Hello Twitch Developer Team,
I’d like to add my contribution to the long-standing discussion around downloading or exporting Twitch VODs via the API.
Over the years, I’ve seen many discussions and feature requests about this topic - often alongside requests related to clip downloads - some of them dating back several years. This clearly shows that the need has existed for a long time and hasn’t disappeared.
In that context, I was genuinely glad to see that Twitch introduced a Clips download endpoint around September 2025. While some developers consider it limited (I personally haven’t tested it yet), it’s still a very positive signal: it shows that Twitch is willing to officially support content export use cases through the API.
I’ve also added my vote to this UserVoice request:
https://twitch.uservoice.com/forums/310213-developers/suggestions/41560489-extend-videos-api-to-allow-editors-and-above-to
That said, this topic seems quite old and not very visible anymore. I actually had to dig to find it, which makes it hard to tell whether it’s still actively considered or not.
Why an official VOD download/export endpoint matters
An official VOD download (or export) endpoint would be extremely valuable:
- For small and mid-size streamers, it would enable simple automations to repurpose their own content and expand their reach with far less friction.
- At a larger scale, it would allow public tools and SaaS products to exist in a clean, compliant way, helping creators distribute content they already own to other platforms (YouTube being the most common example).
Today, many streamers already work around this limitation, often in sub-optimal ways:
- Some stream simultaneously on Twitch and YouTube just to get a YouTube VOD.
- Others record the stream locally and manually upload the VOD afterward.
- More established streamers sometimes hire someone whose sole job is exporting Twitch VODs to YouTube, which feels inefficient and unnecessary.
In every case, the conclusion is the same:
a solution is always found to export the content elsewhere, sometimes even in ways that violate the Twitch agreement.
Given that reality, it’s surprising that there is still no official, API-based way to download or export VODs, especially when clips now have a supported endpoint.
About feedback visibility
One additional point: I don’t think upvotes on old UserVoice topics accurately reflect real demand.
Personally, this has been a recurring pain point for me for years, yet my first instinct was never to browse old forum threads to upvote requests. Many of them look inactive or abandoned, which discourages engagement even if the need is still very real.
Closing
To summarize:
- The demand for VOD export/download is real and persistent
- Workarounds already exist and will continue to exist
- An official endpoint (even with clear limitations and permissions) would greatly simplify things while keeping usage compliant and controlled
I’d really appreciate knowing whether this is something Twitch is actively considering, or if there are known blockers that make such an endpoint impossible today.
Thanks for taking the time to read, and for all the work on the developer platform.
Matthieu