How to Stream on YouTube Shorts

Tapping into the YouTube Shorts feed with live content isn't a secret trick, it's a powerful and accessible feature called vertical live streaming. This isn't about broadcasting a pre-edited 60-second video but about engaging your audience in real-time using a format perfectly tailored for mobile viewing. This guide breaks down exactly how to go live on YouTube with a vertical stream, offers best practices for creating must-watch content, and explains what happens after you hit End Stream.

So, What Exactly Is a YouTube Shorts Live Stream?

There isn't a separate "Live" button inside the Shorts player. Instead, when you go live from the YouTube mobile app holding your phone vertically, YouTube automatically pushes your live stream into the Shorts feed for a random selection of viewers. This introduces a powerful new discovery engine for your content, placing you directly in front of audiences who might not have found your channel otherwise.

Think of it as two experiences in one:

• Your existing subscribers get a notification that you're live and can watch your stream as they normally would.
• New viewers will see a preview of your live stream as they swipe through their Shorts feed. If they're intrigued, they can tap to join the full live experience.

This is an incredible tool for audience growth. It combines the raw, interactive energy of live video with the immense reach and rapid-fire discovery of the Shorts algorithm. By going live vertically, you’re not just talking to your current community, you’re auditioning for a completely new one.

Before You Go Live: Your Pre-Stream Checklist

Jumping into a live stream unprepared can lead to technical snags and awkward silence. A little prep work goes a long way. Before you even think about hitting the "Go Live" button, run through this simple checklist.

1. Check Your Channel's Eligibility

Going live on mobile has a subscriber requirement set by YouTube. Currently, you need at least 50 subscribers to unlock the mobile live streaming feature. Additionally, you'll need to verify your channel, a simple process that can take up to 24 hours. Don't wait until the last minute to do this! Check your YouTube Studio settings well in advance to make sure you’re ready to roll.

2. Stabilize Your Setup (and Your Connection)

Nobody enjoys a shaky, low-quality stream. While you don't need a professional studio, a few basics make a world of difference.

• Strong Internet Connection: A solid Wi-Fi connection is your best friend. Cellular data can work, but it's often less reliable and can lead to a laggy, pixelated stream. Test your connection speed beforehand.
• A Stable Phone: Don't just hold your phone for an hour. Your arm will get tired, and the video will be shaky. Invest in a small, inexpensive phone tripod. This keeps your shot steady and frees up your hands for demonstrating things or interacting more naturally.
• Good Lighting: You don't need fancy studio lights. Simply facing a window with natural light is often the best light source. If you're streaming at night, a ring light or even just a well-placed lamp can prevent your video from looking grainy and shadowed.
• Clear Audio: Your phone's built-in microphone is usually fine, but it picks up a lot of background noise. If you plan to stream often, consider getting an external lavalier microphone that clips onto your shirt. They are affordable and dramatically improve audio quality.

3. Have a Plan (Even a Loose One)

You don’t need a scene-by-scene script, but going live without any goal can quickly become directionless. Ask yourself: What is the purpose of this stream? Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Q&A Session: A simple and effective way to connect with your community.
• Behind-the-Scenes Tour: Show off your office, your studio, or a project you're working on.
• Tutorial or "How-To": Teach your audience something in real-time, like how to style an outfit, use a piece of software, or repot a plant.
• A "Work With Me" Stream: Simply go about a creative task like painting, editing photos, or packing orders, and chat with viewers as they pop in.

Jotting down just three to five bullet points of things you want to talk about can give you the confidence you need to keep the conversation flowing.

How to Go Live in a Vertical Format: The Step-by-Step Guide

Once you’ve done your prep work, jumping into your first vertical live stream is straightforward. Just follow these steps using the YouTube mobile app.

Step 1: Open the YouTube App and Tap "Create"

Launch the app on your smartphone. At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see a navigation bar. Tap the centered plus symbol (+) to open the "Create" menu.

Step 2: Select "Go Live"

From the options that appear (Create a Short, Upload a video, Go Live), tap on "Go Live." If this is your first time, you may need to grant YouTube permission to access your camera and microphone.

Step 3: Hold Your Phone Vertically

This is the most important step! To signal to YouTube that your stream is intended for Shorts feed discovery, you must hold your phone in portrait mode (vertically). The app's interface will display as a tall rectangle, just like a Short. If you hold it horizontally, it will broadcast as a standard widescreen video and won't be pushed into the Shorts feed.

Step 4: Craft Your Title and Settings

Next, you’ll need to fill in some details before you start broadcasting:

• Title: Create a compelling, clear title that tells people what your stream is about. Think like a headline: "Live Q&A: Ask Me Anything About Van Life" is better than "My Live Stream."
• Description: Add more context and related links in the description.
• Audience Settings: Specify if your content is "Made for Kids" or not. This is a mandatory setting.
• Scheduling: You can choose to go live immediately or schedule your stream for a later time. Scheduling is great because it lets you promote the stream in advance.
• Advanced Settings: Here, you can allow/disallow chat, enable/disable monetization (if eligible), and add location tags.

Step 5: Frame Your Shot and Go Live!

Before you hit the final button, take a moment to look at the thumbnail preview. Is your face well-lit? Is the background tidy? Once you’re happy with your shot, tap "Next" and then "Go Live." A countdown will start, and then you'll be broadcasting to the world.

Tips for an Engaging Vertical Live Stream

Now that you're live, the goal is to keep people watching. The Shorts feed is built for quick swiping, so you have just a few seconds to grab - and hold - a viewer's attention. Here's how to make your streams irresistibly engaging.

Talk to Your Audience, Not at Them

The magic of live streaming is interaction. As comments roll in, read them out loud and respond. Greet people by their usernames when they join. This makes viewers feel seen and transforms a passive viewing experience into a two-way conversation. If someone asks a great question, pin their comment so everyone can see what you’re responding to.

Maintain High Energy

You don't need to be loud or over-the-top, but your energy levels should be slightly higher than normal. Speak clearly, smile, and use hand gestures. Your enthusiasm is contagious. A stream where the host seems bored or static is an invitation for viewers to swipe away.

Have a Clear Call to Action (CTA)

What do you want viewers to do? Your CTA should be clear and repeated occasionally throughout the stream.

• "If you're enjoying this stream, hit that subscribe button so you don't miss the next one!"
• "Check out the link in the description for my new merch."
• "What topic should I cover in my next live stream? Let me know in the comments."

Keep It Visually Interesting

Vertical video is an intimate format, but a static "talking head" can get dull. Try to introduce visual variety. If you're doing a tutorial, show your hands and the object you're working on. If you're doing a Q&A from your office, grab something off your shelf and tell a story about it. Small movements and visual changes help reset a viewer’s attention span.

After the Stream: Repurposing Your Content

Once you end your broadcast, your work isn't done. The real power of a live session often comes from how you use the content after it's over.

The Live Replay

By default, YouTube will automatically save your entire live stream to your channel as a regular video. Viewers who missed it can watch the replay at their convenience. You can edit the title, description, and thumbnail of this replay to better optimize it for long-term discovery via search. You can also trim the awkward beginning and end parts where you were getting set up or saying your goodbyes.

YouTube's Automatic Shorts Clipping

During and after your stream, YouTube analyzes your content for engaging moments. Its AI will automatically clip segments of your vertical live stream and publish them as Shorts to your channel. This is part of the system's incredible discovery potential. You don't have control over *which* clips get chosen, but it serves as another way to put your content in front of fresh eyes.

Manually Create Your Own Shorts

This is where you retake control. Go back to your replay and watch it for highlight-worthy moments - a great answer to a question, a funny joke, a pro tip, or a key takeaway. Find those 15-60 second gold nuggets and use YouTube’s "Edit into a Short" tool, found right below the video player. This lets you select a specific segment, add text or filters if you like, and publish it as a polished, standalone Short. Now you have a perfectly edited piece of content ready for your posting schedule.

Final Thoughts

In short, going live vertically on YouTube is your ticket to the Shorts feed, providing a powerful way to engage your community in real-time while reaching entirely new audiences. By following the steps to set up your stream, focusing on genuine interaction, and repurposing your content afterward, you can unlock a dynamic new tool for growth and connection.

After putting in all that good work to create awesome live content, the last thing you want is for your repurposed clips to sit forgotten. Clipping Shorts and scheduling them across multiple platforms can feel like a full-time job. We created Postbase to solve this exact challenge - to organize all your short-form video in one clean, visual calendar and schedule everything out weeks in advance without the headache of spreadsheets or missed posts.