Introducing Extensions: A Streaming Revolution
UPDATE: Twitch Extensions are now live for streamers and developers. The Extensions that streamers can add to their channel page are available on the Twitch dashboard under “Extensions Manager.” Developers can log into the developer site to get started and dive into the documentation to begin building interactions today.
Developers, what if we said that you could completely change the landscape of live video, that you could get your products in front of millions of people daily, and that you could do it all by building a business with Twitch? Today we’re excited to announce the solution to all these problems, and to reveal the next evolution in livestreaming that makes them possible: Twitch Extensions.
Extensions are interactive video player overlays and panels that can be installed directly on the channel page by streamers; what appears in that space is completely defined by you. You’ll now have the opportunity to revolutionize livestreaming by creating new interactions between streamers and viewers in ways that weren’t possible until now.
Using the Extensions platform, you’ll have access to a suite of tools that make it nearly effortless for you to build interactive integrations directly on Twitch. Extensions enable the standards-based creation of custom sandboxed iframes that can be installed on channel pages. These widgets are powered by developer-submitted JS/HTML5/CSS to enable robust interactive functionality. Extensions can both receive and send communication via an API, allowing for the content in an Extension to be updated programmatically by services outside of the sandbox.
We’ve also just announced the brand new Twitch API and the Metadata API — putting the power of machine learning into your hands. On Twitch, these APIs drive our Overwatch and Hearthstone directories where computer vision and machine learning translate visual information into frame-level metadata that lets you sort and filter based on in-game action. Soon you can use it too, opening doors to new and creative Extensions solutions.
Finally, your Extension will be discoverable right from the broadcaster dashboard in a new space called the “Extension Manager.” Describe your extension, upload screenshots, and guide configuration, making it easy for streamers to discover everything you have to offer.
Extensions are truly a paradigm shift in the landscape of live video and we can’t wait for you to be part of it. Development on Extensions begins now.