If you stream on Twitch, your past broadcasts (VODs) are your raw material — for YouTube highlights, TikTok clips, or simply a record of a great night. But Twitch doesn't keep them forever. This guide explains how long they last and how to back them up before they're gone.
How long does Twitch keep VODs?
Twitch stores past broadcasts for a limited time and then deletes them automatically. For most channels that's around a week; Partners and some subscribers get longer, typically around two months. Twitch has changed these limits over the years, so check Creator Dashboard → Settings → Stream → Store past broadcasts for your channel's current rules.
Two things don't expire on the same timer: Highlights (sections you mark from a VOD) and Uploads (videos you upload directly). Clips also stay unless they're deleted.
Step 1: Turn on "Store past broadcasts"
If this setting is off, Twitch doesn't save your streams at all. In your Creator Dashboard go to Settings → Stream and switch on Store past broadcasts before your next stream.
Step 2: Download the VOD
- Open the past broadcast — its address looks like twitch.tv/videos/123456789.
- Copy that link and paste it into the Twitch downloader.
- Press Fetch, choose a quality and download.
Long streams take time. A four-hour broadcast can be several gigabytes, and the progress window shows speed and time left. Keep the page open until it finishes.
Choosing a quality
- Source / 1080p60: best for editing into YouTube videos. Roughly 2–3 GB per hour.
- 720p: a good archive copy, about half the size.
- 480p or audio only: if you only want to re-listen to a talk-heavy stream or podcast.
Make sure you have enough free space first — external SSDs are a cheap way to keep a growing archive.
Step 3: Save your best clips too
Clips made by you or your viewers are short and quick to download. Collect the best ones in a folder: they're ready-made material for Shorts, Reels and TikToks, and a great highlight reel for sponsors.
Step 4: Turn key moments into Highlights
For moments you want viewers to keep finding on Twitch, use Highlighter in the Video Producer to create a Highlight from the VOD. Highlights stay on your channel after the VOD expires, and you can download them the same way.
A simple backup routine
- After each stream, note the timestamps of good moments.
- Within a few days, create Highlights for those moments.
- Download the full VOD if it's worth keeping, or at least the Highlights and top clips.
- Name files by date and game — "2026-10-11_valorant_ranked.mp4".
- Copy the folder to an external drive or cloud storage monthly.
What can't be downloaded
Live streams while they're still live, subscriber-only VODs (which need a login and subscription), and broadcasts that have already expired. If a VOD is gone, it's gone — which is exactly why a routine helps.
Saving other streamers' clips
Clips are a big part of how streamers get discovered. If you share someone else's clip, keep their name visible and link their channel. See how to credit creators.