Logic Signs a Seven-Figure Streaming Partnership with Twitch

Logic has signed an exclusive deal with Twitch to become the company’s first musician signing, the video game livestreamer announced on Monday — the latest milestone in Twitch’s growing music presence that has expanded amid the coronavirus pandemic. Without getting into specifics, Logic told The Verge the new deal is in the seven figures.

“The Twitch community brings this amazing group energy that you don’t really get anywhere else,” Logic said in the announcement. “It’s something that we crave as artists but has been especially hard to come across the last few months. I want my Twitch channel to be a place of creation but also collaboration, and I know the Twitch community is going to love what we’ve got planned.”

Music is becoming an increasingly prominent part of the Twitch experience, and it’s proven vital for artists as livestreaming has taken over the live music ecosystem. Artists looking to play shows for some cash while venues have been shut down have gone to platforms like Twitch and Stageit. Streams on Twitch are more interactive than more passive viewing options, with fans donating in virtual tip jars and interacting more directly with musicians through Twitch’s chat feature.

Even before the pandemic, artists like Emma McGann have leveraged their entire music careers around livestreaming on the platform. The music industry as a whole is taking notice of Twitch’s growth too; as more users incorporate music recordings into their streams, the Recording Industry Association of America filed thousands of takedown notices in June, which for better or worse reflects a growing music presence for the platform.

Logic, who last week announced he would retire from music following the release of his next album No Pressure, will debut the album early on Twitch for his first stream on Tuesday, three days before its official drop. H’ell take to Twitch for streams weekly and feature a mix of studio sessions, AMAs, gaming and special guests, Twitch said.

Twitch declined to comment on any other potential music signings, but more musician partnerships wouldn’t be surprising considering music’s growth on the platform.

“Logic embodies the evolution of Creators that we’ve seen over the last few years on Twitch. He came to Twitch as a gamer but understands the value of the Twitch community and how our passionate and engaged audience can also connect with and support his music,” Mike Olson, Twitch’s head of music, said in a statement. “This type of streaming partnership is new for Twitch but speaks to what is happening on the service with our growth across non-gaming content, and particularly the massive interest we’re seeing within music. We’re thrilled to have Logic join the Twitch team and look forward to seeing what he and his community will create next.”

Olson said to Rolling Stone in May: “If you look at the addressable opportunity in terms of overall market size for gaming and music globally, they’re very close. The long-pursued holy grail is how you connect artists with fans, and Twitch unlocks that upside.”