The Tool Desk
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Choose how to make the stream portrait
There are three practical approaches. Use OBS when you want a local video to repeat in a composed scene. Use YouTube’s Live Control Room layout when you want YouTube to make a vertical version from a horizontal stream. Send separate feeds from an encoder if you need independent portrait and landscape compositions.
| Approach | Best for | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| OBS Media Source loop | Repeating a local video with control over its scene and portrait framing. | You must compose and check the output, and keep the encoder running. This setup alone does not promise uninterrupted 24/7 operation. |
| YouTube Live Control Room layout | Providing a YouTube-managed vertical version alongside horizontal output. | The default vertical view is a center crop, so side content may be lost. |
| Separate encoder feeds | Independent landscape and portrait compositions. | You need to configure a second stream key and send each layout to its matching key. |
Loop a portrait video in OBS
1. Add the video and enable looping
- Create or select a scene in OBS.
- Add a Media Source and choose your local video. OBS supports common formats including MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, and WebM.
- In the Media Source properties, enable Loop. OBS will restart the file when playback completes.
For a playlist rather than one repeating file, add a VLC Video source and enable Loop Playlist. VLC must be installed for this source type to be available.
2. Set a vertical canvas and output
In OBS, Base (Canvas) Resolution is the workspace where you arrange sources; Output (Scaled) Resolution is the size sent to the stream. Set the output for the portrait presentation you intend to deliver, then resize, crop, or reposition the source and inspect the preview. A portrait source can still be cropped or positioned incorrectly on a vertical canvas, so judge the actual preview rather than relying on the source file’s shape alone.
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Changing the base canvas after you have laid out a scene may require resizing or realigning sources. Set the canvas before final composition when possible, and recheck the preview after any resolution change.
3. Connect OBS to YouTube
- In YouTube Studio, open Create → Go live and set up or select the live stream in Live Control Room.
- In OBS, select YouTube as the streaming service if that option is available. Otherwise, copy the stream URL and stream key from YouTube Studio into the corresponding encoder fields.
- Keep the stream key private. YouTube describes it as functioning like the stream’s password and address; anyone with access to it may be able to send video to your stream.
4. Test before going public
Start with a test or unlisted stream. Check YouTube’s preview for portrait framing, confirm that the video is looping and that audio is present if intended, and monitor stream health before relying on the setup publicly. YouTube recommends testing before a stream and checking stream health during it.
Use YouTube’s vertical layout for a second format
YouTube’s Live Control Room can output horizontal (16:9) and vertical (9:16) formats together by default. The vertical version begins as a center crop of the horizontal stream. In the vertical preview’s editing canvas, you can choose Center crop, Fit to phone width, or Stacked, and adjust zoom and position.
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- In YouTube Studio, open Create → Go live and select or create the scheduled stream in Live Control Room.
- Inspect the vertical preview and choose the layout that keeps the important content visible.
- Check text, faces, and action near the frame edges. With a center crop, these may be cut off; adjust zoom and position or choose another layout if needed.
- Set up the vertical format before starting the stream. YouTube says you cannot add the vertical format after the stream has started, although you can continue adjusting its layout while live.
For Live Control Room streams, viewers in the Shorts feed on mobile see the vertical version while other viewers see the horizontal version. The two formats share a live chat, one go-live notification, and a shared stream URL. YouTube says vertical live streams can appear while people browse live streams or Shorts in the YouTube app, where viewers can watch full-screen and interact when those features are enabled. The vertical live feed is currently available in the YouTube app, not on tablets; scheduled live streams and Premieres do not appear in that feed.
Send separate portrait and horizontal encoder feeds
Choose separate feeds when the portrait composition needs to differ from the landscape composition rather than being cropped or rearranged from it.
- In Live Control Room, open the Stream tab.
- In the vertical preview’s Auto menu, select Encoder, choose RTMP(S), and select the second stream key for the vertical feed.
- Configure the encoder so the portrait output goes to the vertical key and the horizontal output goes to its corresponding key. Check that each feed’s aspect ratio matches its assigned output.
- Start the stream from YouTube Studio, then check both previews and stream health.
Encoder settings for a portrait live stream
YouTube recommends RTMPS, a secure extension of RTMP. Its encoder guidance lists H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1 for video, up to 60 fps, constant bitrate (CBR), and a two-second keyframe interval; the interval should not exceed four seconds. For audio, YouTube lists AAC or MP3.
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For H.264, YouTube’s published recommendations list these examples:
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|---|---|---|
| 1080p at 30 fps | 5 Mbps | 14 Mbps |
| 720p at 30 fps | 3 Mbps | 8 Mbps |
These are YouTube encoder recommendations, not a guarantee that your encoder or upload connection can sustain a given stream. YouTube advises testing upload bitrate and stream conditions before the event. Use settings your equipment and connection can maintain reliably.
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Common problems and fixes
The video is portrait, but the stream looks cropped
Check the OBS preview and confirm that the canvas and output are configured for the intended portrait presentation. Resize, crop, or reposition the source as needed. If using YouTube’s vertical version of a horizontal stream, the default center crop may omit the sides; try Fit to phone width or Stacked, or adjust zoom and position in the editing canvas.
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The video stops instead of repeating
Open the Media Source properties and verify that Loop is enabled. For a playlist, check Loop Playlist on the VLC Video source and confirm VLC is installed.
The vertical version is missing
Set up the vertical format before starting. YouTube does not allow adding that format after the stream has begun. For separate encoder feeds, verify that the vertical output is assigned to the second stream key and the horizontal output to its corresponding key.
The stream does not appear or stream health is poor
Check that the encoder is using the stream URL and key from the correct YouTube stream, that the key has not been exposed or replaced, and that the selected encoder settings fit your upload connection. Test before the public stream and monitor YouTube’s stream-health indicators while live.
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Text or important details disappear on phones
Inspect the vertical preview rather than assuming a landscape composition will translate. The default center crop can remove material near the edges; change the layout, zoom, or position before going live.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Copyright and repeat-content checks
Before looping a video publicly, make sure you have the rights needed for the video and any music, images, or other material it contains. A file playing continuously does not itself establish permission to stream it. YouTube’s stream controls and encoder settings do not replace checking the rights for the content you upload. Use a test or unlisted stream to verify the technical setup, and review the content separately for copyright concerns.
Or let it run in the cloud
OBS gives you direct control, but the computer running the encoder and its internet connection must remain available for that method. StreamNeo is a cloud service for keeping a YouTube channel live from uploaded videos: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It loops the uploaded material from the cloud, so nothing has to stay on at home.
- One flat price per slot for any uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps, with no re-encode or quality tiers.
- Automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream.
- The first day is free with no card; one free day per account.
- The same plan includes one always-on stream, 10 GB of storage per slot pooled across active slots, 24/7 looping and playlists, and support from the StreamNeo team. Only the billing period changes.
Monthly: $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo for details, then start the free first day.
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