If your Larix Broadcaster stream looks rotated or sideways on YouTube, first compare Larix’s local preview with the preview in YouTube Live Control Room. That tells you whether to start with the phone and Larix settings or keep checking the outgoing stream and playback.
Choose portrait or landscape before changing settings. Then review whether Larix should keep that orientation fixed or follow the phone’s rotation, and send a short test to YouTube before relying on the setup for a broadcast.
Check where the rotation occurs
If you are already live, avoid changing orientation settings in the middle of the broadcast unless you are prepared for the picture to change for viewers. A settings change cannot reliably repair video that has already been sent, and it may not correct an earlier segment in the live archive. If the current stream matters, note what viewers see, then use a separate test broadcast or an appropriate private test before making a change to the live setup.
The first useful distinction is whether the picture is wrong in Larix itself or only after it reaches YouTube. Open Larix and inspect its preview with the phone held as you intend to stream. If that preview is already sideways, investigate the app’s orientation setting and the phone’s screen-orientation behaviour. If it looks right there but wrong in YouTube’s encoder preview, focus next on the outgoing configuration and confirm the result with a test.
A viewer’s report alone does not locate the fault. Ask what they are watching on and, if practical, compare playback on another device. If YouTube’s incoming preview is upright but one viewer sees a sideways image, you have evidence that the encoded stream may be correct; you do not yet have proof of a particular player setting or device fault. Treat it as a playback difference to isolate, not as a reason to buy equipment or change every setting at once.
Keep a simple note of what you observe: phone orientation, Larix preview, YouTube preview, and whether the test was portrait or landscape. Changing one relevant setting at a time makes the next comparison useful. This is especially helpful if you are troubleshooting remotely or preparing a devotional, news, or ambience channel that another person will operate later.
Inspect Larix’s preview
Start in Larix before adjusting YouTube. Softvelum’s Larix Broadcaster product documentation describes portrait and landscape orientation with live-rotation support. Its Larix documentation provides further app guidance, but that does not establish one current tap-by-tap route that applies across Android, iOS, and every app version.
Look for the app’s video or orientation controls, and check whether the preview changes when you turn the phone. Menu names and locations can differ by platform and release, so use the controls that correspond to orientation in the version installed on your device rather than following a path written for another phone. If a control is not where you expect, consult the current Larix help material or the current app listing instead of guessing at unrelated encoder settings.
The preview is a diagnostic, not just a framing aid. Hold the phone in the position you plan to maintain during the stream and watch what the picture does. If it appears correct when upright but turns sideways as you rotate the handset, the app may be following device rotation. If it is wrong without the phone moving, check the selected output orientation first. Repeat the check after each change.
Also separate image orientation from composition. A correctly landscape picture may show unwanted empty space or a subject framed poorly; that is not necessarily a rotation fault. Conversely, turning the phone until the preview looks right can conceal a configuration that changes again when the device moves. Confirm both the intended shape of the frame and whether it remains stable under normal handling.
Set the intended orientation
Decide what the audience should receive: a vertical portrait stream or a horizontal landscape stream. Do not start by trying random rotations until one looks plausible. The chosen output should match the material and how viewers are expected to watch it. A vertical phone camera view may suit a presenter speaking directly to the camera; a horizontal layout may suit a wider scene, a lesson, or a prepared video composition. The YouTube preview, not the physical position of the phone alone, is the final check.
Once you have chosen, find Larix’s orientation control and set the intended format. For a stream that should remain in one format, choose a fixed or locked behaviour if the app version offers it. Then hold the device in its normal operating position and check the local preview again. If you deliberately need to move between portrait and landscape while live, use a follow-rotation behaviour only after confirming how it responds in a test.
| Choice | Use it when | Trade-off to check |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | The intended composition is vertical | Confirm YouTube receives a vertical picture rather than a sideways frame |
| Landscape | The intended composition is horizontal | Confirm the image remains horizontal when the phone is handled |
| Follow screen rotation | You intend to change orientation during a broadcast | Turning the device can change the output orientation |
| Lock while broadcasting | The stream should keep one orientation as the phone moves | Changing orientation during the broadcast is constrained until the lock changes or the broadcast ends |
The options above reflect Softvelum’s documented orientation and live-rotation controls; labels and availability may vary. The Grove configuration reference defines orientation and live-rotation values, including off, follow, and lock. It is useful evidence for what the controls mean, not a recommendation for a typical user to construct a special configuration URL. For ordinary setup, prefer the app’s available controls and verify their effect in the preview.
This decision is about output, not accessories. A tripod or mount can help keep a phone physically steady, but it does not correct an incorrect encoded orientation setting. Do not buy a mount, gimbal, or replacement part on the assumption that it will fix a sideways stream. First establish whether Larix’s preview or YouTube’s incoming preview shows the problem.
Review live-rotation behaviour
Orientation and live rotation answer related but different questions. Orientation is the format you want to send. Live rotation is whether that format should respond when the device turns. If the camera must remain landscape for a long teaching session, lock the orientation where offered. If you are making a presentation that intentionally shifts from a vertical close-up to a horizontal wide view, following device rotation may be appropriate, but test that transition before using it with viewers.
Softvelum’s Grove reference names off, follow, and lock for the live-rotation setting. In practical terms, the relevant distinction is whether rotation is disabled, follows the screen, or is locked during the broadcast. The reference also notes that omitted encoder values use the settings currently defined in Larix’s Video and Audio settings. You do not need to edit Grove parameters simply because the output is sideways; those values help explain the documented controls, not a universal setup route.
Check the phone’s own orientation behaviour as well. If its screen is locked in a position that conflicts with how you are holding it, the app’s response may not match your expectation. Since operating-system controls differ, use the phone’s current system settings and Larix preview rather than relying on a single instruction written for another model. Make one change, return to Larix, and see whether its preview now matches the chosen format.
For a fixed-format channel, avoid rotating the device after the test unless the lock behaviour has been confirmed. A phone may be mounted in a stable position for a devotional session, a local news loop, or a small-business display, but physical stability and encoded orientation are separate matters. If the picture changes when the handset moves, revisit the follow-versus-lock choice before adjusting the camera position.
Check YouTube’s incoming preview
After Larix’s preview is correct, send a test stream to YouTube and compare the incoming image in Live Control Room. YouTube’s encoder settings guidance explains that it detects encoder settings, while its streaming setup guidance describes sending an encoder stream and checking preview and stream health. Use the current YouTube instructions for the channel and workflow you are setting up.
The comparison is straightforward. If both previews show the same sideways image, the problem is already present before or as the stream is encoded; return to the Larix orientation and live-rotation controls. If Larix looks correct and YouTube’s incoming preview is sideways, confirm the selected output settings and test again rather than assuming YouTube has a dedicated rotation-fix control. The preview comparison is a way to locate where the result first appears, not a claim that YouTube identifies the cause for you.
If the incoming YouTube preview looks right but a particular viewer reports a sideways picture, compare playback on another device or browser before changing the encoder. This can help distinguish an outgoing stream problem from a viewer-side difference, but it does not establish that a particular player rotation lock is responsible. The reviewed YouTube guidance does not specify a universal player-side rotation fix, so avoid promising one.
YouTube may process the incoming stream for viewer playback, so do not use one screen alone as the whole diagnosis. Check that the preview has stabilised, examine stream health, and observe an actual test playback if possible. If you are also checking network stability, keep those checks separate from orientation: a bitrate or connection change will not by itself correct a picture that is encoded sideways. For broader connection planning, see the bitrate guidance for 24/7 YouTube streaming on Indian broadband.
Run a short test before going live
YouTube recommends testing an encoder setup before a broadcast and monitoring stream health. Use that opportunity to test the full path: hold the phone in the intended position, start Larix, confirm its preview, and inspect YouTube’s incoming preview. If the stream is meant to remain landscape, keep the handset still for the test, then handle it as you normally would and check whether the picture changes. End the test only after you have seen the output behave as intended.
A useful test changes one thing at a time. If the Larix preview is sideways, change the app’s orientation choice and inspect it again. If the local preview is right but YouTube’s incoming preview is not, verify the app’s outgoing configuration and repeat the comparison. If both incoming previews are correct but a viewer still reports a problem, check another playback device. This order prevents a YouTube account or network adjustment from being mistaken for an orientation fix.
Keep a short record of the working combination: portrait or landscape, fixed or follow rotation, phone position, and the result in YouTube. If another person runs the channel, give them the same settings and test sequence. A written note is more useful than “turn it until it looks right”, particularly when the device will be restarted or handed over between shifts.
For a channel that must stay on around the clock, the test can be part of the handover routine rather than an occasional emergency step. If the stream is sent from a computer-based workflow instead, you may find the separate guide on keeping a YouTube 24/7 stream online after Windows restarts useful; restart continuity and camera orientation are different problems, so address them independently.
Before relying on the configuration for a scheduled programme, check the live preview again if you update Larix, change phones, or change the orientation of the content. App labels and behaviour can shift by version. A brief repeat test is less disruptive than discovering during a broadcast that the phone now follows rotation differently from the previous setup.
If the stream remains sideways
If Larix’s own preview remains rotated after choosing the intended orientation, confirm that you are changing the video/orientation controls in the installed Larix version, not a separate screen-display preference that does not affect the stream. Check the phone’s orientation lock and then re-open the app preview. If the issue persists, consult Softvelum’s current documentation or support material with your device platform, app version, and a description of the result. Do not assume that a menu path found for another operating system will be present on yours.
If Larix is correct but YouTube’s encoder preview remains sideways, repeat the test with the intended fixed or follow setting and confirm the stream is coming from the Larix configuration you just changed. Avoid changing several controls at once. A short controlled test makes it possible to tell whether the output changed. YouTube’s encoder workflow is also described in its live streaming setup help, which is the right place to verify current connection and preview steps.
If a viewer alone sees the problem, ask them to try another device or playback context and compare with YouTube’s incoming preview. That narrows the question without asserting an unverified player defect. If the YouTube preview itself is correct, changing Larix’s orientation setting may make the actual stream worse for everyone else.
For a stream that is going to a continuous channel, decide whether a phone-based broadcast is the right tool for a fixed video loop. Orientation troubleshooting will not solve unrelated issues such as the stream ending when a video finishes or a missing audio feed. The guide to preventing a PRISM Live Studio stream from ending when a video finishes covers a different failure mode and should not be applied as an orientation remedy.
Do not make a purchase the final troubleshooting step by default. A steadier mount can make framing easier, but the documented correction here is to identify where the orientation changes and set the app behaviour to match the intended output. If you cannot reproduce the issue in a test, preserve the details of the original device, app version, and YouTube preview before changing the setup further.
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FAQ
Why is my Larix stream sideways on YouTube?
The first question is where it becomes sideways. Compare Larix’s local preview with YouTube’s incoming preview: if Larix is already wrong, begin with its orientation and the phone’s rotation behaviour; if Larix is right but YouTube is not, check the outgoing configuration in a test.
How do I keep Larix in landscape while streaming?
Choose landscape as the intended output and use a fixed or locked live-rotation behaviour if your version offers it. Confirm the Larix preview and then YouTube’s incoming preview before relying on the setup, because menu labels and routes vary by platform and version.
Should I use follow rotation or lock?
Use follow rotation only when you intend the stream to change orientation as the phone turns. For a broadcast that must stay in one format, lock it where offered and test that the preview remains stable as you handle the device.
Will a mount fix a rotated stream?
A mount can steady the phone and help keep framing consistent, but it is not a documented fix for an incorrect encoded orientation. Diagnose Larix and YouTube previews first; buy an accessory only if you separately need physical support for the device.