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How to Stream YouTube in Vertical and Horizontal Formats at the Same Time

YouTube Live Control Room can show viewers horizontal and vertical versions of one broadcast. Here’s how to set up the built-in option or route both formats from an encoder.
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You can broadcast horizontal (16:9) and vertical (9:16) versions of the same YouTube live stream at once using YouTube Live Control Room’s built-in dual-format option. It is on by default for streams started in Live Control Room: YouTube makes a vertical version from your horizontal picture, so check the crop before going live. If you use a third-party encoder, configure both outputs and the separate vertical stream key before you start.

Before you set up a dual-format stream

  • Make sure live streaming is enabled for your channel. A first-time activation can take at least 24 hours.
  • Your channel must not have a live-streaming restriction in the previous 90 days.
  • Plan and test your framing before the broadcast. A landscape shot may crop important people, text, or action out of the vertical view.

See YouTube’s live-streaming setup guidance for eligibility and activation details. The dual-format workflow and current feature differences are described in YouTube’s guide to streaming in horizontal and vertical formats.

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Use YouTube Live Control Room’s built-in dual-format option

This is the simplest route if you want YouTube to create both formats. The vertical version is derived from the horizontal broadcast, and YouTube’s default is a center crop.

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  1. On a computer, open YouTube Studio and select Create → Go live.
  2. In Live Control Room, schedule a stream or open the stream you want to manage.
  3. Open the stream’s Manage view and inspect the vertical preview. Edit the layout to suit the content: Center crop fills the vertical frame by cropping the horizontal image; Fit to phone width fits the picture to the phone’s width; Stacked presents content in a vertical arrangement.
  4. Adjust zoom and position if needed. YouTube allows layout edits while the stream is live, but checking the composition before the audience arrives helps avoid missed action or cut-off text.
  5. Start the stream from Live Control Room. If the dual-format option is not wanted, open Stream settings and turn off Dual stream.

Choose a layout for the shot

  • Center crop: Useful when the main subject stays near the middle. Check the preview for cropped faces, graphics, or captions.
  • Fit to phone width: Useful when retaining the full horizontal image matters more than filling the vertical screen.
  • Stacked: Useful when the picture can be reorganized into a top-to-bottom composition. Review the result in the vertical preview rather than assuming a landscape layout will translate cleanly.

Send separate horizontal and vertical outputs from an encoder

If your encoder can produce two outputs, YouTube’s documented method uses RTMP(S) and a second stream key for the vertical version. Set this up before going live; YouTube says you cannot add the vertical format after the stream has started.

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  1. In YouTube Studio, open Create → Go live, then open the stream in Live Control Room.
  2. In the Stream tab, open the Auto menu in the vertical preview and choose Encoder.
  3. Select RTMP(S) and choose the second stream key for the vertical output.
  4. Configure the encoder so the horizontal output goes to the horizontal stream key and the vertical output goes to the vertical key. Confirm each output’s orientation and framing in the corresponding YouTube preview.
  5. Start the broadcast from YouTube Studio after both outputs are configured.

The encoder method depends on your encoder’s ability to send two outputs; YouTube’s instructions specify the routing and keys, not encoder-specific menus or settings.

What viewers see—and what changes between formats

YouTube uses one shared stream URL and sends one go-live notification. Viewers watching in the Shorts feed on the YouTube mobile app see the vertical version; viewers elsewhere see the horizontal version. YouTube’s current Help instructions say both versions share the same live chat.

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Vertical live streams can appear in the YouTube app’s vertical live feed and Shorts browsing. That feed is available in the YouTube app, not currently on tablets. Scheduled live streams and Premieres do not appear in the vertical live feed.

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The viewing formats do not have identical features. YouTube’s comparison lists vertical-feed discovery and scrolling as vertical strengths. It lists clickable links in chat and channel description, live pre-roll and mid-roll ads, 4K broadcast bitrate, Premieres, and Live Redirect for horizontal streams. Memberships are listed for both formats; fan-funding tools depend on eligibility. Check YouTube’s format comparison if a particular feature matters to your channel.

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Check combined and vertical-only analytics

Live Control Room initially shows combined metrics for the horizontal and vertical versions, during and after the stream. Vertical-only metrics become available 24 hours after the stream ends.

  1. In YouTube Studio, open Content → Live.
  2. Open the ended stream, select Analytics, then choose Advanced mode.
  3. Use Playback location to select Vertical live feed for the vertical-feed view.

See YouTube’s analytics guidance for the report workflow.

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Troubleshooting dual-format YouTube streams

The vertical preview cuts off the subject or text

The default is a center crop of the horizontal picture. In the stream’s Manage view, inspect the preview and change the layout, zoom, or position. Keep essential text and action inside the visible vertical composition.

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The vertical version does not appear from an encoder

Check that the vertical output is configured before streaming, uses RTMP(S), and is sent to the second stream key selected for vertical output. Confirm that the horizontal output still uses the horizontal key. YouTube does not allow adding vertical after the stream has started, so stop and configure the outputs before beginning a new broadcast if necessary.

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The vertical live feed is missing

Check where you are looking: the vertical live feed is in the YouTube app and is not currently available on tablets. Scheduled live streams and Premieres are excluded from that feed.

Vertical-only analytics are not available yet

Use the combined metrics first. Vertical-only reporting is available 24 hours after the stream ends; then open Advanced mode and filter Playback location to Vertical live feed.

The channel cannot start a live stream

Check whether live streaming has been enabled and whether the channel has a live-streaming restriction in the previous 90 days. First-time activation can take at least 24 hours, so it may not be ready immediately after requesting it.

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