StreamLive ProAdd a thumbnail to your live on YouTube and Facebook
Add a thumbnail to your live in StreamLive Pro: one image for every network or one per channel, JPEG, PNG or WebP up to 10 MB, and why one may not show.
A thumbnail is the still image people see before they press play. In StreamLive Pro you add one image for the whole broadcast next to the title on the Live stream page, and you can give any channel its own image in its Edit window. StreamLive Pro sends the image to YouTube and to Facebook Pages when it creates the live event there, and resizes it if it is larger than the network accepts.
Before you start
- The image. JPEG, PNG or WebP, up to 10 MB. StreamLive Pro refuses other formats, and checks the file itself, not only its name. A 16:9 image fits the YouTube and Facebook players; YouTube recommends 16:9 for video thumbnails (YouTube Help: Add video thumbnails, checked 5 November 2026).
- A YouTube channel that may use custom thumbnails. YouTube's page says you can upload your own thumbnail if your account is verified. If it is not, YouTube refuses the image and the live goes on without it.
- Channels that take a thumbnail. YouTube and Facebook Pages, connected by sign-in under Connections. Lives sent through a pasted stream key (Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, custom RTMP) carry picture and sound only; set their cover in the network's own app.
Steps
- Open the broadcast. Go to Live stream. Next to the title and description there is a small thumbnail box marked + Thumb.
- Upload the image. Click the box and choose the file. The image appears in the box and becomes the thumbnail of every channel that has none of its own.
- Give one channel a different image, if you want. In the Channels list click Edit on the channel's row. Under Thumbnail, the general image is marked "from main stream". Click Replace and choose another file, then Save. That channel now uses its own image; the others keep the general one.
- Go live. Press Start stream. StreamLive Pro creates the events and sets the thumbnail on each one in the background, so a slow upload never holds back the start. If YouTube is not ready to take the image yet, StreamLive Pro tries once more a few seconds later.
- Check on the network. Open the live on YouTube and on the Page. A thumbnail can take a little while to appear in YouTube's lists.
In a scheduled broadcast
The schedule form (Schedule broadcast) has its own thumbnail field, and every channel in it has the same Edit button. If you tick Pre-announce, the upcoming event that YouTube or Facebook shows before the live already carries the image, so the reminder people see looks right. When the time comes, the same event goes live with the same image. See Schedule a live broadcast in advance.
Changing the thumbnail during the live
If you upload a new image while you are live, StreamLive Pro sends it to the live events on YouTube and Facebook. A new per-channel image from the Edit window is sent too. Channels that use a stream key have no way to receive it.
How StreamLive Pro fits the image to each network
Large images are a common reason for a missing thumbnail: the network refuses the upload and the live goes on without a picture. StreamLive Pro avoids this by resizing before it sends:
| Network | What StreamLive Pro sends |
|---|---|
| YouTube | Images under about 1.9 MB as they are; larger ones scaled to 1280 x 720 JPEG |
| Fitted to 1280 x 720 JPEG within about 3.5 MB |
An image that is not 16:9 is fitted inside the frame with black bars, not cropped. To avoid the bars, make the image 16:9 to start with.
Giving each channel its own title as well is covered in Give each network its own title in one live broadcast, and the YouTube event itself in How to go live on YouTube from your computer.
After the broadcast
Past broadcasts have Edit details and thumbnail in the menu of each card on Past streams, which changes the image StreamLive Pro shows for the broadcast. The image of the finished video on YouTube is changed in YouTube Studio.
What can go wrong
| What you see | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Thumbnail must be a JPEG, PNG or WebP image" | Another format, for example HEIC from a phone | Save the image as JPEG or PNG and upload again |
| "Thumbnail is too large (max 10 MB)" | The file is over 10 MB | Export a smaller image |
| YouTube shows a frame from the video instead | The YouTube account is not verified for custom thumbnails, or YouTube was slow | Verify the account in YouTube, then set the image in YouTube Studio for this live |
| Black bars around the image | The image is not 16:9 | Use a 16:9 image, for example 1280 x 720 |
| No thumbnail on Instagram or TikTok | Key channels carry no thumbnail | Set the cover in the network's app |
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a different thumbnail for YouTube and Facebook?
Yes. Click Edit on each channel, replace the thumbnail under Thumbnail and save. Channels without their own image use the general one.
What image formats can I use?
JPEG, PNG or WebP, up to 10 MB.
Why is my thumbnail not on YouTube?
Usually because the YouTube account is not verified for custom thumbnails. YouTube refuses the image and the live goes on with a frame from the video.
Does a large image fail on YouTube?
No. StreamLive Pro scales large images down to a 1280 by 720 JPEG before sending them to YouTube.
Can I change the thumbnail while I am live?
Yes. Upload a new image on the Live stream page; StreamLive Pro sends it to the YouTube and Facebook events.
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