To set a custom resolution for YouTube live streaming in OBS, open Settings > Video and enter the dimensions under Output (Scaled) Resolution. That is normally the setting that controls the size YouTube receives.
Base (Canvas) Resolution is different: it is the workspace where you arrange your camera, captures, images and overlays. You do not need to reduce the canvas simply because you want to transmit a smaller output. Set the canvas for your sources and layout, then scale the stream output deliberately.
Choose the output resolution before opening OBS
Start with the job the stream needs to do rather than with the largest number your computer can display. A devotional image with slow movement, a lofi station and a local news loop may not need the same balance of detail, frame rate and upload capacity as a game walkthrough.
For ordinary landscape video, 16:9 is the usual starting shape. Common examples include 1920×1080, 1280×720 and 3840×2160. These are examples, not mandatory choices. A portrait presentation, a square visual or a deliberately wide layout can use another shape, provided your sources and viewers are prepared for it.
The important point is to keep the intended aspect ratio consistent. If your source is wide but the canvas is tall, OBS may leave unused bars or crop part of the picture, depending on how you fit the source. Stretching a source to fill a different shape changes faces, letters and circles into distorted forms.
| Typical target | When it may suit | What to check before using it |
|---|---|---|
| 1280×720 | A simple loop, devotional visual or low-bandwidth channel | Whether small text remains readable and the connection can carry the chosen bitrate |
| 1920×1080 | General-purpose landscape streams with detailed graphics | Encoder load, upload headroom and whether 30 or 60 fps is necessary |
| 3840×2160 | A source and audience that genuinely benefit from 4K detail | Computer capacity, upload capacity and the complete encoder path |
| Custom dimensions | A specific display, portrait layout or unusual presentation | Aspect ratio, YouTube's available handling and how the result looks on real devices |
Do not assume that a higher output resolution is automatically more reliable. More pixels can require more encoder work and more upload capacity. A stable 720p stream is more useful than a 1080p stream that repeatedly buffers, drops frames or overloads the computer.
For a long-running channel, consider what will be visible after several hours. If the stream is a static image with a scrolling ticker, check the smallest text at the intended output size. If it is a music loop, check whether the artwork and any on-screen schedule remain legible. You can also read how much data a 24/7 YouTube live stream uses in India before choosing a setting that your connection must sustain overnight.
Open OBS Settings and go to Video
Open OBS Studio and select Settings. Choose Video in the left-hand column. The two resolution fields you need are near the top: Base (Canvas) Resolution and Output (Scaled) Resolution.
If your OBS window or installed version presents the controls slightly differently, look for the same two names rather than relying on their position. The labels describe their jobs more reliably than a screenshot from another version. OBS explains the relationship in its official Studio overview.
Before editing anything, note the values already in both fields. This gives you a simple way to return to the working setup if the new dimensions create unexpected cropping or layout changes. It is also worth taking a screenshot of the Video settings and Output settings before making changes to a channel that already works.
Do not change several unrelated settings at once. If you alter canvas size, output size, frame rate, encoder and bitrate together, a later problem will be difficult to trace. Change the resolution path first, save it, inspect the preview, and then test the stream with representative content.
The usual route is:
- Open Settings in OBS.
- Select Video.
- Identify Base (Canvas) Resolution.
- Identify Output (Scaled) Resolution.
- Set the canvas for the scene workspace.
- Set the output for the dimensions YouTube should receive.
- Choose the frame rate and downscale filter.
- Select Apply, then OK.
The preview is useful but not enough on its own. OBS can show a clean local preview while the transmitted stream has a different output size, a bitrate problem or an ingestion warning. Verification in YouTube comes later in this guide.
Set Base (Canvas) Resolution for the scene layout
Base (Canvas) Resolution is the design space in which OBS places your sources. A source may be a display capture, browser window, camera, video file, image, text layer or alert. When you position and resize those sources in a scene, you are working against the canvas dimensions.
Choose a canvas that matches the source and layout you are building. If your main video file is 1920×1080 and your graphics were designed around that shape, a 1920×1080 canvas is a sensible workspace. If you are building a portrait presentation, use a canvas that reflects that design instead of forcing every element into a landscape arrangement.
You are not required to lower the canvas because the output will be smaller. For example, you may keep a 1920×1080 canvas so that a logo, ticker and video source remain arranged correctly, while setting the output to 1280×720. OBS then creates the smaller transmitted image from the larger workspace.
This separation is especially useful when you have invested time in a scene layout. Lowering the canvas can change how sources fit and may require you to reposition or resize them. OBS describes reducing the base canvas as a less desirable general response to performance trouble because the scene layout may need adjustment.
There are cases where changing the canvas is reasonable. If the computer is seriously constrained, if all source material is designed at a smaller size, or if the existing canvas is unrelated to the presentation you want, a new canvas may simplify the project. Treat that as a layout decision, not as a compulsory step for every custom stream resolution.
After setting or retaining the canvas, inspect every scene. Look at the edges of the main video, the position of text and the spacing around logos. A source that was positioned precisely on the old canvas may now be partly outside the visible area if you changed the canvas dimensions.
Set Output (Scaled) Resolution for YouTube
Enter the dimensions you want to transmit in Output (Scaled) Resolution. This is the usual place to set a custom stream resolution in OBS. If your canvas is 1920×1080 and you want YouTube to receive 1280×720, leave the canvas at 1920×1080 and enter 1280×720 as the output.
The output should normally preserve the canvas aspect ratio. Moving from 1920×1080 to 1280×720 keeps the same 16:9 shape. If you enter a different ratio, inspect the preview for bars, cropping or stretched sources. The output field does not redesign your scene; it changes the dimensions of the image OBS produces from that scene.
Apply the change and watch the OBS preview. Text may become harder to read at a smaller output even when the layout is technically correct. A thin ticker, fine watermark or detailed chart can disappear into compression. Increase the size or simplify the graphic rather than assuming that a larger resolution alone will solve it.
Some OBS output configurations also include a Rescale Output control in the streaming encoder settings. It can be useful when streaming and recording need separate dimensions in an advanced setup. It is not a second setting you need to enable automatically. An additional scaling stage can make the path harder to understand, so use it only when you have a clear reason and can verify the final output in your installed OBS version.
For most users, a clear setup is easier to maintain: choose the canvas for the scene, choose the scaled output for the stream, and avoid adding another rescale unless separate recording and streaming sizes are genuinely required. If you are operating a loop from a computer that may restart, the wider guide to keeping a 24/7 YouTube stream running when a VPS reboots covers a different reliability problem, but the same principle applies: fewer unexplained settings are easier to check.
A custom dimension is not guaranteed to be accepted or displayed in every way you expect. YouTube normally detects the incoming resolution and frame rate, but its handling and available manual choices can change. Test the exact dimensions rather than treating the number in OBS as proof of what viewers will receive.
Check frame rate, scaling and encoder load
In the same Video settings area, choose a value under Common FPS Values. Use the frame rate that matches the content and the computer's capacity. Slow artwork, a speaking presenter and a standard news loop may not benefit from 60 fps. Fast gameplay or movement can make a higher frame rate more useful, but it also increases the work the system must do.
OBS cautions that 60 fps can demand substantially more system resources than 30 fps. If your stream is choppy or OBS reports encoding overload, reducing the output resolution or frame rate is usually a more direct test than immediately lowering the canvas. You can also simplify scenes, remove expensive filters and reduce the number of animated sources.
If the output is smaller than the canvas, select a downscale filter. The filter determines how OBS calculates the smaller image. The best choice depends on the content and the computer, so judge it by the result and the load rather than by a promise that one filter is always right. Fine text and diagonal lines are useful things to inspect.
Check the output settings that control the stream encoder as well. YouTube's live encoder settings describe recommended combinations of resolution, frame rate, codec and bitrate. They are guidance for incoming live video, not a guarantee that a particular connection or computer will deliver reliably.
For examples from YouTube's published table, H.264 at 1080p and 30 fps has a recommended bitrate of 14 Mbps, while H.264 at 1080p and 60 fps has a recommended bitrate of 17 Mbps. For 720p at 30 fps, the H.264 recommendation is 8 Mbps. YouTube also lists different recommendations for AV1 and H.265, including 10 Mbps for 1080p at 30 fps and 6 Mbps for 720p at 30 fps.
Those figures should be matched to your actual encoder and connection. YouTube recommends an upload speed test and leaving bandwidth headroom rather than using every available bit of capacity. It also recommends CBR and a two-second keyframe interval, with the interval not exceeding four seconds. Check the current official page before a planned broadcast because encoder guidance can change.
A higher bitrate cannot repair an overloaded encoder, and a powerful computer cannot repair an unstable upload path. Test with the same kind of movement, overlays and audio that the real stream will contain. A static test image may hide a problem that appears when a video loop, camera feed or animated ticker starts.
Verify the incoming resolution in YouTube
After applying the OBS settings, open YouTube Studio and create or open the intended live stream. Go to the Live Control Room and connect OBS using the stream key and server details shown for that broadcast. Start the encoder only when you are ready to inspect the test stream.
YouTube normally detects the incoming resolution and frame rate automatically. YouTube Help states that this is the default recommended behaviour. If you need to choose the resolution manually, YouTube says to create a custom stream key and enable manual settings under Stream Resolution in Live Control Room.
Manual selection is not a substitute for setting OBS correctly. If OBS sends 1280×720, choosing a different value in YouTube does not create missing detail in the source. Conversely, selecting a manual value that does not match the encoder output can make diagnosis more confusing. Use the manual option only when you understand why the broadcast needs it and can test the result.
In Live Control Room, check the incoming stream information and stream health. Look for the detected resolution, frame rate, bitrate warnings and dropped-frame messages. The exact labels can move as YouTube updates Studio, so follow the current controls shown in your account rather than an old screenshot.
Watch the video itself as well. Check the main subject, text, edges, bars and audio. A resolution label can be correct while a scene still has a badly cropped source. YouTube's streaming tips also recommend testing before the live event and checking the health of the stream.
If YouTube reports a different resolution from the one you entered, work through the path in order. Confirm the OBS output field, check whether a separate encoder rescale is active, apply the settings, stop and restart the test stream if needed, then inspect YouTube again. Do not change the canvas first unless the scene itself needs a different workspace.
For a long-running broadcast, leave the test running long enough to expose the real issue. Include the normal video loop, audio, text overlays and any scene transitions. Someone running a nonstop gospel music stream on YouTube from a playlist should test the full playlist behaviour, not just a still image at the start of the first file.
A practical troubleshooting order
When the stream is not behaving as expected, change one variable at a time. This order keeps the resolution question separate from broader reliability problems.
First, confirm that the intended dimensions are entered under Output (Scaled) Resolution, not only under the canvas field. Second, confirm that the canvas and output have a sensible aspect ratio. Third, inspect the frame rate and downscale filter. Fourth, check encoder load and dropped frames in OBS. Fifth, compare the incoming details shown in YouTube Live Control Room.
If OBS shows encoding overload, lower the output resolution or frame rate first. Simplify the scene if that is not enough. Lowering the canvas may reduce some work, but it can also force you to rebuild the layout, so reserve it for a computer that genuinely needs that change.
If the picture is blurry but the stream is stable, inspect the source quality, output size, bitrate and scaling path. If the picture is stretched, compare the canvas and output ratios and check the source transform. If viewers see bars, decide whether they are intentional or whether the source should be cropped or repositioned.
If the stream disconnects or stops overnight, resolution may not be the cause. Check the upload connection, computer power settings, OBS logs and the restart plan separately. A channel that needs alerts should also have a plan for knowing when it has stopped; the monitoring guide for a 24/7 stream covers that operational side.
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FAQ
Where do I change the stream resolution in OBS?
Open Settings > Video and change Output (Scaled) Resolution. This is normally the setting for the dimensions sent to YouTube. Do not change Base (Canvas) Resolution unless you also want to change the workspace used to arrange your sources.
Do Base and Output resolution have to match?
No. The canvas is the scene layout space, while the scaled output is the transmitted size. A 1920×1080 canvas can be scaled to 1280×720, provided the layout and aspect ratio still look correct.
Can YouTube be told to use a custom resolution manually?
YouTube normally detects the incoming resolution and frame rate. For manual selection, YouTube Help says to use a custom stream key and turn on manual settings under Stream Resolution in Live Control Room. Test the exact OBS output rather than assuming every custom dimension will be accepted or displayed identically.
What should I lower if OBS cannot keep up?
Try lowering the output resolution or frame rate first, then simplify scenes and expensive sources. Lowering the canvas can affect source placement, so it is not the default fix when only the transmitted output needs to be smaller.