xQc gets DMCA banned from Twitch for streaming Olympics live

Olivia Richman Published 28/07/2021

Felix “xQc” Lengyel has been banned from Twitch once again. This time, the controversial content creator is in hot water over streaming Olympics videos through his channel.

In a recent stream, xQc watched a variety of clips from the Olympics. A copyright claim resulted in portions of the video being silenced. The DMCA strike also led xQc to get suspended from the streaming platform.

xQc tweeted about the incident earlier today, noting that he thought he had taken the “necessary precautions” to stream portions of the Olympics. The former Overwatch League pro then apologized to “everyone involved,” including his fans and viewers.

“I’ll be better and smarter next time and follow guidelines more strictly,” xQc said.

I THINK I GOT MY CHANNEL LIVE-DMCA’d. I TOOK NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS AND THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FINE. REALLY DIDN’T EXPECT IT BUT I COUL’VE EASILY AVOIDED THIS. SORRY FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED INCLUDING THE VIEWERS. I’LL BE BETTER/SMARTER NEXT TIME AND FOLLOW GUIDELINES MORE STRICTLY
— xQc (@xQc) July 28, 2021

Twitch has continued to increase its policing and strengthen its copyright claim policies. Recently, streamers were informed that three or more copyright strikes would lead to a permanent ban. This is most likely why xQc offered up an apology for streaming the Olympics, something that may initially have surprised a lot of his fans.

xQc has been getting into a lot of trouble recently. Issues have ranged from stream sniping to showing adult content live on stream. It’s still unclear how long this current DMCA= ban will last. For now, popular streamers are jokingly offering solutions to xQc fans looking for something else to watch on Twitch.

DAYCARE IS OPEN. REFUGEES WELCOME. XQC IS BANNED. SIMONE BILES TAKES A MENTAL HEALTH BREAK, JAN 6TH COMMISSION HAS POWERFUL TESTIMONY, AND THEN SOME FUN REACTS + DRAMA! GET IN NOW. https://t.co/OTlQIU6Ehj
— hasanabi (@hasanthehun) July 28, 2021

Can you play DMCA music on Twitch?

The short answer is no. DMCA music infringement on Twitch can lead to streams being demonetized, videos being taken down, and even the loss of partnership or a permanent ban from Twitch. The safest thing to do is to not play copyrighted music during a live Twitch stream unless you have a licensing agreement from the recording artist or their label.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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