080p or horizontal version then stays for the rest of your retention period.
Unpublishing doesn't free up space. Twitch is clear that both published and unpublished Highlights and Uploads count, so you have to delete to get hours back. The good news is that the Video Producer shows how many hours you'll regain before you hit delete.
Why didn't my stream save as a video?
Usually because Store Past Broadcasts was off. If that toggle is off, nothing is saved and you can't make Highlights or Clips from it. It can only be switched on through the Creator Dashboard on the web, not in the mobile app, so if you stream from your phone you need to turn it on in a browser first.
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Streams can also fail to save if your stream configuration isn't set up right or your network is unstable, even with the toggle on. Twitch suggests Twitch Inspector to troubleshoot. And the hard truth: Twitch Support can't recover a broadcast that wasn't saved. Check the setting before every important stream.
What can I do with a video once it's on Twitch?
Quite a lot, all from the three vertical dots menu next to each video in the Video Producer:
- Edit the title, description, language and category, remove tags, change the thumbnail or set who can view it. Click Save Changes when you're done.
- Publish or unpublish one video, or tick several and do them in bulk. Unpublishing makes a video publicly inaccessible.
- Add to a Collection, which is a playlist for organising your best work.
- Add to the Rerun Queue. If you broadcast a rerun, tick the Rerun checkbox and add [Rerun] to the start of your stream title and your Go Live notification.
- Highlight a past broadcast, which takes you to the Highlighter.
Once VOD storage is on, past broadcasts are published by default unless they're in an Excluded Category or you've switched off Always Publish VODs. If you're building videos into a wider plan, my guide to making money on Twitch shows where they fit.
How do I get my videos off Twitch?
Two ways. Download a video from the three vertical dots menu, one at a time, because Twitch doesn't offer bulk downloads. A muted video won't download with its audio restored. Or connect your YouTube account on your Connections page and use Export to send videos straight to YouTube. Twitch's tip: verify your YouTube account if you want to upload past YouTube's 15 min limit.
My verdict: if a past broadcast matters to you, download or export it well before the 7, 14 or 60 day window closes. Don't rely on Twitch keeping it.
Quick answers
Who can upload videos to Twitch?
Twitch says uploading videos is limited to Affiliates and Partners at this time.
Do past broadcasts count towards the 100-hour limit?
No. Only Highlights and Uploads count towards the storage limit, including unpublished ones.
Can Twitch Support recover a stream that didn't save?
No. If a broadcast wasn't saved, Twitch says it no longer exists on its servers and can't be recovered.
Can I bulk download my videos?
No. Twitch only lets you download or export content one video at a time.
