To stream vertically on YouTube, use the YouTube mobile app in portrait orientation, or set up a 9:16 layout in YouTube’s Live Control Room before you go live. A phone is the simplest direct option; Live Control Room can deliver both vertical and horizontal versions of a stream. Check eligibility first, test your connection and framing, and choose the format based on where viewers will watch.
What you need before going live
YouTube supports livestreaming from a mobile device, webcam, encoder, or console. For any method, the channel must be verified and must not have had a live-streaming restriction in the previous 90 days. First-time live-streaming activation can take up to 24 hours, so enable it ahead of your planned broadcast. See YouTube’s livestreaming eligibility and setup guidance.
The 50-subscriber minimum applies to mobile livestreaming, not universally to every way of streaming. Mobile streaming also requires a compatible device. Confirm the current requirements for your account and device in YouTube’s mobile livestreaming help.
How do I go live vertically from a phone?
- Check eligibility and activate live streaming. Verify the channel, check for restrictions, and allow up to 24 hours for first-time activation.
- Prepare the phone. Charge it, enable Do Not Disturb, and check that your upload connection is stable. An external battery pack is optional for a long broadcast. YouTube’s mobile filming guidance gives a rough estimate of about 1% battery per minute of streaming; actual use varies by phone and conditions. See YouTube’s live-streaming tips.
- Set portrait orientation. Open the YouTube app, tap Create, then Live. Hold the phone vertically and use rotation lock so the picture does not switch to landscape unexpectedly. You can use the app’s private practice mode to rehearse before broadcasting publicly.
- Test before the public stream. Check the picture, framing, and sound. An unlisted test stream is useful for confirming how the broadcast looks and sounds to viewers. YouTube recommends testing the setup and checking stream quality; its tips are available at YouTube live-streaming tips.
- Start the stream and monitor it. Confirm that the image remains portrait and that viewers can hear you clearly. If quality drops, check the connection and avoid using the entire available upload bandwidth.
YouTube advises leaving bandwidth headroom: total stream bitrate should be below available upload capacity, with 20% headroom recommended. This is a recommendation, not a guarantee that a given connection will sustain a stream; see YouTube’s network and streaming guidance.
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How to make vertical and horizontal versions of one stream
YouTube’s Live Control Room can create a vertical 9:16 version alongside a horizontal 16:9 version. The vertical view starts with a center crop, but you can adjust its layout before broadcasting. YouTube says the vertical format cannot be added after the stream has started, so set it up in advance. See YouTube’s guide to simultaneous horizontal and vertical live streams.
- Open YouTube Studio and go to Live Control Room. Create or select the scheduled stream and configure the dual-format stream before going live.
- In the Manage tab, select the scheduled stream and choose Edit layout.
- Choose a vertical layout: Center crop, Fit to phone width, or Stacked. Use the canvas controls to adjust zoom and position so the subject remains visible in the portrait frame.
- Preview both formats and confirm that the source composition works in each. If you change the vertical layout through the editing canvas, YouTube allows adjustments while live; adding the vertical format itself after starting is not supported.
- Start the stream from Live Control Room. The two versions share one go-live notification, one URL, and the same chat. Shorts-feed viewers on mobile see the vertical version; other viewers see the horizontal one.
How to send a vertical feed from an encoder
If you use a third-party encoder for dual streaming, YouTube’s instructions use RTMP(S) and a separate stream key for the vertical version. A stream key is a credential: YouTube describes it as the password and address the encoder uses to send the video. Keep it private and do not expose it in a public screenshot or recording. See YouTube’s dual-stream setup instructions and its explanation of stream keys.
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- In Live Control Room’s Stream tab, find the vertical preview’s Auto dropdown and select Encoder.
- Choose the second stream key for the vertical version and configure the encoder to use RTMP(S), as directed by YouTube.
- Map each output to the matching key: the horizontal feed to its horizontal key and the vertical feed to its vertical key. Check both previews before going live.
- Start the broadcast from YouTube Studio and verify that the vertical output is accessible on a phone as well as that the horizontal output appears as intended.
Which format should you choose?
Vertical live is designed for full-screen phone viewing and discovery in the YouTube app’s scrollable live feed while viewers browse Shorts. The feed is not currently available on tablets. Scheduled streams and Premieres do not appear in that feed. YouTube’s feature comparison also distinguishes the formats as follows:
| Consideration | Vertical live | Horizontal live |
|---|---|---|
| Shorts live-feed discovery | Available to viewers browsing the feed in the YouTube app on mobile | Not the vertical feed experience |
| Clickable links in chat and channel description | Not listed as available for the vertical live feed | Listed as a horizontal-stream feature |
| Live ad pre-rolls and mid-rolls | Not listed as available for the vertical live feed | Listed as a horizontal-stream feature |
| 4K bitrate broadcast | Not listed as available for the vertical live feed | Listed as a horizontal-stream feature |
| Premieres and Live Redirect | Not available in the vertical live feed | Listed as horizontal-stream features |
| Memberships and gifted memberships | Listed for both formats; fan-funding features depend on eligibility | Listed for both formats; fan-funding features depend on eligibility |
These distinctions come from YouTube’s format comparison; availability and eligibility can vary as YouTube changes its features. Choose vertical when mobile Shorts-feed discovery and portrait presentation matter most. Choose horizontal when viewers need a conventional desktop or TV composition, or when the comparison’s horizontal-only features matter. For a dual stream, make sure the center crop or custom vertical layout does not cut out important action, text, or people.
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Preflight checklist
- Channel verified, no live-streaming restrictions in the past 90 days, and eligibility confirmed for the chosen method.
- First-time livestreaming enabled early enough to allow for activation, which can take up to 24 hours.
- Portrait orientation and rotation lock set for a phone stream.
- Phone charged; optional power bank ready for a longer mobile stream; Do Not Disturb enabled.
- Upload connection checked, with the recommended 20% bandwidth headroom.
- Audio, video, framing, and stream quality checked with a test, preferably unlisted.
- For a dual stream, vertical layout configured before going live and both format previews checked.
- For an encoder, each format mapped to the correct stream key and the key kept private.
Troubleshooting vertical streams
The Live option is missing or you cannot start
Check channel verification, recent live-streaming restrictions, mobile subscriber eligibility if using the phone app, and whether first-time activation is still pending. YouTube says activation may take up to 24 hours.
The phone stream switches orientation
Set the device to portrait and enable rotation lock before starting. Recheck the preview after tapping Create and Live.
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The vertical crop cuts off the subject
For a Live Control Room dual stream, adjust the vertical layout in Manage → select the scheduled stream → Edit layout. Try fit-to-phone-width or stacked instead of the default center crop, then reposition and zoom in the canvas.
The vertical version is not available after going live
YouTube says you cannot add the vertical format after the stream has started. End or reschedule as appropriate, configure the vertical version before the next start, and preview the layout first.
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The encoder sends the wrong view or one version is missing
Check that the encoder is using RTMP(S), that the vertical output uses the second stream key, and that each format is mapped to its matching key. Verify both previews in Live Control Room before going live.
The broadcast buffers or loses quality
Check upload capacity and leave bandwidth headroom rather than encoding at the connection’s full measured upload rate. YouTube recommends 20% headroom. Run another test and reduce demands on the connection if the stream remains unstable.
Viewers cannot find the stream in the Shorts live feed
That feed is in the YouTube app, not currently on tablets, and scheduled streams and Premieres are excluded. Confirm viewers are looking in the supported mobile experience.
Copyright and channel policy
A vertical layout does not change YouTube’s copyright or channel rules. Use video, music, and other material that you own or are authorized to stream, and check current YouTube policies before broadcasting. A stream that is technically set up correctly can still face restrictions if its content violates those rules.
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