VPS Record Twitch Stream Automatically Script 2026: Streamlink and FFmpeg

TL;DR: Use streamlink to detect when a Twitch channel goes live, pipe the HLS feed to ffmpeg for a clean MP4, and run the whole thing under systemd so it restarts itself. This guide is for recording your own stream, streams you have permission to archive, or public content where your use follows Twitch rules and local law. Total setup time: about 10 minutes.

VPS record Twitch stream automatically script: what this does

This setup watches a Twitch channel from a VPS, starts recording when the channel goes live, saves the stream as an MP4, restarts after network hiccups, and deletes old files after your retention window.

It is useful for searches like:

Only record streams you own, manage, or have permission to archive. Twitch also publishes encoder guidance and broadcast limits, so keep your use within Twitch rules and local copyright law.

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Why a VPS, not your home PC

Recording Twitch from a home PC means: PC must stay on 24/7, your upload chokes when streams overlap, and a power blip kills the recording. A €5/mo VPS with 50 GB SSD records every stream to disk reliably, then you rsync the finished MP4s home overnight.

Minimum VPS spec for 1 channel at 1080p60:

• 1 vCPU
• 1 GB RAM
• 50 GB SSD (≈10 hours of 1080p60 per 50 GB at default Twitch bitrate)
• 25 Mbps download

Multiple channels in parallel: add 1 vCPU per stream.

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Step 1: Install dependencies

On Ubuntu 22.04 / Debian 12:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y python3-pip ffmpeg curl
sudo pip3 install --upgrade streamlink
streamlink --version
ffmpeg -version | head -1

Confirm both print versions. streamlink 6.x or newer is required for Twitch's current HLS endpoints.

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Step 2: Get a Twitch OAuth token (optional but recommended)

Without auth, Twitch injects mid-roll ads into the recording every ~10 minutes. With a Twitch Turbo or subscriber token, recordings are clean.

streamlink --twitch-disable-ads twitch.tv/CHANNEL best

To pass your own auth token, use a token you are allowed to use and store it securely:

streamlink \
  --twitch-api-header "Authorization=OAuth YOUR_OAUTH_TOKEN" \
  --twitch-disable-ads \
  twitch.tv/CHANNEL best

Store the token in /root/.config/streamlink/config (chmod 600):

twitch-api-header=Authorization=OAuth YOUR_OAUTH_TOKEN
twitch-disable-ads

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Step 3: The recording script

Save as /usr/local/bin/twitch-record.sh and chmod +x:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

CHANNEL="${1:-}"
OUT_DIR="${OUT_DIR:-/var/recordings}"
QUALITY="${QUALITY:-best}"
RETRY_DELAY="${RETRY_DELAY:-60}"

if [[ -z "$CHANNEL" ]]; then
  echo "Usage: $0 <channel-name>" >&2
  exit 1
fi

mkdir -p "$OUT_DIR/$CHANNEL"

while true; do
  if streamlink --json "twitch.tv/$CHANNEL" "$QUALITY" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    TS="$(date -u +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)"
    OUT="$OUT_DIR/$CHANNEL/${CHANNEL}_${TS}.mp4"
    echo "[$(date -Is)] $CHANNEL is LIVE, recording to $OUT"

    streamlink \
      --twitch-disable-ads \
      --hls-live-restart \
      --retry-streams 5 \
      --retry-max 3 \
      -O "twitch.tv/$CHANNEL" "$QUALITY" \
    | ffmpeg -hide_banner -loglevel warning \
        -i pipe:0 \
        -c copy \
        -movflags +faststart \
        "$OUT" || true

    echo "[$(date -Is)] $CHANNEL stream ended"
  fi
  sleep "$RETRY_DELAY"
done

Test it manually:

sudo OUT_DIR=/var/recordings /usr/local/bin/twitch-record.sh shroud

When the channel goes live, you'll see a new .mp4 appear and grow in real time.

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Step 4: Run it as a systemd service

/etc/systemd/system/twitch-record@.service:

[Unit]
Description=Auto-record Twitch channel %i
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=root
Environment=OUT_DIR=/var/recordings
Environment=QUALITY=best
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/twitch-record.sh %i
Restart=always
RestartSec=30
StandardOutput=journal
StandardError=journal

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Enable per channel:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now twitch-record@shroud
sudo systemctl enable --now twitch-record@summit1g
sudo systemctl status twitch-record@shroud
journalctl -u twitch-record@shroud -f

Each channel runs in its own process. systemd restarts on crash, on reboot, on network drop.

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Step 5: Storage rotation (delete old recordings)

Daily cron at /etc/cron.daily/twitch-rotate:

#!/bin/bash
# Delete recordings older than 14 days
find /var/recordings -type f -name "*.mp4" -mtime +14 -delete
# Delete empty subdirectories
find /var/recordings -mindepth 1 -type d -empty -delete

chmod +x /etc/cron.daily/twitch-rotate. Adjust +14 to your retention.

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Optional: Auto-upload to S3 / Backblaze B2 / your home server

After ffmpeg exits, fire a hook. Replace the ffmpeg ... "$OUT" || true line with:

ffmpeg ... "$OUT" || true
if [[ -f "$OUT" && -s "$OUT" ]]; then
  rclone copy "$OUT" b2:my-bucket/twitch/$CHANNEL/ --transfers 4 \
    && rm "$OUT"
fi

Set up rclone once with rclone config for any S3-compatible target. B2 is the cheapest at $0.005/GB/month for cold storage.

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Common gotchas

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Why this beats every "Twitch recorder" SaaS

• No 7-day storage cap like most consumer recorders
• No 1080p downgrade to save the SaaS bandwidth
• No retention re-uploads to YouTube that get DMCA-flagged
• You own the file - record once, archive forever

A small VPS can record one or two channels, but parallel recording needs more CPU, disk space, and bandwidth headroom. For higher concurrency or managed setup, see our streaming VPS plans with Ryzen hosts, NVMe storage, and 24/7 human support.

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Want this fully managed?

If you'd rather skip the systemd setup, our 24/7 OBS streaming VPS plans include automated recording out of the box: drop in your channel list, recordings land in your panel, lifecycle policy auto-rotates them. Same script under the hood, zero terminal time.

FAQ

"Is it legal to auto-record Twitch streams?"

Only record streams you own, manage, or have permission to archive. Always follow Twitch rules, copyright law, and creator permissions before storing or redistributing recordings.

"How much storage do Twitch recordings need?"

A 1080p60 Twitch recording can use roughly 4 to 6 GB per hour depending on bitrate. Plan retention before recording multiple channels, and rotate or upload old files automatically.

"Can one VPS record multiple Twitch channels?"

Yes, if it has enough download bandwidth, CPU headroom, and disk throughput. Start with one channel, check CPU and disk growth, then add more systemd services one at a time.

"Why use streamlink and ffmpeg instead of a browser?"

Streamlink reads the video stream directly and ffmpeg copies it into a file without rendering a browser window. That is lighter, more reliable, and easier to restart with systemd.