Horizontal and vertical YouTube live streams: prepare both frames

YouTube Live Control Room supports simultaneous horizontal and vertical streams. The vertical version may appear in the Shorts feed. Check it separately: cropping can remove the edges of a wide game view.

Set up the vertical composition

Horizontal is 16:9 and vertical is 9:16. In automatic mode, the vertical frame is derived from the horizontal one; the basic crop uses its center.

1. Open YouTube Studio → Create → Go live → Manage and select the scheduled stream.
2. In the vertical preview, open Edit layout.
3. Compare Center crop, Fit to phone width, and Stacked; adjust zoom and position.
4. Before starting, check that Dual stream is enabled in Stream Settings and review both frames.

Keep important elements visible

A corner camera and game interface can fall outside the vertical frame. Check not only your face but also the action viewers came to watch.

You cannot add the vertical format after starting. Prepare it before going live; disable the automatic version through Dual stream if needed.

Check on a phone

• Your face and the important action fit the frame.
• Text and interface are readable without constant zooming.
• The horizontal version remains usable too.

The manual Encoder option needs a separate vertical feed and the corresponding second key using RTMP(S). Simply changing the OBS canvas does not create both feeds. Choose a method your setup actually supports.