How to stream in 9:16 with OBS, step by step

Step 1: turn the canvas vertical

• Open Settings, then Video.
• Type 1080x1920 into “Base (Canvas) Resolution”. The value is not always offered in the list: type it in.
• In “Output (Scaled) Resolution”, keep the same shape: 1080x1920, or 720x1280 if your platform or connection requires it.

The cap depends on the platform. In our studio we limit Voggt to 720p: its ingest appears to accept no more than that, without official confirmation. Check your platform’s recommendation.

Step 2: add your overlay

In the source list, add a “Browser” source, paste your HypeLayer OBS link, then set the width to 1080 and the height to 1920. Your show must be in 9:16: the format is chosen when you create it and does not change afterwards.

• The full guide to the overlay in OBS

Step 3: crop your camera

A webcam nearly always films horizontally: it does not fill a vertical canvas. Two options:

• Enlarge the camera until it fills the height, then crop the sides with Alt + drag on the source handles.
• Physically turn the camera, then rotate it 90° in OBS with a right click, Transform.

Keep the overlay above the camera in the source list, or the camera hides it. If you see nothing, check the source order too.

Step 4: connect your platform

In Settings, Stream, choose the “Custom” service if your platform is not offered, then paste the server and key it gives you. That key lets anyone stream to your account: never show it on screen.

Common mistakes

• Black bars: the canvas or output is not 9:16.
• Blurry image: the bitrate is too low for the resolution. Drop the output to 720 × 1280 or raise the bitrate within what your connection allows.
• Cropped overlay: the source size does not match the canvas.
• No widget sound: open the browser source properties, tick “Control audio via OBS”, then check its track in the audio mixer.

• Which formats for which platforms