To stream portrait video with FFmpeg, make a deliberate 9:16 composition, encode it using YouTube Live’s supported settings, and send it to the stream’s ingestion URL with the stream key from YouTube Studio. A single portrait feed does not automatically create a separate horizontal feed. If you want both formats, configure YouTube’s vertical encoder route and send each format to its corresponding stream key.
Choose portrait-only or portrait and horizontal
Decide which viewer experience you want before configuring FFmpeg:
- Portrait only: Send one 9:16 output to the selected stream’s configured ingestion URL and key. In YouTube Studio, check the vertical preview and layout before going public.
- Horizontal and vertical together: YouTube’s Live Control Room can publish both formats. For a third-party encoder, open the vertical preview’s Auto menu, select Encoder, choose RTMP(S), and select a second stream key for the vertical feed. Send each correctly composed format to its corresponding key.
Use the dual-output path when the two audiences need different compositions; it also requires enough upload capacity for the outputs you send. YouTube’s vertical controls may use a center crop or another Studio-managed layout, so preview the result rather than assuming one encoder feed will produce both formats. See YouTube’s vertical live streaming guidance.
Prepare the video composition
Start with a portrait source when possible
A 9:16 source avoids losing content to a crop. If your source is landscape, choose how to adapt it before streaming: crop to fill the portrait frame, fit the whole image with unused space, or design a stacked layout. A center crop fills the frame but can cut off subjects and on-screen information at the sides.
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Use an FFmpeg crop deliberately
FFmpeg’s crop filter takes width, height, and horizontal and vertical positions; if positions are omitted, it centers the crop. This schematic filter crops a landscape input to a centered 9:16 region and scales it to 720 by 1280:
-vf "crop=ih*9/16:ih:(iw-ih*9/16)/2:0,scale=720:1280"
This is an instructional template, not a universal command: check that the source dimensions and your FFmpeg build support the expression and output you choose. Preview representative frames. If a face, game HUD, subtitles, or other important content falls outside the crop, adjust the crop position or use a fit or designed layout instead. The filter options are documented in FFmpeg’s crop filter reference.
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Get the YouTube stream destination and key
- In YouTube Studio, open the Live Control Room and create or select the scheduled stream.
- Copy that stream’s ingestion URL and stream key. They are specific to your account and stream; never publish or share the key.
- For dual-format streaming, configure the vertical encoder path in the vertical preview and use the second key YouTube provides for that vertical output.
Use the actual destination shown for your selected stream. The RTMP URL/key format can depend on the endpoint and FFmpeg build, so do not assume that a sample URL or key from another channel applies. YouTube’s Live Streams API documentation describes stream states and health status.
Set FFmpeg’s video, audio, and connection options
Match the output to YouTube’s guidance
YouTube supports RTMP/RTMPS ingestion, H.264, H.265 or AV1 video, up to 60 fps, and AAC or MP3 audio. Its encoder guidance recommends constant bitrate (CBR), progressive video with square pixels where applicable, and a two-second keyframe interval; do not exceed four seconds.
Choose bitrate for the codec, resolution, and frame rate you actually use. For 1080p at 30 fps, YouTube’s current settings guidance lists H.264 at 5 Mbps minimum and 14 Mbps recommended; for H.265 or AV1 at the same resolution and frame rate, it lists 4 Mbps minimum and 10 Mbps recommended. These are YouTube recommendations, not a guarantee that a connection can sustain the selected rate. Check the current table for other combinations and test your upload connection before choosing a bitrate.
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YouTube recommends RTMPS: “We recommend streaming to YouTube Live with RTMPS, a secure extension to the popular RTMP streaming video protocol.” Use the secure endpoint shown for your stream when available. YouTube’s RTMPS guidance specifies port 443; verify the scheme, host, path, and port against the endpoint details rather than substituting a guessed address. References: YouTube encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions and YouTube RTMPS guidance.
Build a command for your source and encoder
There is no universal copy-and-paste command: input type, crop, encoder availability, resolution, frame rate, audio, endpoint, and key all vary. The following is a schematic output structure, not a tested command. Replace the placeholders, choose options that match your source and YouTube’s current table, and confirm your installed FFmpeg supports the selected encoder and protocol:
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesffmpeg [input options] -i INPUT [filter and encode options] -f flv 'RTMP_OR_RTMPS_INGEST_URL/STREAM_KEY'
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The exact placement of the key depends on the URL format provided for the selected YouTube endpoint and the FFmpeg build. FFmpeg documents its command structure and RTMP output pattern, including use of FLV muxing, in the FFmpeg documentation. Do not put a real stream key in a public script, screenshot, or article.
Test privately, then start the stream
- Send a test with representative motion and audio before making the stream public.
- In Live Control Room, check the preview, stream health, and any reported errors. Confirm that portrait output has the intended dimensions and composition.
- When the image and sound are correct and YouTube reports a healthy incoming feed, start or publish the stream using the controls for your scheduled event.
For simultaneous formats, verify both previews and confirm each output is reaching the corresponding key. A healthy signal for one output does not establish that the other is configured correctly.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot common portrait-stream problems
The stream does not appear in Live Control Room
Confirm FFmpeg is running and sending data, then check the exact ingestion URL and key for the selected stream. Look at YouTube’s stream status and health messages; the API distinguishes states such as active, ready, created, inactive, and error.
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RTMPS will not connect
Check that you used the secure scheme and the exact ingestion host and path shown for the stream. Verify the port; YouTube’s RTMPS guidance specifies 443. Also confirm your FFmpeg build supports the protocol and that the key is associated with the selected stream.
The output is not portrait
Check the encoded width and height and their 9:16 ratio. Then inspect the vertical preview configuration: Studio may be using a managed layout rather than the encoder feed. For dual-format output, make sure the portrait signal is sent to the vertical key.
The crop cuts off important content
The default crop is centered. Change its x/y position and preview the result, or use a fit or stacked composition that preserves the full landscape image. YouTube’s vertical editing canvas also provides layout choices.
The stream drops or reports poor health
Compare the selected bitrate with YouTube’s table for your codec, resolution, and frame rate, then check whether the upload connection can reliably sustain it. Verify CBR, supported codecs, frame rate, and the keyframe interval. Use the health messages in Live Control Room to identify detected issues instead of changing unrelated settings at random.
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