Reliable Live Stream Archive
Archive Finished Streams for Replay Without a Per-Minute Video Bill
Store and replay your own stream archives and VODs with permanent URLs and global CDN delivery.
Post-stream VOD archive
A live broadcast is temporary; the replay library is the asset. If you are building a StreamArchive or stream archive workflow, files.link is built for the second half of the job: take the finished recording from Twitch, YouTube Live, OBS-to-RTMP, or your managed ingest service, then archive that exported VOD file with a permanent replay URL and global CDN delivery. It is not a live ingest endpoint or a transcoding pipeline — it is the durable home for the recording after the stream ends.
The upload path stays scriptable: POST /v1/files/{folderId} to get a presigned URL and id, PUT the recording bytes directly to storage, then POST /v1/files/confirm-upload with {ids:[...]}. Auth is your raw API key, so a post-stream hook can auto-archive every broadcast as soon as encoding finishes.
The reason to move VOD archives off the streaming platform is simple: platform VODs expire, and per-minute video platforms get expensive for long-tail libraries. Twitch removes most VODs after 14 to 60 days; an archived copy on files.link stays until you delete it. Mux-style products meter minutes stored and delivered; files.link bills prepaid credits against storage and delivery, with replays served from a nearby CDN edge.
Use standard storage for this week's high-traffic replays, then move older broadcasts to the cold storage tier when they become rarely watched but still worth keeping. If you need adaptive HLS/DASH quality switching, transcode first with a tool like ffmpeg and upload the resulting playlist and segments as ordinary files. For the common single-MP4 replay, upload it once and embed the URL.
A word on what this is not. files.link is storage infrastructure for recordings you own or are authorized to keep — your own broadcasts, your team's events, conference talks, or clips you hold the rights to. It is not the old StreamArchive-style scraper that grabbed other broadcasters' deleted Twitch VODs without consent, and it does not pull streams from any platform on your behalf.
You export the finished file yourself; files.link gives that authorized stream archive a durable, CDN-backed replay home. If you came here from a defunct streamarchive tool looking for a permanent place to keep VODs you have rights to, that is exactly the job this page describes.
Authorized import workflow
Stream Archive Workflow: From Recording to Shareable Replay
This is the compliance-safe stream archive workflow for people who already hold a downloaded or recorded stream file and need a durable home for it. files.link does not pull, scrape, or download anything from Twitch, YouTube, or any other platform on your behalf — you export the recording yourself, then follow the four steps below to archive live streams you own and turn uploaded stream recordings into stable replay and download links. For a cost estimate before you start, use the cost calculator; for the general at-rest framing, see VOD archive storage.
Export or record your own stream
Download or export the finished recording from your own broadcast, event, webinar, or course — the platform VOD you own, an OBS or local capture, or a file you hold explicit rights to. files.link never touches the source platform; the file starts on your machine or your server.
Upload it to files.link
Drag the file into the dashboard, or script the upload with the public API: POST /v1/files/{folderId} for a presigned URL and id, PUT the bytes straight to storage, then POST /v1/files/confirm-upload with {ids:[...]}. Auth is your raw API key, so a post-stream hook can archive live streams automatically the moment encoding finishes.
Set retention and access policy
Keep this week's busy replays on the standard tier and move rarely-watched back catalog to the cold storage tier (note its minimum retention). Store members-only or paid recordings as private files served through short-lived signed URLs your backend mints per viewer.
Share stable replay links and monitor usage
Every uploaded stream recording gets a permanent replay and download URL you can embed or share — no per-minute VOD meter. Watch storage and bandwidth in the dashboard and top up prepaid credits as your archive grows.
Source-file preparation checklist
- Name files predictably — include the date and title, e.g. 2026-07-02-town-hall.mp4 — so links stay self-describing.
- Confirm the container and codec (MP4 with H.264 is the safest default for broad playback); transcode with ffmpeg first if needed.
- For adaptive quality, build an HLS or DASH package first and upload the playlist plus segments as ordinary files.
- Estimate size and cost up front with the cost calculator, and pick standard vs. cold storage by how often it will be watched.
- Decide retention and whether the replay is public or private (signed URLs) before you share the link.
- Confirm you own or have explicit rights and consent to archive the recording — see the rights note below.
You must own or be authorized to archive the recording
files.link is neutral storage for authorized recordings — your own broadcasts, your organization's events, and talks or clips you hold the rights to. Do not upload or rehost other broadcasters' streams, feeds you accessed without permission, or content that bypasses a platform's access controls. This workflow does not download from third-party platforms and does not replace DMCA or other legal compliance; you are responsible for the rights to whatever you upload.
Benefits With No Complexity
Global CDN delivery
Edge-cached worldwide
Signed-URL security
What You Get
Unlimited files
Unlimited storage
Public + Private storage
CDN ready links
Prepaid credits
More coming soon
How files.link Works
1. Upload
2. Copy
3. Use Anywhere
Why Developers Choose files.link
A Better Way to Store & Deliver Files
| Mux | Amazon S3 | Twitch VOD | files.link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent replay URLs (no auto-expiry) | ||||
| Global CDN delivery for VOD | ||||
| No per-minute storage/delivery metering | ||||
| Cold storage tier for old archives | ||||
| Built-in HLS/DASH transcoding | ||||
| Prepaid credits billing |
Calculate Your Needs
Storage
Egress
CDN Bandwidth
Start Archiving Live Streams
- Global CDN delivery
- Edge-cached worldwide
- Signed-URL security
- Unlimited files
- Unlimited storage
- Public + Private storage
- No subscription — prepaid credits keep spend predictable