Why You NEED to Multistream Horizontally AND Vertically

Otherwise known as Simulcasting, this trend started with a rather old school tool called Restream.io. However today we are going to be talking about being able to simultaneously syndicate your streams to both aspect ratios across multiple platforms.

It may seem like a lot, but this is the next logical step for most Streamers. In truth I think any NEW streamer should try to work towards this as well.

Why is it important?

Firstly nowadays it is very dangerous as a creator to put all of your eggs in one basket. Anytime I hear the term "twitch partner" I cringe a little bit, as I've heard so many stories about streamers being LOCKED into their contracts.

When YouTube, Kick, Rumble, and all of these other platforms were pushing hard for creators to join them. The partners were stuck having to be on, at least at the time, a dying platform.

Being able to Multistream is key to your longevity as a creator, and diversifying your income. If one platform does offer you a partnership, and it is worth the cost of dropping other ones. Then at least you know you had a choice.

Now we are seeing, in particular with Pokemon gaming creators, this trend of sending out the stream in horizontal and vertical formats. Which is perfect chance for growth. It is the meta right now in the content creation world, and while its spreading to other gamers. I've yet to see any Podcasts or Talking based creators do it.

How can you go about doing it?

What does it entail, and what sort of things are required to accomplish it?

Well you of course need a streaming tool, and we are going to get into the TWO tools that can do it. Now despite how I might sound in this post sometimes, and where I might be leaning for my own personal use. I want to make it clear all that matters to me is that you choose the right tool for YOU.

Let's go over each of them, and why they have certain features that might be right for you. By using a tool you take your stream(s), and send it out to multiple destinations. With one tool it is simply two streams that goes out and gets split, and the other tool you basically have to have the bandwidth for all of the streams. Either way it's basically a one setup situation, well besides YouTube but we'll get to that.

Aitum Multistream:

This plugin made some waves when it came out rather recently. I really loved the Vertical plugin by Aitum, as it allowed me to easily record vertical content and shorts. Especially when combined with the logitech streamcam.

This multistream plugin allows you from your own PC and setup to stream to many different platforms. Just a quick note there was already a "Multi-RMTP" plugin before for OBS. However it didn't really support Vertical platforms, and Aitum's two plugins work well together too.

I included videos to make it easier to learn quickly.

Harris points out a couple flaws in how platforms work right now. For example Tiktok forces you to use their Live Studio to have a stream key. However they also have partnered up with Streamlabs, so you can do it through them now too. Which I'm not sure how I feel about, but if you want an all in one solution. Consider this!

The other thing is that if you want to stream horizontally and vertically to YouTube, then it is two separate stream keys right now. While your main one can be unchanged (presumably horizontal), the secondary key for vertical has to be made every time you go live. Something I didn't know until this video.

The real limitation is that it comes down to how fast your internet is. You can send to as many platforms as you want. However you are doing it all on your side, it isn't a service for you.

Although this plugin is free, and its rather powerful. Just your PC hardware and internet speeds are the limitations.

Streamlabs Multistream:

Now starting off, Streamlabs has had a rough history, and if you know you know. However for today I'm going to talk about them as a tool, that can help you grow. Let's put aside anything negative.

The reason I think this tool has some potential to be helpful to you, is that it sort of combines the best of both worlds.

Following their trend of copying some features from other tools. They brought out this vertical feature. It is a little bit better in the sense of how seamless it is in the Studio IMO. However I also found it sometimes laggy? Maybe I needed to reinstall, just sharing my experience.

There is a point of I think you can do two outputs for free, so if you wanted YouTube and YT Shorts for example. Might be a good way to do that.

So in reality Streamlabs is the only way to Multistream from one tool. I think one of the videos I shared has someone using TikTok live studio alongside OBS, but that seems excessive.

EDIT OCT 2024: Meld Studio

They have also added multi-streaming to their tool. I find that Meld is a fantastic tool for having a simple interface, Multiple features, and being simpler to do a lot of animations than OBS.

I'm not sure whether it is like Aitum or Streamlabs, meaning if it is your PC or they syndicate it for you. It is looking like it is hosted on your pc from the way they haven't answered my question, which is fine, I just wish they were upfront about that.

Edit again: Looks like from what their blog post indicates, that it is like Aitum's multistreaming. Meaning it is powered by your pc, and so you are limited to however many streams your pc can handle.

I personally use Meld Studio now all the time to record my videos, as it is far less cumbersome than OBS for that task.

How they compare...

Do you need a syndicating service, or do you need to save on money? Do you prefer Streamlabs studio with all of the Ultra benefits? Or do you prefer having full control of your OBS, with plugins, and Own.GG or maybe Botrix?

These are the questions you need to ask yourself when deciding which tool to go with. I do look forward to the day that there is a third option. Perhaps Restream.io will catch up, or something like the new Meld Studio.

Just putting this out there I really like Meld Studio from what I have experienced. Although I'm mainly using it for recording, so that I can set up my Streamlabs or OBS for streaming. I have all 3 so I can experiment.

What does Streamlabs have over Aitum?

Tiktok LIVE stream built in.
Multistreaming service to lessen the load on your computer.
Other services included with Ultra.
A little bit more plug and play (ever so slightly easier).

What does Aitum have over Streamlabs?

Vertical plugin is a bit better than SL's vertical canvas.
Aitum's plugins are free, besides their automation tool (which is a whole other thing).
I believe it is a bit easier to add non-standard outputs in Aitum, though I'm not 100% sure.
If you already have a nice set up with other tools in OBS, this way you don't have to leave.
Multichat*?

What does Meld Studio Have?

A simple interface that honestly I think works better than Streamlab's minimalism.
Custom animations, zoom ins, and customization, that would require many plugins in OBS.
Multistreaming built in.

Here is HOW to use these tools - Introduction:

💡

Personally at the time of this writing I do not have an opinion about one being better than the other. Both have use cases that the other does not. I know I made the post seemingly more leaning towards Streamlabs, as the splitting service is key for someone like me. However both tools have a solid place, and every creator is different.

What is the purpose of Multistreaming?

Again, we never want to put all of our eggs in one basket. Some platforms actually encourage cross streaming, as they know it is the best way for them to get streamers off of Twitch and YouTube. Or at the very least ON their platforms too.

If it's just a simple switch to turn on another platform, then why not? Some might say I'd rather be Twitch partner, but I'd argue the combined income from all platforms would rival their partner program. Unless you're in the top 3% maybe.

Plus if you were to ever have any issues with one of the major platforms, such as how Twitch has been quite callus to some creators. Then you'll have plenty of backups across various platforms.

Some Examples of Horizontal Platforms:

Some Examples of Vertical Platforms:

Now depending on the type of stream you do, there may be a reason for you to stream to Twitter/X, Linkedin, and Facebook as well.

Note on Tools:

Technically speaking Streamyard, Riverside, and Ecamm provide some multistreaming to my knowledge. However compared to gaming centered tools, these are far less capable. As the tools are fundamentally different.

Not to mention the flaws with these three ^ above. Streamyard being on its deathbed as a company, Riverside constantly having tech issues (it can barely keep a stream to the other person open, let alone to the world, and Ecamm is MAC only (and limited).