Clips, VODs and chat explained: the language of live streams

VODs: the stream after it ends

A VOD, short for video on demand, is the recording of a live broadcast that viewers can watch later. Twitch calls these past broadcasts; on YouTube, a finished live stream usually stays on the channel as a video unless the creator removes it.

VODs matter for several reasons:

• Viewers in other time zones can catch up, which is useful for UK fans of US events.
• Speedrunners can link a VOD as evidence when submitting a run, though Speedrun.com's site rules warn that platforms have lost or broken videos before, so a local recording is safer.
• Esports teams and players review VODs to study opponents.

How long VODs are kept depends on the platform and channel type, and some are deleted automatically after a set period. If a broadcast matters to you, check the platform's current help pages and keep a copy.

On YouTube, when a mobile live stream ends, the platform creates an archive of it on the channel, and the creator can change its privacy or delete it at any time. YouTube also says channels with fewer than 1,000 subscribers have mobile live archives set to private by default.

Clips: the short moments everyone shares

A clip is a short excerpt from a live stream or past broadcast, made by the streamer or a viewer and shared as its own link. Clips are how funny moments, big plays and world-record finishes spread across social media.

Twitch's developer documentation describes how clip creation works: a clip is drawn from a window of about 90 seconds of the stream, and can be from 5 to 60 seconds long. By default, Twitch publishes up to the last 30 seconds of that window, and the creator can edit which part is used and give it a title.

Streamers can usually manage clips on their channel, including deleting ones they do not want public. Because anyone watching can clip, it is another reason to assume anything said or shown live may be kept.

Chat basics: emotes, badges and commands

Stream chat has its own shorthand. Common features include:

• Emotes - small images used like emoji. Platforms have global emotes, and channels can offer their own to subscribers or members.
• Badges - icons next to usernames showing roles such as moderator or subscriber.
• Commands - typed instructions, often starting with an exclamation mark, that trigger a bot to post information such as a schedule.
• Paid highlights - on YouTube, Super Chat and Super Stickers let viewers pay to make a message stand out.

Chat moves fast in big streams, which is why streamers rarely answer every message. In speedrun streams, chat often asks about the current time compared with the runner's personal best; in esports broadcasts, it reacts to each round. Our glossary explains common terms such as GG and PB.

New viewers often notice repeated words or emotes flooding chat at the same moment, sometimes called a chat wave or spam. It is usually a shared reaction to something on screen rather than anything aimed at the streamer, though channels may limit it with chat settings.

Moderators, AutoMod and keeping chat friendly

A chat moderator, usually shortened to mod, is someone the streamer has given powers to delete messages and time out or ban users. Larger channels have teams of volunteer mods; small channels often rely on one or two trusted friends.

Automatic tools help too. Twitch's AutoMod holds messages it judges risky for a moderator to approve or deny, and streamers can add blocked terms. YouTube lets creators set live chat options when they set up a stream, and appoint their own moderators.

For teenage streamers, YouTube may disable live chat on streams featuring under-16s who are not visibly accompanied by an adult. Our streaming safety guide sets out a sensible starting configuration for young creators.

Raids and co-streams: how audiences move between channels

A raid is when a streamer, usually at the end of a broadcast, sends their viewers to another live channel. The viewers arrive together, often with a message in chat. Raids are a friendly way to support smaller streamers and are common in speedrunning communities, where one runner finishes and passes viewers to another.

Raids can also be misused. In a "hate raid", accounts flood a channel with abuse, which is one reason streamers keep moderators and chat filters ready.

A co-stream (or watch party) is when a streamer broadcasts their own commentary over an official event, such as an esports match. Organisers decide whether co-streaming is allowed, and many encourage it as a way to reach more viewers.

Viewers who arrive in a raid are free to leave at any time; nobody is locked into the new channel, and you can always go back to the one you were watching.

Chat etiquette for new viewers

Every channel sets its own rules, often shown in panels below the video or posted by a bot. Common expectations across gaming streams include:

• No backseating - do not tell the player what to do unless they ask. In speedruns, that includes not suggesting strategies mid-run.
• No spoilers - especially in story games and during esports broadcasts with a delay.
• No self-promotion - do not advertise your own channel in someone else's chat.
• Respect the mods - they are usually volunteers acting for the streamer.
• Keep personal details out - yours and other people's.

In speedrun streams, staying quiet during a tense final split is a sign of respect; chat usually erupts after the run ends.

Using clips and VODs responsibly

Clips and VODs are easy to share, but they involve other people's content. A few principles:

• Credit the streamer when sharing a clip.
• Respect removals. If a streamer deletes a VOD or clip, re-uploading it elsewhere goes against their wishes. Speedrun.com's moderation rules, for example, forbid copying or re-uploading a player's video without permission.
• Think about minors. Avoid sharing clips that show young streamers or their surroundings.
• Music and game content can trigger copyright claims on some platforms, which is one reason audio is sometimes muted in VODs.

For the live side of all this, see our guide to watching esports and speedruns live.