PostEaseThe short answer
To go live on YouTube, verify your channel, make sure it has had no live streaming restrictions in the last 90 days, and turn on live streaming; your first stream can take up to 24 hours to be allowed. On a phone you also need at least 50 subscribers. Then choose how to stream: from the mobile app, a webcam, an encoder, or a games console.
YouTube’s Help Center says live streaming “lets you interact with your audience in real time with a video feed, chat, and more.” You must be at least 16 to stream.
Requirements
From YouTube’s Help Center pages on live streaming:
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Verified channel | Required for every method |
| Clean record | No live streaming restrictions in the past 90 days |
| Age | At least 16 |
| First stream | May take up to 24 hours after turning live streaming on |
| Mobile only | At least 50 subscribers, and an Android 8.0+ or iOS 8+ device |
Ways to stream
YouTube offers four methods, each suited to different streams:
| Method | Best for |
|---|---|
| Mobile | Vlogging and quick updates from a phone or tablet; includes a private Practice mode |
| Webcam | Going live fast from a computer |
| Encoder | Gameplay, overlays, extra cameras and mics, events and conferences |
| Games console | Streaming straight from PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo |
Horizontal and vertical at once
Streams started from the Live Control Room go out in both 16:9 and 9:16 by default, with the vertical version a centre crop you can change to fit the phone width or stack the picture. Vertical lives are discoverable in the Shorts feed and keep fan funding features like Super Chat and memberships, but lose clickable links in chat, ads, 4K and Premieres. Subscribers get one notification, and both versions share one live chat.
Promoting the stream
YouTube’s own tips for before, during and after:
- Share the stream link at least 48 hours before going live.
- Make a trailer or teaser video, and update your banner with the date and time.
- Cut highlight clips while you are still live.
- Afterwards, keep the archive public and put it and the clips in playlists.
- From a mobile stream of 10 minutes to 12 hours, vertical with chat on, save the automatic Short highlight and make it public.
Going live and PostEase
The stream runs in YouTube. PostEase schedules the posts around it, the announcement two days ahead and the reminder on the day, to YouTube and every other platform from one calendar. YouTube, X, LinkedIn (personal profile), Pinterest, Bluesky, and WordPress publishing are live today; Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Threads are pending each platform's own API approval.
Questions
How many subscribers do you need to go live on YouTube?
YouTube lists at least 50 subscribers as a requirement for mobile live streaming. For every method, the channel must be verified and free of live streaming restrictions in the last 90 days.
Why can’t I go live on YouTube yet?
Your channel may need verifying, may have had a live streaming restriction in the last 90 days, or live streaming was turned on less than 24 hours ago.
Can I stream horizontal and vertical at the same time?
Yes. Streams from the Live Control Room go out in both by default, with one chat and one notification.
How old do you have to be to go live on YouTube?
At least 16, according to YouTube’s Help Center.
Sources
- YouTube, Get started with live streaming, checked October 2026.
- YouTube, Create a live stream on mobile, checked October 2026.
- YouTube, Promote your live stream, checked October 2026.