To stream a portrait video with FFmpeg, create a 9:16 output, send it to the ingest URL and stream key for your YouTube Live event, and verify the vertical preview in YouTube Studio. A single portrait feed is not the same as sending both portrait and landscape feeds: simultaneous output uses YouTube’s encoder workflow and a second stream key for the vertical feed.
Choose portrait-only or portrait and landscape
Use portrait-only when the intended presentation is a vertical video. YouTube’s Live Control Room has a vertical experience and can publish horizontal and vertical formats together by default, but one 9:16 FFmpeg output does not automatically create both formats. If you want the encoder to send both, select the encoder route in the vertical preview’s Auto menu, choose RTMP(S), and use a second stream key for the vertical output. Send each format to its corresponding key. See YouTube’s vertical live streaming guidance.
| Setup | What to send | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait only | One 9:16 feed to the selected stream’s ingest destination and key | You want a mobile-portrait presentation and do not need a separate landscape encoder feed. |
| Horizontal and vertical | Matching landscape and portrait outputs to their corresponding stream keys; the encoder route uses a second key for vertical. | You need separate compositions for both viewing formats and can provide the additional output and upload capacity. |
Before choosing the second setup, confirm the encoder can produce both compositions and your upload connection can sustain the outputs. YouTube’s bitrate guidance varies by codec, frame rate, and resolution.
Get the YouTube Live destination and key
- In YouTube Studio, open the Live Control Room and create or select the scheduled stream.
- Copy the stream URL and stream key shown for that stream. For simultaneous encoder output, configure the vertical encoder path in the vertical preview’s Auto menu, choose RTMP(S), and obtain the second key for vertical.
- Keep the key private. It grants access to send video to your live event; do not share it or leave it in a command that others can see.
The destination and key are specific to your stream and account. The YouTube Live Streaming API documentation describes stream states and health information; use the actual ingest details displayed for the selected event rather than copying an endpoint or key from another channel.
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Prepare a portrait composition
A 9:16 output is only useful if the important content fits inside it. If your source is already portrait, check its dimensions and frame the subject before encoding. For landscape footage, decide how to adapt it before going live:
- Crop: fills the vertical frame, but cuts off material at the sides. A centered crop is unsuitable if the subject or important text is off-center.
- Fit or pad: preserves more of the original image, with unused space or padding around it.
- Stacked layout: arranges content in a vertical canvas instead of relying on a narrow slice of the landscape frame.
YouTube’s vertical editing canvas describes center crop, fit-to-phone-width, and stacked-layout choices. In FFmpeg, the crop filter takes width, height, and x and y positions; its default crop is centered. Preview the result with representative frames and movement. For documentaries, check that faces, subtitles, lower thirds, and key visual evidence remain in frame.
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Set the encoder for YouTube Live
Match the output to YouTube’s current encoder guidance for the codec, resolution, and frame rate you choose. YouTube supports RTMP/RTMPS ingest, H.264, H.265, or AV1 video, up to 60 fps, and AAC or MP3 audio. It recommends constant bitrate (CBR) and a two-second keyframe interval, which should not exceed four seconds. Check the current YouTube encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions before committing to a configuration.
| Output choice | YouTube’s guidance |
|---|---|
| 1080p at 30 fps, H.264 | 5 Mbps minimum; 14 Mbps recommended |
| 1080p at 30 fps, H.265 or AV1 | 4 Mbps minimum; 10 Mbps recommended |
| Keyframe interval | 2 seconds recommended; do not exceed 4 seconds |
These bitrate figures are YouTube’s published recommendations for the specified resolution, frame rate, and codec, not universal targets for every stream. Use the matching row in its current table for your actual output. Your available upload rate must reliably support the chosen bitrate; YouTube recommends testing upload speed and selecting quality appropriate to a reliable connection. For a second simultaneous output, account for the bandwidth needed by both feeds.
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YouTube recommends RTMPS, a secure extension to RTMP. Its RTMPS guidance specifies port 443; verify the secure scheme, ingest host and path, and port shown for your destination. See YouTube’s RTMPS ingestion guidance.
Build and test an FFmpeg command
There is no universal copy-paste command: input options, crop, encoder availability, stream destination, and key differ. The following is a schematic output pattern, not a tested command. Confirm that your FFmpeg build supports the selected encoder and protocol, then substitute your own input, settings, and YouTube destination.
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ffmpeg [input options] -i INPUT [filter and encode options] -f flv 'RTMP_OR_RTMPS_INGEST_URL/STREAM_KEY'FFmpeg’s documented RTMP examples use an output URL and FLV muxing. Depending on the exact endpoint format and your FFmpeg build, the key may need to be appended to the URL or supplied as part of it. Follow the format YouTube displays for your stream; never publish a real key in a script or article. See the FFmpeg command-line documentation.
Optional center-crop filter for landscape input
If you have confirmed that a centered crop keeps the important content visible, this filter template crops a landscape source to a 9:16 region using the input height, then scales it to 720 by 1280:
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-vf "crop=ih*9/16:ih:(iw-ih*9/16)/2:0,scale=720:1280"This is an instructional filter expression, not a tested all-source preset. It can discard important material at either side. Preview it with your source; adjust crop position or choose a fit, pad, or designed stacked composition if the center crop fails. FFmpeg documents the crop filter’s dimensions and position options.
Validate before making the event public
- Start with a test or scheduled stream and check that FFmpeg is sending data to the right destination.
- Watch the YouTube Live Control Room preview and stream health while representative motion and audio play.
- Confirm the picture is vertical and composed as intended, audio is present, and YouTube reports no relevant health issue before going public.
Troubleshoot common failures
| Symptom | What to check | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No picture or the stream does not appear | Whether FFmpeg is actively sending data; the exact ingest URL and key; the selected event’s state and health in Live Control Room. | Use the URL and key for the selected event, correct any copy errors, start the output, and check YouTube’s status. The API distinguishes states including active, ready, created, inactive, and error; consult its live stream resource documentation. |
| RTMPS connection fails | The secure URL scheme, ingest host and path, and port. | Use the correct RTMPS destination and verify port 443 as specified by YouTube’s RTMPS guidance. |
| The output is not portrait | Encoded width and height, aspect ratio, and whether the selected Studio configuration uses the encoder feed or a Studio-managed layout. | Produce a 9:16 output and confirm the vertical preview is using the intended route. |
| The crop cuts off a person, text, or important scene detail | The crop’s x and y position; a default-centered crop may not follow off-center content. | Change the crop position or use a fit, pad, or stacked composition, then preview again. |
| Stream health reports a problem | Codec, bitrate, keyframe interval, frame rate, and available upload capacity for the chosen output. | Compare each setting with YouTube’s current table for the selected codec, resolution, and frame rate, and test the connection’s upload speed. |
Copyright and YouTube live eligibility
Having a file ready to stream does not establish that you have the rights to its music, footage, narration, or other material. Before broadcasting, clear the rights needed for the content and check YouTube’s applicable live-streaming and channel rules. A technically healthy FFmpeg feed cannot resolve a rights or policy issue.
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