Twitch Downloader Glossary

Plain-English definitions of the Twitch terms behind downloading — VOD, clip, m3u8 and more.

VOD

A VOD (Video On Demand) is a past Twitch broadcast saved for later viewing. Twitch deletes VODs after 7–60 days depending on the account, which is why people download them.

Clip

A clip is a short, shareable highlight — a few seconds up to 60 seconds — cut from a live stream or VOD by viewers.

Highlight

A highlight is a curated excerpt of a past broadcast that a streamer keeps permanently, unlike a regular VOD that expires.

Live stream

A live stream is a Twitch broadcast happening in real time. It only becomes a stored file once you record it as it airs.

m3u8 / HLS

HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) is the streaming format Twitch uses. An .m3u8 file is a playlist that lists the small video segments making up the video.

.ts segment

A .ts (MPEG-TS) file is one short chunk of video. Twitch streams are split into many .ts segments; a downloader stitches them back into one file.

MP4

MP4 is the most widely compatible video container. Downloaders convert Twitch's .ts segments into a single MP4 that plays everywhere.

Transmux

Transmuxing repackages video from one container to another (e.g. .ts to MP4) without re-encoding, so it's fast and keeps the original quality.

Source quality (chunked)

‘Source’ (also called ‘chunked’) is the original, highest-quality version of a Twitch stream — up to 1080p60 — before Twitch makes lower-resolution copies.

Bitrate

Bitrate is how much data per second the video uses (e.g. Mbit/s). Higher bitrate means better quality and bigger files.

FPS

FPS (frames per second) is how many images play each second. Twitch source is often 60fps for smooth motion.

Storyboard / seek preview

A storyboard is a grid of tiny thumbnails Twitch generates for a VOD so the player can show a preview when you scrub the timeline.

Sub-only VOD

A sub-only VOD is a past broadcast only the channel's subscribers can watch. Public tools cannot access it without the right account.

VOD retention

VOD retention is how long Twitch keeps a past broadcast before deleting it: 7 days by default, 14 with Prime or Turbo, up to 60 for Affiliates and Partners.

Watermark

A watermark is a logo overlaid on a video. A clean downloader saves clips and VODs with no added watermark, at full resolution.

Channel

A channel is a streamer's page on Twitch (twitch.tv/name) that holds their live stream, VODs, clips and highlights.