To stream a pre-recorded video vertically through XSplit Broadcaster, add the file as a Video File source, set a portrait stage, and arrange the picture within that canvas. This is local-file playback: you do not need a webcam, capture card, or other external video device for a file already on your computer.
The key decision is how the source fits the portrait frame. A landscape video may need cropping or may leave unused space; a portrait file is more likely to fit naturally, but still needs a preview check. Once the composition is ready, choose XSplit’s YouTube Live output and verify the event and preview before starting.
Add the video from your computer
Open the scene you intend to stream, then use Add Source > Video File and select the video stored on your computer. XSplit’s media-source properties include playback controls. Use them to set the behaviour you need, such as whether the video begins when the source is added or how playback is controlled in the scene. The available controls can vary with the installed version, so check the properties panel rather than assuming a particular option is present.
This route is distinct from adding a camera or capture-card source. Those source types are for compatible external devices; they are not a required step for playing a local file. XSplit’s Video File source documentation describes media sources, including supported format categories. Formats such as MP4 and WEBM are listed, but that is not a guarantee that every file using those extensions will play correctly. The file’s encoding and your installed software version can affect compatibility.
Before composing the scene, play the source within XSplit and confirm that both picture and audio behave as expected. Check that playback starts from the intended point and that the full duration is available. If the video contains a soundtrack, listen to it through the monitoring setup you will use during the stream; a visible moving picture does not confirm that audio is reaching the output.
Decide what should happen when the file ends. If you want a continuous live programme, a single finite file may leave the scene without moving content after playback finishes unless you deliberately arrange further playback. Do not assume that YouTube will replay the file on its own. For a different question about what happens after a video finishes, see whether a YouTube Premiere can loop a video after it ends.
Set a portrait stage
The stage is the canvas XSplit uses to arrange the sources in a scene. Set its resolution to a custom portrait shape before you position overlays or fine-tune the video. XSplit’s stage guide covers custom stage dimensions and source layout controls. It does not prescribe one portrait resolution that suits every computer, file, or channel, so choose a shape appropriate to your intended YouTube presentation and confirm it in the output preview.
A portrait canvas is taller than it is wide. Treat it as the frame the viewer will receive, not merely as a setting that turns a landscape picture on its side. The source’s proportions and the stage’s proportions are separate: changing the stage does not automatically turn landscape footage into portrait footage or create new picture outside the source’s edges.
Set the stage before laying out text, logos, borders, or other sources. That makes it easier to keep captions and important visual details within the actual portrait frame. If you build overlays on a landscape stage first and change the canvas later, sources may no longer sit where you expect. Recheck the complete scene after every layout change.
XSplit’s December 2024 release notes for Broadcaster version 4.5.2412.0304 describe vertical streaming support in the YouTube Live output plugin. The notes associate a 9:16 stream with the possibility of appearing in the YouTube Shorts feed. Read that as XSplit’s description of intended platform behaviour, not a promise that YouTube will place a particular broadcast in that feed. Check whether the vertical option is available in your installed version and inspect the output before relying on it. See the XSplit December 2024 release notes.
Position or crop the source
With the stage set, select the Video File source and adjust its size and position until the important parts of the picture fit the portrait composition. XSplit lets you move and resize sources, and its stage controls include cropping. Use the preview as your reference: the goal is to show the intended content inside the stage, not simply to fill every part of the canvas.
A portrait file on a portrait stage may need only modest sizing and placement. A landscape file presents a choice. You can enlarge it until the portrait frame is filled, which crops the sides, or fit the whole landscape picture, which leaves unused areas above and below. Neither choice is inherently correct. A speaker whose face is near the centre may tolerate a tighter crop, while a landscape scene with text or several people may lose important information if its edges are removed.
If the source is wider than the stage, test the framing across the full video rather than judging a single still. A person may move off-centre, or subtitles and labels may appear near the edge later in the clip. Position the source to preserve the most important recurring content, then scrub or play through sections where the composition changes. If you cannot keep all essential detail inside the frame, use a fit layout and design the remaining space deliberately instead of cutting off content.
Cropping is also useful when a file has borders or unused image areas that are part of the source itself. Crop only what you intend to remove, then check that the adjustment has not hidden captions or other meaningful details. If you add text or a logo, keep it inside the portrait stage and away from the edges where it could be clipped in the final output.
A reliable sequence is to set the stage, fit the source, inspect the result, and then choose whether to crop or leave space. That avoids making a crop before you know how much of the original picture the portrait canvas can show. If you later change the stage dimensions, repeat the check because the same source placement may produce a different composition.
Check the streaming resolution
XSplit uses the stage resolution by default for streaming and recording resolution, according to its stage documentation. That makes the stage more than a preview preference: it can determine the shape and dimensions sent by the output. Check the YouTube Live output settings as well as the stage, especially if you have previously used a different scene or changed output settings. Do not infer the final stream shape solely from how the source looks in the editor.
The useful comparison is between what you compose and what the output preview reports or displays. A portrait source on a landscape output can still be surrounded by unused space, and a landscape source on a portrait output can still be cropped. Verify both the canvas shape and the visible framing before going live. If the output does not match the intended portrait presentation, pause and correct the stage or source layout rather than hoping YouTube will repair it.
For channels that use both portrait and landscape compositions, XSplit’s Multi Output guide describes separate canvases that can share scenes and sources while allowing independent visibility and layout. The reviewed guide labels Multi Output mode and canvas controls as beta, so check the current version and whether the feature is suitable before building a workflow around it. It can be useful when you need different compositions, but for a single portrait stream, a single carefully checked stage may be simpler.
Vertical streaming support and platform placement are different questions. XSplit’s release notes describe 9:16 support and the Shorts feed, but aspect ratio alone is not a guarantee of distribution or audience discovery. Treat the output format as a composition choice. Check YouTube’s current live-stream guidance and your channel’s live controls rather than promising viewers where the stream will appear.
Confirm the file and audio
XSplit lists common image, video, and audio formats for its sources, including MP4 and WEBM. That list is a starting point, not a universal compatibility promise. A file can have a familiar extension and still fail to load or behave as expected because its encoding or other properties are not suitable for the installed software. Add the exact file you intend to broadcast and test it before announcing a live time.
Check that the source opens, plays smoothly enough for your use, and reaches the end without an unexpected blank frame or error. Listen for audio at the beginning and at points later in the recording. If the video is silent by design, confirm that silence is intentional; if it should contain speech or music, verify that the source is actually contributing sound to the stream mix. Avoid relying on a separate media player test alone, since that does not establish how XSplit handles the same file.
If the file will not play, first confirm that you selected the correct file and that it opens in a suitable player on the same computer. Then consult XSplit’s current source documentation or support material for your version and file type. Do not assume that changing the file extension will fix an encoding issue. If you make a converted copy, test that copy as a new source and check both picture and audio again.
For a recorded programme intended to run for longer than one file, decide how transitions will work before the stream starts. You may need another scene or source, or a prepared sequence, depending on the behaviour you want. This is separate from the portrait setup itself. If the wider aim is to keep a recorded programme running continuously, the guide to continuous streams of recorded sermons offers a related planning perspective.
Set up and preview YouTube Live
Before configuring XSplit’s output, confirm that live streaming is enabled for the YouTube channel you intend to use. XSplit’s support guide says the channel should be verified and not subject to a live-stream restriction in the previous 90 days, and notes that first-time approval can take up to 24 hours. These are XSplit’s guidance as reviewed, not a substitute for current YouTube eligibility information or a guarantee about approval time. Check the YouTube Help page for live-streaming eligibility before planning a broadcast.
In XSplit, select or set up the YouTube output under Broadcast, authorise the relevant YouTube account, and choose whether you are starting an immediate stream or selecting a scheduled event. Enter the stream details deliberately, including the title, description, category, privacy and any other fields offered by the installed output. The XSplit YouTube Live guide describes the output workflow and its available options. Check privacy before starting: an unlisted or private test may suit a rehearsal, while a public event is visible to its intended audience.
For a scheduled broadcast, create the event in YouTube Studio first, then select it from XSplit’s Live Event list. The transition setting matters. XSplit’s scheduled-stream guide says that if Manual Transition is checked, you still need to click Go Live in YouTube Studio after starting the XSplit broadcast. If it is unchecked, starting the XSplit broadcast starts the event on YouTube according to that guide. Confirm the selected event and transition setting before the scheduled time, and keep the YouTube Studio page available if a manual step is required.
Start with a private or unlisted test where that suits your plans. Check the live preview or status in YouTube Studio, confirm that the portrait framing has survived the output, and listen to the stream audio. An editor preview is useful, but the YouTube preview gives you a check of the path viewers will receive. Keep your stream key private if you use a custom RTMP output: it is a credential, not information to share in a public screenshot or message.
If a night-long or unattended programme is your eventual goal, treat a successful short test as a first check rather than proof that every future stream will behave identically. Review what happens at file end, when you restart the output, and if the computer or connection is interrupted. For a different operating model, compare the practical trade-offs in moving a YouTube loop from OBS to a cloud service, rather than assuming that changing the portrait layout also changes how playback is maintained.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
Do I need a capture card to stream a video file?
No. Add a video already stored on your computer through Add Source > Video File. A camera or capture-card source is for compatible external devices and is not required for local-file playback.
How do I make the XSplit output portrait?
Set a custom portrait stage, then position and size the file within it. Check the YouTube Live output and preview as well as the editor, because source shape and output shape are separate settings.
Can a landscape video fill a portrait stream?
It can fill the frame if you enlarge it, but that crops the sides and may remove useful content. Fitting the whole landscape picture preserves its edges but leaves unused space; choose after checking the full video, not just one frame.
Does a 9:16 stream guarantee a place in the Shorts feed?
No. XSplit’s release notes describe 9:16 vertical support and intended Shorts feed behaviour, but they do not guarantee placement. Check current YouTube guidance and treat the aspect ratio as a format choice, not a promise of distribution.