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In OBS, preserve each video’s aspect ratio: use Fit to Screen when the whole image must remain visible, or crop/zoom when filling the frame matters more than keeping the edges. Do not stretch portrait footage to fill a landscape canvas, or landscape footage to fill a portrait one; stretching distorts the image. For YouTube Live, also decide whether one composition is enough or whether viewers need separate horizontal and vertical presentations.
Choose the canvas and output separately
OBS’s Base (Canvas) Resolution is the workspace where you arrange sources. Output (Scaled) Resolution determines the resolution sent to the stream or recording. Changing the canvas can require you to realign or resize sources; changing the output resolution does not rearrange the scene. See the OBS Studio overview.
For one conventional horizontal YouTube stream, a 16:9 canvas is a common choice. OBS describes 16:9 as the most common device aspect ratio and an expected format on major platforms including YouTube, but it is not a requirement for every stream. Choose an output resolution separately based on the delivery quality you want and the upload connection you can sustain.
Fit, crop, or fill without distortion
Portrait video on a landscape canvas
Fit the portrait source when viewers need to see the entire frame. The unused side areas are part of the composition: leave them clear, add a suitable background, or use companion content. OBS’s Aspect Ratio Guide describes filling mismatched space with background elements while retaining the source’s proportions.
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Landscape video on a portrait canvas
Fitting a landscape source into a portrait composition can leave empty space above and below. If the frame needs to be filled, enlarge and crop the source only when losing some of the left and right edges is acceptable. Check that faces, subtitles, documentary captions, and other important details remain visible.
What each choice costs
- Fit: preserves the complete image and its proportions, but can leave unused canvas space.
- Crop or zoom: occupies more of the canvas, but removes image content at the edges. Scaling beyond the frame is a pan-and-scan choice, not a lossless fit.
- Stretch: changes the source’s proportions. The OBS Project’s Aspect Ratio Guide warns that stretching “will warp and distort the source/image, and is generally not recommended.”
Apply scaling to each OBS source
- Set the composition first. In Settings > Video, choose the Base (Canvas) Resolution for the scene you intend to build, then choose the Output (Scaled) Resolution for the delivered stream. Exact available resolutions depend on your setup.
- Add videos as separate sources. Select each source in the preview and resize or position it using its bounding box. Treat each clip independently; a transform that suits one aspect ratio may not suit another.
- Fit when the whole frame matters. With a source selected, use Ctrl+F for Fit to Screen. For mixed aspect ratios, avoid Ctrl+S (Stretch to Screen), even though OBS provides the shortcut.
- Crop only after deciding what can be lost. Hold Alt while dragging a source’s bounding-box edge to crop. For precise adjustments, use the source’s Edit Transform menu. Verify the crop in the preview, especially around faces, titles, and subtitles. OBS documents these transforms in its overview.
- Inspect at the intended output size. If a resized image looks soft, review the source’s scale filtering. OBS’s aspect-ratio guide suggests bicubic as an option for blurry sources; point or area filtering can preserve a sharper look for retro or pixel-art material.
Decide whether YouTube needs a second composition
One OBS canvas creates one composition; it does not automatically make a carefully composed second version for a different screen orientation. YouTube documents simultaneous 16:9 horizontal and 9:16 vertical live formats. Its default vertical presentation is a center crop, which may cut off a subject or on-screen text. YouTube lists center crop, fit to phone width, and stacked as vertical layout choices. See YouTube’s guide to horizontal and vertical live streams.
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Use YouTube’s vertical layout options
For a scheduled stream, YouTube’s vertical layout editor can provide an alternate presentation. Set it up before going live: YouTube says the vertical format cannot be added after the stream has started. Check the resulting crop or layout against the actual content, rather than assuming a horizontal composition will work on a phone.
Send separate formats from an encoder
YouTube also describes third-party encoder dual streaming over RTMP(S), using a second stream key for the vertical stream. Configure the correct format for each key and confirm the available settings in YouTube Studio before the event; interface and availability can change. Details are in YouTube’s dual-format documentation.
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Set bitrate in context and test before the event
Bitrate recommendations depend on codec and frame rate. YouTube’s encoder table recommends the following bitrates for 1080p, rather than guaranteeing a particular result:
| Video format | H.264 recommendation | AV1/H.265 recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p at 30 fps | 6 Mbps | 10 Mbps |
| 1080p at 60 fps | 17 Mbps | 12 Mbps |
These are YouTube recommendations; choose a quality your upload connection can sustain. Higher frame rate can entail a higher recommended bitrate for a given codec, so do not choose resolution and frame rate in isolation. Check the current table in YouTube’s live encoder settings.
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Before the real broadcast, run an appropriate test stream and inspect both the OBS preview and YouTube’s preview. Use representative movement and audio, and check that the composition remains legible, the stream is smooth, and the connection can sustain the selected quality. OBS recommends testing scenes, smoothness, and performance; YouTube recommends testing stream audio and representative motion. A private or unlisted preflight is one practical workflow where it suits the event, not a platform requirement. See the OBS streaming guide and YouTube encoder settings.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot scaling and framing problems
- The clip looks stretched or faces look too wide. The source has been stretched to a mismatched frame. Restore its proportions and use Fit to Screen, or crop/zoom while accepting edge loss.
- Important details disappear at the sides. A crop or center-cropped vertical presentation is cutting them off. Reduce the zoom, reposition the source, or choose a layout that preserves the needed content.
- Empty bars or canvas areas remain. That is the expected result of fitting a source with a different aspect ratio. Keep the full image visible and design the remaining area, or crop if losing edges is acceptable.
- The image looks blurry after resizing. Check the source scale filter and review the scene at its output size. Bicubic may help with blurry sources; point or area filtering may be preferable for pixel-art material.
- The stream stutters or drops frames after increasing quality. The selected output may exceed what the system or upload connection can sustain. Test at the intended settings and lower resolution, frame rate, or bitrate as needed; use YouTube’s codec-specific recommendations as a guide, not a target to exceed your connection.
- The vertical version is missing after the broadcast starts. YouTube says the vertical format cannot be added after a stream has started. Configure the vertical layout or dual-stream setup before going live.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is to keep uploaded documentary videos looping on a YouTube channel rather than mix live camera or desktop sources in OBS, StreamNeo is a cloud option: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Your computer and home connection do not need to stay on. Each slot supports the uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, with automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly billing is $9.99 per month. StreamNeo is for uploaded videos on YouTube, not live camera input. Start the free day on StreamNeo.
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