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How to Crop a Prerecorded Video in OBS Without Changing YouTube Stream Resolution

Use OBS source cropping to reframe a prerecorded clip without changing the resolution sent to YouTube.

By DocumentaryTube Team 3 min read
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To crop a prerecorded video in OBS while keeping your YouTube stream resolution unchanged, add the clip as a Media Source, crop that source, and leave Settings > Video > Output (Scaled) Resolution set to your intended stream size. Cropping changes what part of the clip appears in the scene; it does not resize the stream canvas.

Crop a prerecorded video source in OBS

  1. Add the clip. In the scene’s Sources panel, click the add button and choose Media Source. Select the video file in the source properties. OBS’s Sources Guide describes Media Sources as a way to add audio and video files to a scene.
  2. Select the source. Click the Media Source in the Sources list or in the preview so its bounding box appears.
  3. Crop an edge. On Windows or Linux, hold Alt and drag a bounding-box edge inward. On macOS, hold Option and drag. OBS shows the crop edges in green while you crop. This trims the visible portion of the source, not the stream output dimensions. See the OBS Studio Overview Guide.
  4. Arrange the cropped clip. Move or resize the source as needed to frame the remaining image on the canvas. Cropping and positioning are source and scene operations.
  5. Confirm the output size. Open Settings > Video and check Output (Scaled) Resolution. Leave it at the resolution you want YouTube to receive.

Choose a crop method

Preview handles for a quick visual crop

Alt/Option-drag is the fastest way to trim an edge while watching the preview. Use it when visual framing matters more than entering exact measurements.

Edit Transform for precise crop values

For measured or repeatable crop amounts, right-click the source and choose Transform > Edit Transform, then enter the crop values. The Sources Guide documents Edit Transform as a way to size and crop sources. In the Windows guide, Ctrl-E opens Edit Transform; on macOS, use the corresponding Cmd shortcut. Other documented Windows shortcuts include Ctrl-R to reset the transform, Ctrl-F to fit to screen, Ctrl-S to stretch to screen, and Ctrl-D to center to screen; use the corresponding Cmd shortcuts on macOS.

Crop/Pad filter for a filter-based crop

OBS also offers a Crop/Pad effect filter. It is an optional source-level method; you do not need it for a basic crop. The OBS Studio Overview Guide covers the filter, and the Scaling/Aspect Ratio Filter documentation explains that filter’s source-level resolution and aspect-ratio settings.

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Understand which resolution setting to keep

Control What it changes When to change it
Base (Canvas) Resolution The workspace dimensions where OBS sources are arranged. When you intend to change the canvas. OBS notes that changing this resolution can require sources to be realigned.
Output (Scaled) Resolution The dimensions OBS sends to the stream or recording, using the selected downscale filter. When you intend to change the encoded stream or recording size—not just the framing of one clip.
Source crop Which edges of the selected source are hidden in the scene. When you want to reframe a clip without changing the configured output dimensions.

OBS says changing Output (Scaled) Resolution does not require sources to be realigned or resized; changing Base (Canvas) Resolution can. If the stream size is already right, crop the source rather than changing either resolution setting just to reframe the clip.

Fix common framing problems

  • Empty space appears around the clip: inspect the crop values and the source’s position and size in Edit Transform, then adjust its placement on the canvas.
  • The subject is cut off or framed poorly: revise the crop edges, then reposition or resize the source. Do not change Output (Scaled) Resolution to fix the framing of one source.
  • The stream dimensions changed unexpectedly: check Settings > Video > Output (Scaled) Resolution. Source cropping itself does not change the configured output dimensions.
  • You need a newly cropped video file with different frame dimensions: that is an export or video-editing task, not a scene crop. Cropping a source in OBS does not change the encoded canvas dimensions.
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Or let it run in the cloud

For a YouTube channel that needs to keep prerecorded videos looping after you finish setting up OBS, StreamNeo is a separate cloud option: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It keeps the stream running without a computer or home connection left on. Uploaded videos stream as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot; automatic recovery is included if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly: $9.99 per month. StreamNeo streams to YouTube and plays uploaded videos; it does not stream from a camera. Learn more at StreamNeo, or start the free day.

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