A vertical and a horizontal live stream need separate compositions. In OBS, Aitum Vertical gives you a portrait canvas alongside the landscape canvas; you add and inspect overlay elements in both rather than assuming one layout will fit the other.
Streamlabs Desktop offers a different route with its Dual Output controls for YouTube. Whichever workflow you use, check both previews and test scene changes before going live: a graphic that is readable in a wide frame may be cropped, crowded or misplaced in a tall one.
Why the two orientations need separate compositions
Landscape and portrait frames offer different amounts of space around the subject. In a landscape scene, a webcam, title and chat panel may sit beside the main picture. In portrait, the same elements compete for a narrow central column, so they may need to be stacked, resized or removed. The source media can be shared, but the arrangement should be checked and adjusted for each orientation.
This matters whether you are showing a musician, a devotional image, a presenter or a study timer. A landscape lower third placed near the bottom edge can occupy a large share of the portrait frame. A logo at the far right of a wide canvas may be cut off entirely when the picture is reframed vertically. Do not treat a portrait output as a crop that will preserve every part of the landscape design.
Start by deciding what each frame must communicate. Keep the main subject visible, make essential text readable on a phone, and leave space for any interface elements that may cover the picture. For a bhajan channel, for instance, you might keep the singer or deity image prominent in portrait, with a short channel identifier above or below it; a longer programme title and chat area may remain in the landscape layout.
If you are still deciding which orientation to send, first review the practical choices in how to change video orientation for a live stream. This article assumes you have chosen to prepare both compositions and want to manage their overlays deliberately. A vertical image on a viewer’s phone does not itself guarantee that YouTube will place the stream in a particular feed.
Set up a portrait canvas in OBS with Aitum Vertical
Aitum Vertical adds a portrait canvas and separate vertical scenes and sources to OBS. That gives you another place to arrange sources, rather than forcing the landscape composition to do all the work. Before installing it, check the current Aitum release information against your OBS version and operating system. The OBS forum resource listing in the research notes identifies OBS Studio 29.0.0 as a minimum for the listed build, but compatibility can change, so verify the current listing instead of treating that as a permanent requirement.
Install the plugin with OBS closed, then reopen OBS and look for the vertical scenes and sources docks under View → Docks. If the docks are not present, confirm that the plugin is installed for the OBS version you actually open and consult its current setup guide. Avoid changing several unrelated settings at once; it is easier to diagnose an installation issue when you know which step failed.
The portrait canvas is its own working area. Its dimensions and output settings should suit the YouTube stream you intend to send. Set the vertical destination and stream key in the relevant vertical output settings, and check that you have not confused that key with another channel or broadcast. YouTube’s live streaming setup instructions explain the platform-side process for creating and managing a live stream. Check the current YouTube interface and requirements before a real broadcast.
If you use separate outputs or destinations, check the requirements for each one and whether your connection can sustain the configured video and audio. Aitum’s setup guidance discusses per-destination output settings; do not assume a setting chosen for one output automatically suits another. Begin with the destinations you need, verify the actual live result and watch for instability before adding more complexity.
Create and link corresponding scenes
Make portrait scenes for the states your show actually uses, rather than building only a single vertical “live” scene. A modest setup might include a starting screen, the main programme, a break and an ending. If your content has no break screen, there is no need to invent one; the aim is to have a portrait arrangement ready for each landscape scene you expect to select.
Add the sources that belong in each portrait composition: a camera, captured window or game, background image, text and overlay artwork. Existing OBS sources may be reusable in the vertical canvas, but reusing a source does not mean its size or position is right. Adjust its transform and crop for the portrait frame, then confirm that the important content remains in view. Keep the scene names clear, such as “Live – Portrait” and “Live – Landscape”, so you can tell which arrangement you are editing.
Aitum’s linked-scenes control can associate a vertical scene with its matching landscape scene. Set those pairs deliberately: link the portrait starting scene to the landscape starting scene, and the portrait programme scene to the corresponding landscape one. The purpose is to have the intended vertical arrangement follow the relevant main scene change, not to make the two compositions identical.
The link has a direction worth understanding before you rely on it. Aitum’s documentation says that changing a vertical scene directly does not switch the horizontal canvas. In practice, make scene changes from the main landscape canvas when you want the linked vertical scene to follow. If you use a Stream Deck or another control method, test exactly which canvas its button changes; the Aitum product documentation describes horizontal scene control as one way to carry linked vertical scenes along.
For an explanation of the wider broadcast setup, see how to stream Kannada devotional music 24/7 on YouTube. Its subject is different, but the planning principle carries over: decide what the viewer should see in each programme state, then make the scene transition predictable before relying on it live.
Add overlays to both compositions
Treat each orientation as a layout job. Add the logo, title, alerts or other artwork to the landscape scene, then place and size the corresponding elements separately in the portrait scene. You can reuse the same image file where it suits both, but it may need a different scale, alignment or crop. Some elements may be useful in only one composition; an information-heavy chat panel, for example, can consume too much of a narrow portrait frame.
In OBS, add artwork as image sources or use the scene collection and source workflow that fits your project. Keep source names meaningful, and group related items if that makes the scene easier to maintain. When you update the logo or title later, check each composition rather than assuming a change to one scene has updated the other. If your scenes share the same source, confirm how edits to that source affect both layouts before changing it.
In Streamlabs Desktop, its help documentation describes importing an .overlay file through Settings → Scene Collections → Import Overlay File. You can also build custom scenes and add image files as sources. Streamlabs documents routes for using its overlays in OBS, including its OBS plugin and scene-collection import; these are separate ways of bringing assets into OBS, not a reason to assume every overlay file or collection will produce two finished compositions automatically. Check the current Streamlabs overlay import instructions for the up-to-date interface.
Before using a downloaded or purchased overlay pack, check its included dimensions and licence terms. A pack may include only a landscape design, or may require you to adapt assets yourself. If the same graphic does not compose well in both frames, make a portrait variant or simplify the portrait version instead of shrinking every element until it is difficult to read.
Check placement in both previews
Inspect both canvases while editing. Do not rely on a single preview or on how an overlay looked in a still image. Check where text, logos, alerts and chat panels sit against the visible subject in each orientation. If the person or artwork shifts, or the camera crop changes, the overlay can obscure something that was clear during the initial setup.
Use a short checklist for each scene pair:
- Is the main subject fully visible, including the part of the frame that matters to the programme?
- Can you read titles and labels at the size they will appear on a phone?
- Are any elements clipped at the canvas edges or covering faces, captions or important artwork?
- Does an alert or transition appear in a position that makes sense in this orientation?
- Is the audio or visual status clear during a holding screen, if you use one?
These checks are not a guarantee about how every device or YouTube surface will display the broadcast. They are a way to catch composition errors in your own output. When possible, make a private or otherwise controlled test and inspect the actual live picture on a second device, not only the editor preview. Check YouTube’s current guidance for the live control room and stream status rather than inferring that a preview alone confirms every delivery detail.
A practical example: suppose a landscape title bar sits across the lower quarter of the screen. In portrait, that bar may cover the central subject, while a logo that was comfortably inset from the landscape edge may sit too close to the portrait boundary. Move or redesign those elements in the portrait composition. Do not reduce all the artwork as a group without checking whether its lettering remains legible.
Test scene switching on the main canvas
Once the layouts are in place, test every scene transition you intend to use. Start on the landscape canvas, switch from the starting scene to the programme scene, and confirm that the linked portrait scene changes to its matching arrangement. Repeat for breaks or other states. Then check the inverse deliberately: changing a portrait scene directly will not move the landscape canvas according to Aitum’s one-way linking behaviour.
This test catches a common operational surprise: the two previews can look correct while the scene control changes only one of them. If you need a portrait-only variation, decide how you will return both canvases to a known matching state. Label control buttons, keep a simple scene map near the workstation, or rehearse the exact sequence you will use during a show. The best safeguard is a routine you can follow when tired, not a complicated scene system you cannot remember at night.
Check transitions while monitoring the stream output, especially if changing scenes also alters audio sources, capture sources or overlays. Confirm that the programme picture remains in the intended orientation and that sound continues as expected. For audio-focused channels, the advice in how to live stream audio on YouTube can help you think through what viewers hear when the visual scene changes.
Streamlabs Desktop Dual Output for YouTube
Streamlabs Desktop’s Dual Output method is an alternative workflow, not another name for Aitum Vertical. Streamlabs’ guide describes enabling Dual Output under Settings → Video, then arranging elements separately in portrait and landscape previews. The guide also describes configuring YouTube as a native destination for one orientation and an RTMP destination for the other. Follow the current in-app screens and YouTube’s current destination requirements, because software interfaces and platform policies can change.
The useful distinction is how you work. Aitum adds portrait scenes and sources within OBS and lets you associate portrait scenes with landscape ones through linked-scene controls. Streamlabs Desktop presents Dual Output controls and previews within its own application. If you already manage a show in OBS and want separate vertical scenes, the Aitum workflow may suit that structure. If your production is already built in Streamlabs Desktop, its Dual Output workflow may be more direct. Compare how each handles your existing sources and the scene switching your show needs rather than choosing by the name alone.
| Consideration | OBS with Aitum Vertical | Streamlabs Desktop Dual Output |
|---|---|---|
| Composition | Separate vertical canvas, scenes and sources alongside OBS scenes | Separate portrait and landscape previews and layout controls |
| Scene changes | Linked portrait scenes follow landscape changes in one direction | Use the current Dual Output controls and test the behaviour in the app |
| Overlays | Add and position sources in each composition; adapt assets as needed | Streamlabs documents overlay import and separate layout adjustment |
| Output setup | Check vertical output and each destination’s requirements | Streamlabs documents a native YouTube route for one orientation and RTMP for the other |
| Best first check | Confirm current plugin compatibility, then test a paired scene change | Confirm Dual Output is available in your Desktop version, then inspect both previews |
Streamlabs notes that a portrait stream sent through third-party streaming software may not always be detected for the YouTube Shorts feed. A correctly composed vertical picture is not a promise of feed placement. Also distinguish Streamlabs Desktop Dual Output from the Streamlabs OBS plugin: Streamlabs’ plugin documentation states that Dual Output is not available through that plugin. Installing the plugin alone should not be treated as enabling simultaneous portrait and landscape output.
Before committing to either workflow, confirm current software versions, operating-system support, access requirements and destination behaviour in the relevant documentation. YouTube’s encoder settings and bitrates guidance is a primary reference for stream output considerations; use the current page and check your actual output rather than copying settings blindly. If you are transmitting more than one output, consider whether your connection and encoding setup can support them, and test stability before a scheduled programme.
A second device is useful for confirming that the live picture appears as expected to a viewer. It will not tell you whether YouTube will surface that stream in a particular Shorts or recommendation feed, and it does not replace checking the platform’s current rules. For a stream that relies on a fixed visual loop rather than scene changes, how to make a 24/7 rain stream look smooth when the video loops covers a separate issue: the quality of the repeated content itself.
Prepare a repeatable pre-live check
Save a short checklist with the project so another person, or you after a long day, can verify the same basics. Confirm the correct landscape and portrait scenes are paired, inspect both previews, and make a test scene change from the main canvas. Check that the correct YouTube stream is selected and that the intended output is active. Keep the list specific to your setup; a small channel with one camera and two scenes does not need a broadcast checklist designed for a studio.
If you change overlay artwork, camera framing or canvas settings later, repeat the checks for every affected scene pair. An overlay refresh can move a title beyond the portrait safe area even if the landscape view looks unchanged. A change that appears minor on the editing screen can be difficult to spot once the show is running, so capture a test or inspect the live output before an important broadcast.
For a continuous channel, decide who checks the stream after launch and how they will respond if the picture or scene state is wrong. Keep a known-good scene available and avoid making untested layout changes during a live programme. If your channel uses a pre-recorded video, check that the visual composition and audio remain suitable in both orientations; an overlay does not correct problems in the underlying video or loop.
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FAQ
Can one overlay serve portrait and landscape?
It can, if the artwork is simple and you position it separately so it works in both frames. Do not assume its original landscape placement will survive a portrait layout; inspect the portrait preview and make a separate variant when needed.
Does Aitum Vertical switch both canvases when I change scenes?
Aitum’s linked-scene behaviour is one-way: changing the landscape scene can carry the linked portrait scene along, while changing the portrait scene directly does not switch the landscape canvas. Test your controls before going live and make scene changes from the main canvas when you depend on that linkage.
Is Streamlabs Desktop Dual Output the same as its OBS plugin?
No. Streamlabs Desktop’s Dual Output is a feature in Streamlabs Desktop, while the company’s OBS plugin is a separate workflow. Streamlabs’ plugin documentation says Dual Output is not available through that plugin, so check the current product documentation rather than assuming the plugin enables two orientations.
Will a vertical YouTube stream appear in the Shorts feed?
Not necessarily. Streamlabs notes that portrait streams from third-party software may not always be detected for the Shorts feed, and a vertical picture alone does not guarantee a particular placement. Check YouTube’s current guidance and inspect the actual stream.