Recording horizontal and vertical video at the same time used to require extra cameras, messy crops, or painful editing. Ecamm Live Dual Mode makes it simple to record horizontal and vertical video simultaneously, producing platform-ready widescreen and portrait files. This workflow saves time in post-production and reduces fiddly cropping.
Below is an AI-assisted summary of the key points and ideas covered in the video. For more detail, make sure to check out the full time stamped video above!
What Dual Mode in Ecamm Live actually does (and why it matters)
Ecamm Live now has a Dual Mode video shape that runs horizontal and vertical layouts simultaneously.
That means:
- Not just recording one widescreen feed and cropping it into vertical later.
- Building two purpose-designed layouts—one for widescreen, one for portrait—so each format looks like it was made for its platform.
- Using the feature for recording, streaming, or both at the same time.
This feature is available in the beta version and is expected to roll into the main release later. Paying Ecamm Live customers can access the beta.
Turn on horizontal + vertical Dual Mode in Ecamm Live
To get both canvases running, switch the project from a single format to dual layout mode.
- Open Ecamm Live and go to Options. Under Video Shape, choose Dual Mode (Horizontal and Vertical). Ecamm Live will show two layouts on screen—one widescreen and one portrait—ready to customise.
- Choose what to do: stream, record, or both. Ecamm Live lets one trigger Stream, Record, or run them together. For a recording-first workflow, keep it set to recording.
Fix the framing problem (so both formats look great)
When one camera feed gets split across both canvases with zero tweaks, framing becomes the first pain point.
If the main camera looks good in widescreen but the portrait version cuts off the subject, that’s normal. Dual Mode gives the control to fix it properly.
- Add another copy of the same camera source. This creates an independent version that can be positioned differently for portrait. The setup removes the need to sit dead-centre just to keep both versions acceptable.
- Drag the camera copy into the other canvas and customise it. Move and scale the portrait camera to fit the vertical frame properly. Keep the widescreen framing the way it’s normally shot, even if that’s off-centre.
- Record once while staying framed correctly in both layouts. With the portrait layout adjusted separately, the presenter can stay in a natural widescreen composition while the vertical version still looks intentional. That saves heaps of editing later.
Build different scenes for each format (this is where it gets powerful)
Dual Mode isn’t limited to one static shot. Ecamm Live scenes still work, and each scene can contain format-specific design.
- Open the Scenes window and duplicate a scene or create a new one. Duplicating is faster when a similar base layout is desired. Starting fresh is useful for building a totally different look.
- Use different cameras for horizontal vs vertical (optional). Dual Mode isn’t limited to one camera source feeding both outputs. For example, a dedicated portrait camera can run alongside a separate widescreen camera; an example swaps to the built-in MacBook camera as an alternate source.
- Create a designed scene with backgrounds and framing. Add a background image, scale it to fit, then duplicate it for the portrait side. Bring in the camera, size it with a border, and add styling like rounded corners.
- Crop and reposition for portrait. Duplicate the camera element for the portrait side, then crop it down to suit vertical composition. Drag it into position so it looks clean and deliberate.
Add live-production elements like normal (guests, text, comments, screen share)
Once the dual canvases and scenes are built, Ecamm Live behaves the same way—just with two outputs.
You can build scenes that include:
- Guests
- Text placeholders and titles
- On-screen comments
- Screen sharing
- Playing videos
Then it’s simply a matter of clicking between scenes while recording or live. That’s a big “hell yes” for anyone who wants systems and processes that reduce time spent fixing things in editing.
Stream in both formats at once (including YouTube)
Dual Mode also supports live streaming in multiple shapes at the same time.
- Enable streaming and set up a destination like normal. Start a new stream or schedule one, then choose the platform destination. Ecamm Live keeps the destination setup inside the same workflow.
- Choose output format per destination (YouTube example). On YouTube, Ecamm Live gives the option to stream Horizontal, Vertical, or Both. Selecting Both creates two separate streams—one portrait and one widescreen—managed from the one Ecamm Live setup.
- Use the same approach for other platforms. Dual-format streaming also works with platforms like Facebook and Instagram. The layouts remain controlled inside Ecamm Live’s horizontal and vertical canvases.
Record once, get two finished files (widescreen + portrait)
For recording workflows, this feature is a no-brainer if vertical content is part of the plan.
- Leave streaming off (if only recording is needed) and hit Record. Present the content using pre-built scenes and layouts. Switch scenes as needed during the recording.
- Stop recording and review the saved files. Ecamm Live saves two separate recordings:
- One widescreen file
- One portrait file
That’s “done is better than perfect” in action—create once, publish in more places, with way less fiddling.
Set different quality levels for horizontal and vertical
Another handy detail: each format can have its own resolution settings.
- Go to Options and check the canvas sizes for both outputs. The horizontal canvas might be set to 1080p by default. It can be bumped to 1440p if needed.
- Set vertical quality independently. Vertical can be set lower (for example, 720p) while keeping the widescreen output higher. Ecamm Live treats the dual outputs almost like two separate instances running inside one app.
Make the content workflow a win-win-win
If content needs to work across widescreen and portrait platforms, Dual Mode removes a lot of the usual BS. Build proper layouts for each format, record or stream once, and walk away with two platform-ready outputs that don’t rely on ugly cropping later.
