Published , by TJ Denzer
Published , by TJ Denzer
In a society where streaming has become so incredibly popular, licensed music in video games continues to be one of the trickiest topics to navigate if you’re a streamer or content creator. Back 4 Blood appears to not be exempt from that conversation either. Recently Turtle Rock Studios took the time to explain that streamers may want to turn the music off due to licensed tracks being present on the in-game jukebox that may lead to a copyright strike or takedown.
Turtle Rock Studios Influencer and Communications specialist Alissa Barry recently took to Twitter to share a cautionary warning for streamers and content creators planning content for Back 4 Blood. According to Barry, while the game can be streamed safely in most cases, streamers and content creators should turn the music off if they interact with the in-game jukebox. The issue is that Turtle Rock doesn’t own streaming rights for the music included in the game.
Some replies asked how the music could be in the game if it wasn’t allowed to be played on streams - a point where Barry pointed out that owning rights to include music in the game and rights to stream the music live are two different legal agreements, and that Turtle Rock doesn’t have the latter. Music on Twitch has been a tough matter to circumvent and Twitch is doing little outside covering its own legal behind on the matter. With the current state of affairs, it’ll probably be worthwhile for any content creator to figure out where the jukebox is in Back 4 Blood, how it operates, and to avoid it if streaming or making video content.
Back 4 Blood’s release is right around the corner with a release date on October 12, and it’s coming to Xbox Game Pass. Hopefully, licensed music doesn’t put a stick in the spokes of anyone enjoying the game as it launches.