“I want to start vertical streaming on YouTube, but I don’t know how to set up OBS…” “What should I do to get it on the short feed?” There are many who are interested in vertical streaming but can’t take the first step because they can’t grasp the specific methods.

YouTube vertical streaming can be started simply by changing the OBS resolution to 1,080×1,920, making it a streaming style that can reach new viewers through its placement on the short feed. On the other hand, there are revenue limitations such as the lack of support for mid-roll ads (ads inserted during the stream) and background playback (audio playback when the app is closed).

This article comprehensively explains the settings for vertical streaming in OBS, how to stream with just a smartphone, how to use simultaneous streaming (dual stream), and revenue considerations. Those who want to start vertical streaming on YouTube should definitely refer to this.

YouTube Vertical Streaming OBS Setup Steps【2 STEPS】

To start vertical streaming on OBS, you simply need to change the resolution to 1,080×1,920 and adjust the layout to a vertical format. Below, we will sequentially explain how to change the resolution in STEP 1 and how to adjust the safe area in STEP 2.

STEP 1: Change the resolution to 1,080×1,920

Starting vertical streaming on YouTube with OBS is simple; first, change the aspect ratio of the streaming screen to “9:16”.

1. Click “Settings” at the bottom right of OBS
2. Choose “Video” from the left menu
3. Change both “Base (Canvas) Resolution” and “Output (Scaled) Resolution” to “1,080×1,920”
4. Ensure that the aspect ratio is set to “9:16”

If you’re unsure, simply reversing the width and height of your current horizontal settings (e.g., 1,920×1,080) will solve the problem.

One thing to be careful about when manually entering the resolution is the letter “x”. You should enter the letter “x” in the resolution field; using the symbol “×” will not reflect in vertical screen settings. To ensure correct input, it’s recommended to copy and paste “1,080×1,920”.

Check that “Rescale Output” in the “Output” tab under “Streaming” is set to “Disabled”. If it remains enabled, it can cause the aspect ratio to break and compress the video.

STEP 2: Adjust the vertical layout and safe area

After changing the resolution, adjust the content of the YouTube vertical streaming screen to be vertical as well.

• Rearrange the camera feed and text to fit the vertical screen
• It’s reassuring to display the “safe area” in preparation for smartphone viewing
• To prevent cropping, ensure that important information is kept within the safe area

This preparation ensures that the vertical streaming is easily viewable for smartphone viewers.

As a countermeasure for when content is getting cropped, check the “Draw Safe Area (EBU R95)” option in OBS under “Settings” → “General”. A white line will be displayed on the preview screen, and placing sources inside this white line will help reduce the risk of cropping.

One tip for source placement to remember is that comments (chat) will overlap in the lower half of the screen when viewed on a smartphone. Therefore, information you want viewers to read should be placed from the upper part of the screen to the center.

Check for potential cropping on the edges, as the sizes may be cropped depending on the device. It’s advisable to conduct a test stream to confirm the actual display.

For more detailed knowledge about screen size and aspect ratio basics, refer to the article below.

>>How to stream on YouTube using OBS? Explanation of optimal settings

Five Benefits of YouTube Vertical Streaming

The biggest advantage of YouTube vertical streaming is the ease of reaching new viewers by being featured in the short feed (the feed screen where vertical videos autoplay in the YouTube app).

We will sequentially explain five benefits: being easily featured in the short feed, the sense of closeness from seeing the streamer larger, the three-part screen layout, increasing view counts, and improved visibility on smartphones.

Easily featured in the short feed, making it easier to reach new viewers

On YouTube, videos that are vertical and under three minutes long are recognized as “Shorts” and are more likely to be displayed in the dedicated short feed.

By streaming vertically, the chances of appearing on the feed increase, and it becomes a significant strength to approach smartphone users and new viewers who may have been harder to reach with traditional horizontal streaming.

With the backing of the algorithm, vertical streaming has become an indispensable method for growing view counts and channel subscriptions.

The streamer appears larger, creating a sense of closeness with viewers

Vertical screens tend to display individuals prominently in the center, providing advantages such as “faces are clearly visible” and “expressions are easily conveyed” to the viewers.

This effect is particularly beneficial during casual gaming streams or reaction videos, as it shortens the distance between the streamer and viewers, making it friendlier for first-time viewers.

With OBS, you can freely adjust the size and position of the camera feed, making it easier to showcase yourself in your unique style.

Easily divide the tall screen into three sections for clear information display

In a vertical layout, it’s easier to utilize the space above and below the screen to divide it into “three sections”.

For instance, placing the streamer’s image at the top, the comment section in the center, and images or slides at the bottom can create a clear and organized view for the audience.

OBS allows for flexible arrangement of each element, enabling you to design your screen according to the content of your stream, resulting in a clearer and smarter delivery of information.

Higher potential for increasing views through the short feed

The short feed algorithm displays streams based on user interests, allowing you to reach not only subscribers but also boost view counts. Users can automatically see recommended short videos and vertical streams, discovering streams as they swipe.

While horizontal streams tend to rely heavily on subscribers or searches, vertical streams are advantageous as they can also be displayed to non-subscribers through the feed.

While there are no guaranteed methods for being featured in YouTube’s vertical streaming recommendations, using encoder streaming (real-time streaming) is considered a prerequisite. However, since it relies on the algorithm, there’s no guarantee of appearing.

A format that is easy to view for smartphone users

With vertical viewing on smartphones becoming mainstream, vertical streaming is an optimized format for smartphone users. YouTube’s official help states that “If the live stream is vertical, it will be displayed in full screen for mobile viewers,” offering an immersive viewing experience.

With the rise of vertical videos on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, the habit of viewing while holding smartphones vertically has already become established.

Watching horizontal streams on a vertically held smartphone creates black bars above and below, making the screen smaller, whereas vertical streams utilize the full screen, making it easier to prevent viewer drop-off.

Source: YouTube “Getting Started with Live Streaming”

Disadvantages of YouTube Vertical Streaming

Vertical streaming comes with drawbacks such as being difficult to view on PCs and not appearing in the short feed in certain cases, which should be understood beforehand. Here, we will explain four points of caution.

Black bars appear on the sides when viewing on PC, making it hard to see

While vertical streaming works very well with smartphones, significant drawbacks arise on horizontal screens like PCs or tablets.

Video is displayed in the center in a vertical format with large spaces on the sides, which may leave viewers feeling visually unsatisfied.

It is possible to view from a PC, but since the video is reduced in size, it may not be comfortable. You can check what devices your viewers are using in YouTube Studio analytics, so if many viewers use PCs, consider alternating with horizontal streaming.

Certain scheduled streams may not be displayed

YouTube Shorts videos are eligible to be featured in the short feed if they meet the conditions of being “vertical (9:16)” and “under three minutes long,” even for scheduled uploads.

However, be careful as the following scenarios are handled differently, making vertical live streams less likely to appear in the feed:

• Scheduled live streams
• Premiere broadcasts

With regular short videos, those who want to adjust posting times in advance can comfortably use the scheduled posting feature.

Reference: YouTube Help “Viewing or Managing Vertical Live Streaming on the YouTube App”

While reaching casual viewers, it is hard to turn them into long-term fans

Vertical streaming excels in sharing but tends to bunch up easily, especially as YouTube Shorts are likely to appear during smartphone scrolling, making it easy to reach new viewers.

However, due to the short duration of videos and the difficulty of deep dives into content, they are less likely to leave a lasting impression, tend to result in quick viewer drop-off right after watching.

Consequently, it may not lead to channel subscriptions or retaining fans.

To target channel subscriptions and repeat viewers, it is effective to utilize longer content in conjunction with short videos.

Does not support mid-roll ads or background playback

According to YouTube’s official help comparison chart, neither mid-roll ads (ads that appear during a broadcast) nor pre-roll ads (ads before a broadcast) are served in the vertical live stream feed.

The absence of ads is a notable drawback, as it limits revenue opportunities compared to horizontal streaming.

Moreover, the basic specification does not allow background playback either. Even for YouTube Premium members, background audio playback of vertical streams does not work in the usual way. There have been cases where viewers say, “I just want to listen to the audio, but I can’t play it in the background,” so streamers should be aware of this limitation.

Source: YouTube “Getting Started with Live Streaming”

If you want to check the recommended screen sizes for each platform, the article below will be helpful.

>>VTuber Recommended! Quick Guide to Streaming Screen Sizes | Recommended Sizes by Vertical, Horizontal, and Streaming Platforms

How to Stream YouTube Vertically from Your Smartphone

Vertical streaming on YouTube is possible solely with a smartphone, but it requires a minimum of 50 subscribers. The steps are the same for both iPhone and Android, so let’s check the conditions, procedures, and tips below.

Requirements for Smartphone Streaming

You need a minimum of 50 subscribers to stream vertically from the YouTube app. You must also be at least 16 years old; if you’re 13-15, your default privacy setting will be unlisted. If you are determined to not have adult supervision, the live chat may be disabled, so be cautious.

In addition to the subscriber count, you must also meet the following conditions:

• No restrictions on live streaming in the past 90 days
• The channel must be verified
• Live streaming must be enabled (initial activation may take up to 24 hours)

If you have between 50 and 1,000 subscribers, viewer count may be limited, and the archive will be set to private by default, so keep that in mind.

Source: YouTube “Create a Live Stream on Mobile”

Steps to Stream from the YouTube App

You can initiate vertical streaming from the YouTube app using the following steps:

1. Open the YouTube app, tap the “+” at the bottom of the screen, and select “Live”
2. Tap the edit icon and enter the title, description, privacy setting, and thumbnail
3. While holding the smartphone vertically, tap “Start Live Streaming”

Once you start streaming while holding your smartphone vertically, it will automatically be recognized as a vertical stream. To end the stream, tap “End” on the screen. A summary that includes the streaming statistics will be displayed, and an archive will be created on your channel.

There’s also a feature to save highlight short videos, which can be useful for content utilization after the stream.

Tips for Streaming Smartphone Games Vertically

For vertical streaming of smartphone games, the placement of the game screen, camera feed, and comment section greatly impacts the overall quality. If it’s a vertical phone game, it’s best to utilize the entire screen for the game and overlay a small camera feed at the top or bottom for a neat finish.

If you’d like to capture the smartphone screen in OBS from a PC, consider using screen casting features or mirroring.

For iPhones, select Apple Screen Mirroring in OBS’s video capture device to bring it in. If streaming a horizontal game (16:9) in a vertical format, a layout that divides the screen vertically into three parts with the game at the top, camera in the middle, and the comment section at the bottom is also common in TikTok LIVE.

However, it’s generally safer to choose vertical screen-compatible smartphone games, as 16:9 game screens might look reduced and hard to view in a vertical stream.

How to Simultaneously Stream Vertical and Horizontal on YouTube

There are two methods for simultaneously streaming vertical and horizontal: using YouTube’s official dual stream feature and an OBS plugin.

The dual stream function is easy to set up, but it has the limitation of not allowing precise adjustments to the vertical video cropping position, while the Aitum Vertical plugin offers higher layout freedom and can also support simultaneous streaming to other platforms besides YouTube.

Using YouTube’s Dual Stream Feature

By utilizing YouTube’s official dual stream feature, you can deliver both horizontal (16:9) and vertical (9:16) streams simultaneously within a single streaming slot. Selecting the “Automatic” option means no changes need to be made on the OBS side, as the vertical video will be generated automatically through YouTube Studio.

Beforehand, make sure to enable live streaming (initial activation may take up to 24 hours), verify your channel (phone number verification), and link OBS with YouTube. Once prepared, you can set it up with the following steps.

1. In YouTube Studio, click “Create” → “Start Live Streaming” to open the live management screen
2. Select the “Encoder Streaming” tab
3. In the “Live Streaming Settings” tab, turn on “Dual Stream” and select “Automatic” under “Select Key”
4. Start streaming from OBS

If you want to individually send vertical footage using a third-party encoder, choose “Encoder” in step 3 and input the second stream key. However, note that this method is currently in a phased release and is not available to all creators.

Be aware of the following points: horizontal games may crop the edges in the center, you cannot remove the vertical format after streaming starts, and there is no UI provided for viewers to freely switch between vertical and horizontal.

Source: YouTube “Getting Started with Live Streaming”

※ Specifications are subject to change. Please check the official help for the latest information.

Using the Aitum Vertical Plugin

If you want to handle both vertical and horizontal footage simultaneously, “Aitum Vertical” is a standard choice. It’s a free plugin that can be added to OBS, allowing you to manage “9:16” vertical and “16:9” horizontal layouts as separate scenes.

To start vertical and horizontal streaming using “Aitum Vertical”, follow these steps:

1. Download “Aitum Vertical” from the official page or GitHub, extract the ZIP file, and install it
2. Restart OBS, and a new dock named “Vertical” will be added
3. Create a layout for vertical streaming using “Vertical Scene” and “Vertical Source” (can be structured separately from horizontal)
4. Set the regular OBS scene to horizontal and adjust the vertical setup to fit the vertical screen
5. Continue streaming horizontally while the vertical footage can be saved separately via the recording button

Note the distinction between using the dual stream function and Aitum Vertical. The dual stream method allows for vertical and horizontal streams to be officially delivered as the same stream on YouTube, whereas Aitum Vertical uses a different stream key on the OBS side to generate and stream vertical footage with more flexible layout options.

If you want to have precise control over the cropping position of horizontal game streaming or wish to stream to platforms other than YouTube such as TikTok simultaneously, Aitum Vertical is the better fit.

Recommended Platforms for Vertical Streaming Beyond YouTube

Vertical streaming using OBS is not limited to YouTube. There are several other platforms that support vertical formats aimed at smartphone users.

Here, we introduce two recommended platforms suitable for vertical streaming beyond YouTube.

• Twitch
• TikTok LIVE

Let’s take a look at each.

Twitch

Twitch, primarily focused on gaming, has a number of popular categories that work well with vertical streaming, such as Just Chatting and IRL streams.

By setting the OBS resolution to “9:16” (e.g., 1,080×1,920), you can achieve optimal vertical streaming for smartphone viewing.

Twitch also provides extensive guidelines on encoding settings, bitrates, and resolutions, emphasizing stable streaming setups.

Especially with GPU-driven encoding (such as NVIDIA NVENC), you can achieve high-quality streaming without sacrificing game performance.

For detailed information on how to stream on Twitch using OBS, consider the article below.

>>Complete Guide to Streaming with OBS × Twitch! From Connection to Starting the Stream!

TikTok LIVE

TikTok is a platform built for vertical videos, so live streaming is fundamentally vertical.

By setting OBS to a resolution of “9:16”, you can stream in a layout that is optimal for smartphone viewing.

On TikTok LIVE, streamers can engage with viewers in real-time using features such as effects, multi-guest streaming, comment management, and LIVE gifts.

However, to perform a LIVE stream on TikTok, you must be at least 18 years old and have over 1,000 followers (subject to regional variations).

Comparative Features and Revenue Between YouTube Vertical and Horizontal Streaming

YouTube vertical streaming has several limitations compared to horizontal streaming, such as the lack of mid-roll ads and background playback, so it is essential to understand the differences in revenue. Below is a comparative table of features based on YouTube’s official help information.

Feature	Horizontal Live Streaming	Vertical Live Streaming Feed
Can be found on the short feed	×	○
Can scroll to find other live streams	×	○
Clickable links in chat	○	×
Live ads mid-roll/pre-roll	○	×
4K bitrate streaming	○	× (in YouTube app)
Premiere	○	×
Live redirect	○	×
Membership	○	○
Membership gifts	○	○

Source: YouTube “Getting Started with Live Streaming”

It’s also important to understand the relationship with monetization conditions. The watch time for vertical live streaming counts towards the 4,000 hours if the video archived is public. However, view times that occur through the short feed are not counted, regardless of vertical or horizontal. If you’re aiming for monetization, consider setting the archive to public and also build the watch time for horizontal streams concurrently.

On the other hand, features like Super Chat, Super Stickers, channel memberships, and gift memberships are also available for vertical streams, allowing you to earn income similarly to horizontal streams.

Common Troubles and Solutions in YouTube Vertical Streaming

Common issues in vertical streaming often center around resolution setting errors and problems with appearing in the short feed. We’ll look at three representative cases along with their solutions.

OBS does not display vertically

If you feel that your stream on YouTube is not vertical or cannot be made vertical, first open “Settings” → “Output” → “Streaming” tab, and check if “Rescale Output” is disabled. If it’s enabled, it may overwrite to another resolution, preventing the intended vertical format.

If a “Scaling/Aspect Ratio” filter is applied to the source, it can also cause abnormal display. Right-click on the source, open “Filters,” and if “Scaling/Aspect Ratio” is set, remove it.

For more detailed information on the causes and solutions when the screen is cropped, refer to the article below.

>>OBS Screen Cut Off: Comprehensive Guide to Resize and Fix!

Not displayed in the short feed

The most common reason for not appearing in the short feed is using scheduled streaming (reserved streaming).

One effective method for being featured in the feed is to use encoder streaming (real-time streaming). The steps are as follows:

1. In YouTube Studio, click “Create” → “Start Live Streaming” → select “Encoder Streaming”
2. Create a new stream key
3. Input the stream key in OBS’s “Settings” → “Streaming”
4. Start immediately using the “Start Streaming” button in OBS

Encoder streaming doesn’t create any scheduled slots, so if you need to announce beforehand, consider creating a pseudo-waiting area using a playlist.

Source: YouTube “Viewing or Managing Vertical Live Streaming on the YouTube App”

Comments are not visible or displayed

If comments are not viewable in a vertical YouTube stream, there are mainly three possible causes:

• The chat has been disabled
• The chat display position may differ due to the viewer’s app setup
• The streamer’s comment display or monitoring settings are not properly configured

To toggle chat on or off for viewers, an operation is needed from the menu icon in the upper right corner of the video to turn off “Chat”. Conversely, guide viewers who feel they cannot see the comment section to follow the same steps to turn “Chat” back on.

Conclusion

This article explained the OBS settings for YouTube vertical streaming, smartphone streaming methods, simultaneous broadcasts, revenue considerations, and troubleshooting measures.

YouTube vertical streaming can be done simply by changing the OBS resolution to 1,080×1,920, providing a way to reach new viewers through the short feed. Streaming from a smartphone is also possible with more than 50 subscribers, allowing you to start vertical streaming without needing a PC.

By utilizing the dual stream feature and the Aitum Vertical plugin, you can also achieve simultaneous horizontal and vertical streaming. However, it’s important to be aware of revenue limitations such as not supporting mid-roll ads and background playback, thus requiring a balance and strategic use with horizontal streaming.

Common troubles include input mistakes with “x” and “×” in resolution settings and the fact that scheduled streams do not appear in the feed, but following the procedures outlined in this article should help avoid these issues. Be sure to check the screen visibility through test streaming before proceeding to the main event.