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You can use Astra Streaming Studio to send a live video feed from an Android phone to YouTube over RTMP, but the available documentation does not confirm that the app can create a native 9:16 output or send YouTube’s dedicated vertical stream in a dual-format broadcast. Set up the RTMP connection, then verify the vertical preview in YouTube Studio before you rely on the stream reaching viewers in the Shorts feed.
What Astra Streaming can—and cannot—be confirmed to do
Astra Streaming Studio is an Android app from MIV Dev. Its Google Play listing describes H.264/AAC encoding, RTMP and RTMPS streaming, and live camera and screen capture. The listing reports an update date of 31 October 2023. It does not document a portrait 9:16 canvas, a dedicated YouTube vertical stream key, or compatibility with YouTube’s current encoder-based dual-stream workflow. See Astra Streaming Studio on Google Play.
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An independent walkthrough describes entering YouTube’s server address and private stream key in Astra, choosing RTMP, and starting the broadcast. It was published on 4 August 2026, so treat it as procedural guidance rather than confirmation of the app’s current menus or vertical-output capabilities: read the walkthrough.
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YouTube’s own Live Control Room supports vertical live layouts and a separate encoder workflow for sending horizontal and vertical feeds. That does not establish that Astra can produce both feeds. The steps below explain the RTMP connection and how to check the YouTube side before going public.
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Check YouTube eligibility and choose a vertical workflow
YouTube’s live-stream guidance, accessed 3 October 2026, says a channel must be verified and must not have had a live-stream restriction in the previous 90 days. The minimum age for live streaming is 16. Check the channel’s status and current Live Control Room options before configuring the app. YouTube’s live-stream help covers eligibility and vertical formats.
Use YouTube’s Live Control Room layout
YouTube says Live Control Room streams default to simultaneous horizontal 16:9 and vertical 9:16 presentations. The vertical presentation can use a center crop, fit to phone width, or a stacked layout. Layouts can be edited before going live and adjusted during a broadcast if they were initially created through YouTube’s editing canvas. A crop can cut off people, objects, or on-screen text, so check the vertical preview rather than assuming a landscape composition will fit.
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Use an encoder for separate horizontal and vertical feeds
YouTube also documents an encoder-based dual-stream route using RTMP(S) and a second stream key for the vertical feed. Each key must receive video in its matching format, and YouTube says the vertical format cannot be added after the stream has started. This is a different requirement from simply sending one RTMP feed from Astra; the available Astra listing does not establish that it can send both feeds or manage the second key.
Connect Astra Streaming Studio to YouTube over RTMP
- Open YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room. Create or select the live stream and use the connection details shown for that current session. The exact labels and screen layout may change.
- Copy the ingest/server address and stream key. Keep the key private: anyone who has it may be able to broadcast to your channel. Do not post it in a video, public chat, screenshot, or support request.
- Configure Astra’s streaming destination. In Astra Streaming Studio, set the destination protocol to RTMP and enter the server address and key supplied by YouTube. The independent setup walkthrough describes this general flow; the app’s current interface may differ.
- Choose the camera or screen source and start the feed from Astra. Astra’s listing describes both camera and screen capture. Confirm that the orientation and framing are appropriate for the layout you intend to use.
- Check YouTube Studio before going public. Wait for YouTube to receive the feed and inspect its incoming preview and status. If you need a vertical broadcast, confirm that a vertical preview is actually present and that the subject and any text remain in frame. If it is absent, do not assume the stream will appear as a vertical live in the Shorts feed.
- Start the broadcast only after the preview and layout look right. For an encoder-based dual stream, set up both formats and keys before starting; YouTube does not allow adding the vertical format after the stream has begun.
Portrait-only versus YouTube dual-format streaming
| Consideration | Portrait-only source | YouTube dual-format option |
|---|---|---|
| What viewers receive | A vertical composition, if the app and YouTube connection actually provide one. | YouTube documents horizontal and vertical presentations; Shorts-feed mobile viewers see vertical, while other viewers see horizontal. |
| How the vertical frame is made | Compose the source natively in portrait where the app supports it; Astra’s listing does not confirm a 9:16 control. | Live Control Room layouts include center crop, fit to phone width, and stacked. The encoder route sends a separate vertical feed using a second key. |
| Setup considerations | Verify that YouTube receives a vertical preview; RTMP support alone does not prove portrait output. | Choose the canvas layout before going live, or configure the encoder and both keys in advance. Match each stream’s format to its key. |
| Best fit | A broadcast intended only for a vertical viewing experience, once output is confirmed. | A broadcast that needs both a landscape presentation for other screens and a vertical presentation for Shorts-feed mobile viewers. |
What viewers and creators should expect from YouTube vertical lives
- Viewers in the Shorts feed on mobile see the vertical version; other viewers see the horizontal version. YouTube says both formats use the same URL and live chat.
- YouTube’s feature comparison says vertical lives can be discovered in Shorts and support memberships. It also lists limits: no clickable links in chat or the channel description, no pre-roll or mid-roll live ads, and no 4K bitrate streaming on the YouTube app for vertical lives.
- Live Control Room provides combined metrics, while vertical-only metrics become available after 24 hours, according to YouTube’s guidance accessed 3 October 2026.
- These are YouTube format and feature details. They do not confirm that Astra can create or deliver the required vertical feed.
Troubleshooting
YouTube does not receive a signal
- Check that the RTMP server address and stream key were copied from the current YouTube Studio session, with no missing characters or extra spaces.
- Confirm Astra is set to RTMP and that its streaming destination is the one you intend to use.
- Check YouTube Studio’s incoming status before making the stream public. If the key may have been exposed, replace it in YouTube and update Astra with the new key.
The feed arrives, but the vertical preview is missing
- RTMP/RTMPS support is not proof of portrait output. The available Astra listing does not establish a 9:16 canvas or YouTube dual-stream support.
- For YouTube’s Live Control Room route, select and inspect a vertical layout in the editing canvas. For the encoder route, configure the second key and vertical feed before starting.
- If Astra cannot provide the necessary output, use a workflow that explicitly supports the required vertical layout or dual-feed configuration rather than promising a Shorts-feed appearance from a single unverified feed.
The vertical crop cuts off the subject or text
- Inspect the vertical preview and reposition or resize the composition before going live.
- Try YouTube’s documented fit-to-phone-width or stacked layout instead of center crop when it better preserves the important content.
- For a separately encoded vertical feed, compose that feed for portrait dimensions rather than relying on a landscape frame to crop well.
The vertical format was not enabled before the stream started
YouTube says its encoder-based vertical format cannot be added once a stream has started. Stop and configure the required vertical feed and second key before beginning a new broadcast.
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Copyright and channel-policy checks before going live
Using a phone or streaming app does not change the rights attached to the video, music, or other material in a broadcast. Use content you created or have permission to stream, and check YouTube’s current live-stream and copyright requirements in YouTube Studio. Do not treat a successful RTMP connection or a visible preview as proof that the content is cleared for broadcast.
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