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To turn a 9:16 portrait video into a 16:9 landscape stream, either crop away part of the picture, preserve the full portrait image with a designed background, or layer the portrait over a blurred enlarged copy of itself. There is no lossless way to make the portrait image fill the landscape frame by itself. For most clips where the whole subject matters, the layered approach preserves the original while filling the sides.
Choose how the portrait video should fit
A 9:16 portrait frame is much taller and narrower than a 16:9 landscape frame. Decide what matters most before changing the source: keeping the whole image, filling every part of the landscape canvas, or making a deliberate layered design.
| Method | What viewers see | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Crop to fill | An enlarged portion of the portrait video fills the 16:9 frame. | Some of the original image is cut off. Reposition the source to keep the important content visible. |
| Preserve the portrait with side fill | The complete portrait image remains visible, with designed content or a blurred enlargement filling the sides. | The side treatment becomes part of the composition; it is not additional footage. |
| Stretch | The portrait image is widened to cover the landscape frame. | People and objects are distorted. OBS Project describes stretching as rarely advisable. |
OBS Project’s Aspect Ratio Guide, published November 27, 2021, gives 1920×1080 and 1280×720 as examples of 16:9 output resolutions and recommends producing content at 16:9. These are technical output examples, not claims about audience preferences.
Make a landscape version in OBS
For a 24/7 stream, a reliable starting layout is a full-height portrait video in the foreground, over a duplicated, enlarged and blurred copy that fills the landscape background. The foreground keeps the original framing; the background uses the same image to fill the otherwise unused sides.
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- Set the canvas to 16:9. In OBS, open Settings → Video. Set the Base (Canvas) Resolution to the landscape size for your scene, such as 1920×1080 or 1280×720. Set the output resolution to the intended stream size as well, unless you deliberately need a different output. Check your YouTube stream settings and available upload bandwidth before choosing a higher output resolution.
- Add the portrait clip. In the scene’s Sources panel, select + and add the video source for your clip. Keep its proportions intact while positioning and sizing it. Center it on the canvas and make it large enough that its full portrait frame is visible.
- Create the blurred side-fill background. Duplicate the video source and place the duplicate below the foreground source in the source list. Enlarge the lower copy until it covers the entire 16:9 canvas, then apply a blur effect using an OBS filter or a separate editing step. Keep the foreground copy sharp and unobstructed. If you do not want a blur, use a designed background or other suitable content to fill the sides.
- Crop only when you mean to lose part of the image. Select the source and hold Alt while dragging a red transform handle to crop visually in the preview. For exact values, open Edit Transform with Ctrl+E. To fill the canvas with the portrait clip, enlarge it beyond the canvas edges, then reposition it until the important subject is visible. This is a pan-and-scan crop: content beyond the visible frame is discarded.
- Check the whole clip, not just its opening frame. Preview movement, faces, captions, hands and product details throughout the video. A centered crop that looks fine in one still can cut off a moving subject or text later in the clip. Adjust the position or use the layered layout if important content moves outside the crop.
- Avoid accidental stretching. Do not hold Shift while dragging source bounds unless you intentionally want to distort the image. OBS Project warns that stretching can make content look blurred or malformed and says it is rarely advisable.
- Test the final scene as a stream. Make a short unlisted YouTube test and inspect it on a phone and a desktop before leaving a 24/7 stream unattended. Check that the scene is framed well at both sizes and that the transition when the clip loops is acceptable.
Crop the stream, or give viewers a vertical version too?
Cropping a portrait clip into a landscape scene is different from YouTube’s option to provide both horizontal and vertical live formats. YouTube Help describes simultaneous horizontal (16:9) and vertical (9:16) formats in Live Control Room. Its listed vertical layout options are Center crop, Fit to phone width and Stacked; zoom and position can also be adjusted.
For a third-party encoder, YouTube’s documented workflow uses Encoder in the vertical preview, RTMP(S), and a second stream key for the vertical stream. Send each format to its matching key. YouTube says the vertical format cannot be added after the stream has started, so select the dual-format setup before going live. When both formats are active, the same stream URL and live chat are shared; YouTube says mobile viewers may see the vertical stream in the Shorts browsing experience, while other viewers see the horizontal version. That is an available viewing surface, not a promise of discovery or traffic.
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If the goal is one polished landscape stream, prepare the crop or side-fill layout in OBS. If the goal is to offer a vertical viewing option as well, configure YouTube’s dual-format workflow before starting and verify the current Live Control Room options for your account.
Prepare a 24/7 loop before leaving it unattended
A composition that works for a short test still needs to behave well when it repeats. Before making the stream public or unattended, check the video, scene and stream itself.
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- Review the full loop: check the ending and restart so the transition is not distracting or misleading.
- Check framing across the clip: make sure movement, subtitles and other important details remain visible, not only at the start.
- Inspect on different screens: review the public composition on a phone and desktop; the same landscape layout can feel different on each.
- Test privately or unlisted first: confirm the stream starts and the intended scene is visible before relying on it continuously.
- Check rights and YouTube rules: use videos and audio you have permission to stream, and review YouTube’s current live-streaming and monetization rules. Cropping or blurring footage does not grant rights to it or make reused material original.
Or let it run in the cloud
If you have prepared the landscape version and do not want to keep a computer or home connection running, StreamNeo is an optional cloud service for looping uploaded videos to YouTube. The basic steps are: upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, then go live. StreamNeo loops the uploaded video from the cloud; it does not broadcast a live camera feed.
Nothing has to stay on at home. Every slot streams what you upload at its original quality, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot; automatic recovery is available if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card required, one free day per account. Monthly billing is $9.99 per month. StreamNeo is for YouTube streaming only. See StreamNeo or its pricing page for details, then start the free day.
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