Find where the bars enter the picture: they may be baked into your source, added by Livepush’s scaling mode, or simply space around the image in YouTube’s adaptive player. For a conventional horizontal broadcast, use a 16:9 output such as 1920×1080 or 1280×720, remove padding embedded in the source, and check Livepush’s output preview if transcoding is enabled.
First, identify which kind of black bars you see
Check the source or encoder preview, Livepush’s incoming and output previews if you use its transcoder, and YouTube’s player separately. Where the bars first appear usually identifies the fix.
- Bars embedded in the video: The dark pixels are part of the outgoing frame. Correct the source canvas, scene, or composition; changing YouTube’s player settings will not remove them.
- Bars from a fit or scaling choice: A transcoder is placing a source with one shape into an output frame with another. A padded fit preserves the whole source but leaves unused space; a cropped fit fills the output by cutting off source edges.
- Space around the video in YouTube: YouTube adapts its player to the video’s aspect ratio and the viewer’s device. Its Help page notes that some formats, including vertical 9:16 video in desktop browsers, may have player padding. The padding is white by default and dark gray in Dark theme, so black bars are not necessarily coming from YouTube. YouTube’s aspect-ratio guidance explains this behavior.
Do not use the player appearance alone to diagnose the encoded video. Compare the previews at each stage to locate where the bars first appear.
Fix the source and output geometry
1. Choose the intended frame shape
For an ordinary horizontal YouTube broadcast, set the outgoing frame to 16:9. YouTube lists 1920×1080 for 1080p and 1280×720 for 720p as standard 16:9 resolutions. Use a resolution your source and streaming workflow support; changing resolution alone will not remove bars if the source already contains them. YouTube’s aspect-ratio guidance
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2. Remove padding already in the source
If the bars are visible in the source or encoder preview, adjust the canvas, scene, or source composition so the picture fills the intended frame. YouTube advises: “For best results, avoid adding padding or black bars directly to your video.” Padding can interfere with its ability to adapt the player to the video and device. YouTube Help
Do not stretch the image just to hide the bars: stretching distorts proportions. Cropping can fill the frame, but it removes image at the edges. Padding keeps the entire picture visible, at the cost of unused space.
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Check Livepush transcoding and scaling
If Livepush transcoding is in your stream path, compare its incoming and output previews. Livepush says its transcoder’s output is what reaches downstream social destinations, making the output preview a useful checkpoint. Its documentation describes these scaling behaviors under orientation choices:
| Choice | What happens | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Original/Default (padded) | Preserves the complete source image inside the output frame; unused space may remain. | Keeping every edge visible matters more than filling the frame. |
| Cropped | Fills the output frame by cutting off the source’s edges. | Filling the frame matters and the lost edges are acceptable. |
| Rotated | Changes the presentation orientation. | The intended output orientation differs from the source orientation. |
For a typical horizontal broadcast, choose landscape output if that is the intended presentation. Livepush’s feature documentation describes the transcoder, but available controls may differ by account or workflow; consult Livepush support for exact account-specific navigation rather than assuming a particular menu path.
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Preview before going live
- Check the source or encoder preview. If bars are already present, correct the source canvas or composition first.
- If transcoding is enabled, compare Livepush’s incoming and output previews. If the incoming picture is clean but the output has bars, review its orientation and scaling choice.
- Run a test and inspect the YouTube Live Control Room preview before starting the public broadcast. YouTube recommends testing before going live and monitoring video quality during the event. YouTube live-streaming settings and YouTube live-streaming tips
- If the Live Control Room preview is clean but a viewer sees space around the image, check the player on another device or display mode before changing the encoded video.
Settings that are not black-bar fixes
Bitrate and keyframe interval affect stream configuration, not frame geometry. Livepush’s 2025 recommended live settings list a general bitrate recommendation of 4.5 Mbps and a maximum of 16 Mbps, plus a recommended 2-second keyframe interval and 4-second maximum. YouTube also recommends a 2-second keyframe interval and says not to exceed 4 seconds. These figures do not remove bars; use the settings guidance for stream quality and stability, not aspect-ratio correction. Livepush recommended live-stream settings and YouTube live-streaming settings
Livepush’s 2025 settings page accepts any input resolution and aspect ratio up to a listed maximum height of 2,160 pixels. That flexibility does not mean mismatched geometry will fill the output without cropping or padding. Livepush recommended live-stream settings
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Common problems and fixes
- The bars remain after changing YouTube settings: Check the source or encoder preview. If the bars are already in the frame, fix the upstream canvas or composition.
- The input preview is clean but Livepush’s output has bars: Inspect the transcoder’s orientation and scaling behavior. Padded fitting retains the image with unused space; cropping fills the frame but loses edges.
- The picture looks stretched after the change: Restore the correct aspect ratio instead of forcing the image to fit. Choose a crop or padded fit based on whether full edges or a filled frame matter more.
- Only the YouTube player shows space around the picture: Compare the Live Control Room preview and another device. YouTube adapts its player shape, and player padding is not always part of the encoded video.
- You cannot find the documented Livepush control: Exact controls can vary by account and workflow. Ask Livepush support for the correct setting in your setup; do not assume every account exposes identical options.
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