Live streaming lets you interact with your audience in real time with a video feed, chat, and more.
Intro To Live Streaming on YouTube
1. Enable live streaming
To live stream, you need to have no live streaming restrictions in the past 90 days and you need to verify your channel.
- Go to YouTube.
- From the top right, click Create
Go live.
- If you haven't already, follow the steps to verify your channel.
- Starting your first live stream requires at least 24 hours to enable live streaming access. Once enabled, you can live stream instantly.
2. Choose a way to stream
There are multiple methods of streaming: mobile, webcam, encoder, and console. Choose the one that's best for what you're streaming.
Good for vlogging and quick updates from your phone or tablet.
To create a mobile live stream, you need to meet the requirements.
Quickly live stream from your computer using a webcam.
You’ll need a computer with a webcam.
Learn how to stream with a webcam.
Encoders let you stream gameplay, overlays, and use hardware like preamps, mics, and cameras. This type of stream is commonly used for gaming, sporting events, concerts, and conferences.
Learn how to stream using an encoder.
Game Consoles
Modern game consoles from PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo allow you to directly stream from the device. Please review each console maker’s instruction manual for directions to stream.
Vertical live streams
When your live stream is vertical (more tall than wide), viewers on mobile will now enter a full screen viewing experience when watching it. This experience includes a scrollable live stream feed where viewers have access to fan funding features like Super Chat, Super Stickers, and channel memberships. Viewers (not limited to existing channel subscribers) can also find these live streams when browsing YouTube Shorts.
| Feature | Horizontal live streams |
Vertical live feed |
|---|---|---|
| Discoverable in the Shorts feed | No | Yes |
| Scrollable for more live streams | No | Yes |
| Clickable links in chat and channel description | Yes | No |
| Live ad midrolls and pre-rolls | Yes | No |
| 4K bitrate streaming (broadcast) | Yes | No (on YouTube app) |
| Premieres | Yes | No |
| Live redirect | Yes | No |
| Memberships | Yes | Yes |
| Gifted memberships | Yes | No |
What you can stream
All content in live streams must adhere to our Community Guidelines and Terms of Service. If you suggest that you’ll live stream content that violates our Community Guidelines, we may age-restrict or remove your live stream. YouTube also reserves the right to restrict a creator's ability to live stream at its discretion.
If you receive a warning on your live stream for violating our Community Guidelines, you can take a policy training to allow the warning to expire after 90 days. However, if the same policy is violated within that 90 day window, the warning will not expire and your channel will be given a strike. If you violate a different policy after completing the training, you will get another warning. We may prevent repeat offenders from taking policy trainings in the future.
If your live stream is restricted, you may get a strike on your account. A strike will prevent you from live streaming for 14 days. If your account has been restricted from live streaming, you’re prohibited from using another channel to live stream on YouTube. This policy applies for as long as the restriction remains active on your account. Violation of this restriction is considered circumvention under our Terms of Service and may result in termination of your account.