Can You Upload Pre-Recorded Videos to Twitch? How to Stream Them Live

Yes, in two ways. Twitch Uploads let Affiliates and Partners add a finished video to their channel as on-demand content. To show a recording as a live broadcast, stream the file from an encoder or a cloud tool and label it as a Rerun.

Pick the method by the result you want: a saved video that viewers open later, or a live broadcast with an open chat.

Twitch Upload or pre-recorded live stream?

Twitch rules in this post are current as of October 27, 2026. Twitch does not date its help articles.

Twitch Uploads: who can use them

Twitch lists Uploads as on-demand content. An Upload is a saved video. It does not put your channel live.

Twitch's On-Demand Content help page says uploading videos is limited to Affiliates and Partners at this time. It also says Twitch supports file uploads that use H.264 video compression.

To upload a video:

1. Open the Creator Dashboard on the web.
2. Open Content, then Video Producer.
3. Click the upload button on the right, above the video list.
4. Select your file.

The 100-hour limit

• Highlights and Uploads share one 100-hour storage limit. Unpublished ones count too.
• Unpublishing does not free space. You must delete a Highlight or an Upload.
• Past broadcasts (VODs) do not count. A full VOD that you saved as a Highlight does count.

For how long Twitch keeps past broadcasts, read how to save your Twitch streams.

Not an Affiliate yet?

Twitch's Affiliate page lists four requirements: 25 followers, 4 hours streamed, streams on 4 different days, and an average of 3 concurrent viewers on 4 different days. Only the last 30 days count. You also need two-factor authentication, and Twitch sends an invite when you qualify.

Until you join the program, uploads are not open to you. Streaming a recording live still works.

Stream a recording live: Twitch allows it if you label it

Twitch's Terms of Service say Twitch allows you to distribute live and pre-recorded audio-visual works. Twitch's help page calls this a Rerun: non-live content that you play on your channel. It says you can stream your VODs from the encoder of your choice.

Twitch asks you to tell viewers in three places:

1. Tick the Rerun checkbox in the Edit Stream Info panel.
2. Add [Rerun] to the start of your stream title.
3. Add [Rerun] to the start of your Go Live Notification text.

The checkbox adds a Rerun tag. A channel that streams a Rerun correctly shows a Rerun label on its channel page. Without the label, Twitch says, viewers expect a live streamer, and skipping it "can damage community trust".

Two more rules to know:

• Rights. Twitch's Terms say you must be the creator, or own or control the rights to your content, or have enough rights to share it.
• Monetization. In the Monetized Streamer Agreement, you agree that your content "will primarily consist of live content". Treat reruns as part of your schedule, not all of it.

Two ways to stream the file live

• Your own encoder, such as OBS. Your computer must stay on while the file streams. See the OBS guide for Twitch.
• A cloud tool, such as LiveReacting. Our servers stream the pre-recorded video on Twitch for you. The stream keeps running if you close your computer.

The basic steps with LiveReacting:

1. Upload the video you recorded.
2. Connect your Twitch channel.
3. Start the title with [Rerun] and set the duration.
4. In Twitch, tick Rerun in Edit Stream Info and add [Rerun] to the Go Live Notification text.
5. Press Go Live, or let a scheduled stream start on its own.

LiveReacting runs on servers in several data centers in Europe and the US. If the server that runs your stream stops answering, the stream starts again on another server by itself. Your video files sit in two storage services with automatic switch-over, and a broken file in a playlist is skipped.

On every paid plan, code or an AI agent can also control your stream through the API and MCP server. You can start free.

Before you go live

• Have a Twitch account. Log in to Twitch or sign up.
• Turn on Store Past Broadcasts in Stream Settings before you go live. Twitch saves past broadcasts only when this setting is on. You can set it only in the Creator Dashboard on the web, not in the mobile app.

How to Go Live With Your Pre-Recorded Video on Twitch

Here is each step with a screenshot. Do the three Rerun steps above before you press Go Live.

Step 1. Upload your video. Log in to LiveReacting, choose a pre-recorded video template, and upload your video file. LiveReacting encodes the file for you at no extra cost.

Step 2. Open the project settings. When the upload ends, go to Settings of your project.

Step 3. Connect Twitch. Click the + icon and connect your Twitch account.

Step 4. Set the title and duration. Start the title with [Rerun], then check that the title in Twitch starts with [Rerun] too. Set the duration and click Save. To start later on a paid plan, pick a date and time under Scheduling.

Step 5. Go live. Press Go Live. The video plays for the duration you set.

Chat is open while the video plays. Answer questions and talk with your viewers. The video is recorded, but your replies are live.

Tips for your recording

• Cut slow parts. Trim sections where nothing happens.
• Check the audio. Your voice and any music should be clear and at a steady level.
• Show chat on screen. Add a Twitch chat overlay so viewers see the conversation.
• Say it is a rerun. Tell viewers at the start. Then stay in chat.

Want to stream recorded gameplay? Read how to stream a pre-recorded game on Twitch. For the rules on other platforms, see what each platform allows for a fake live stream.

FAQ

Can you upload pre-recorded videos to Twitch?

Yes, if you are an Affiliate or Partner. Twitch says uploading videos is limited to Affiliates and Partners at this time. Uploads count toward a 100-hour limit that Highlights share. You can also stream a recording live and label it as a Rerun.

Do I have to label a pre-recorded stream on Twitch?

Twitch tells streamers to. Tick the Rerun checkbox in the Edit Stream Info panel. Then add [Rerun] to the start of the stream title and the Go Live Notification text. Twitch says skipping the label can damage community trust.

Is it against Twitch rules to stream a pre-recorded video?

No. Twitch's Terms of Service say Twitch allows you to distribute live and pre-recorded audio-visual works. You must own or control the rights to the video. If you are in the Monetized Streamer Program, you also agree that your content will primarily consist of live content.

Does a rerun count toward the Affiliate requirements?

Twitch does not say. Its Affiliate page asks for 4 hours streamed on 4 different days and does not mention reruns. Ask Twitch Support before you rely on a rerun to qualify.

Can I chat with viewers during a pre-recorded stream?

Yes. Chat is open while the video plays, and you answer your viewers yourself. Keep the Rerun label on so viewers know the video was recorded.

Next step

Upload your recorded video, connect Twitch, label the stream as a Rerun and go live. You can try it free on LiveReacting.

Questions? Message us in the live chat on our website, or email [email protected].