A Practical Guide to Your Multi Stream Viewer Layout

A multi stream viewer lets you watch several live streams at once in a single browser window. Instead of flipping between tabs, you can arrange streams from Twitch, YouTube, Kick, and other platforms into a grid, giving you a complete view of an event from multiple angles. This is especially useful when you want to follow more than one perspective and the native platforms don't let you.

This guide explains how to set up your own layouts and choose the right one for what you’re watching.

Why Bother with a Custom Layout?

The main reason to use a multi stream viewer is to see things happening at the same time. Imagine a new game launches and you want to see how your favorite creator, a top pro player, and a smaller streamer are all experiencing it. Opening three browser tabs means you’re only ever watching one at a time, while the action continues in the others.

A custom layout solves this. By placing all three streams side-by-side on one screen, you can follow all the narratives simultaneously.

Common situations where this is helpful include:
Esports: Watching the official tournament broadcast alongside the individual point-of-view of one or two players.
Team Games: Following the perspectives of an entire four-person squad in a battle royale to see their communication and coordination.
News Events: Viewing coverage from different news organizations at the same time to compare their reporting.
Community Events: Watching a main stream while also keeping an eye on your friends' co-streams or reactions.

The goal is to build a viewing experience that gives you the full picture, just the way you want it.

How to Create Your First Grid

Setting up a multi stream layout is straightforward. You add the streams you want, then choose how they are arranged on the screen.

Here is how you can build a grid on ViewGrid:

1. Start with a Blank Grid.
2. Navigate to the ViewGrid multi-stream viewer to begin. You'll see an empty space ready for you to add streams.

1. Add Your Streams.
2. You can add streams in a couple of ways. The most common is to copy the URL of the stream or channel you want to watch and paste it into the input box. This works for Twitch, YouTube (live and videos), Kick, and Rumble. You can also add any public HLS (.m3u8) stream link. For YouTube, you can also search for live streams directly from within the grid.

1. Choose a Layout.
2. Once you have a few streams added, use the layout selector in the toolbar to arrange them. You can choose from simple two-stream splits to larger grids. On a desktop computer, you can have up to 20 streams on screen at once, with common layouts for 2, 3, 4, 8, and 16 streams. Mobile devices can support up to 6 streams.

1. Manage the Audio.
2. To prevent a wall of noise, every stream you add starts muted. Look for the speaker icon on each video player. Click the icon on the single stream you want to listen to. To switch audio, simply mute the current stream and unmute another. You can only listen to one stream at a time.

1. Open the Live Chat.
2. If you want to follow the conversation, you can open the live chat for any single Twitch, YouTube, or Kick stream. The chat will appear in a side panel next to your video grid, so you can watch and read at the same time.

Common Layouts and When to Use Them

The best layout depends entirely on what you're watching. While you can create a grid with 20 streams, most of the time, a simple 2, 3, or 4-stream setup is more practical.

The 2-Stream Split

This is perfect for direct comparisons. Place two streams side-by-side to watch a race between two speedrunners, see two different players compete in the same match, or view a news event from two different perspectives.

The 3-Stream View

A three-stream layout is great for getting a layered experience. A popular setup for esports is to have the main tournament broadcast as the primary stream, a specific player's POV as the second, and a popular co-streamer's reaction as the third. This gives you official commentary, raw gameplay, and community analysis all at once.

The 4-Stream Grid

The classic 2x2 grid is the standard for watching a full squad. If you follow a team in a game like Apex Legends, Valorant, or Call of Duty, this layout lets you see every player's perspective. It’s the best way to understand how they coordinate pushes and share information. If you're trying to replicate the functionality of Twitch's Squad Stream with creators from different platforms, our guide on using a [Multi Twitch Viewer: Squad Stream Alternative?](/blog/multi-twitch-viewer-squad-stream-alternative) may be helpful.

Focusing on One Stream

Sometimes, one stream becomes more important than the others. If a player is about to clutch a round or a reporter has breaking news, you can tap that specific stream. This will enter "Focus" mode, making that video large while keeping the other streams visible but small. Tap it again to return to the grid.

Practical Considerations

Before you build a massive 20-stream grid, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Your Internet Connection and Computer
Watching multiple high-definition video streams at the same time requires a stable, fast internet connection. It also uses a good amount of your computer's processing power. If you find that streams are buffering or your computer is slowing down, try reducing the number of streams or lowering the video quality on a few of them using each player's settings.

Watching on a TV
Many people ask how to get their grid onto a television. ViewGrid does not have a built-in "cast" button. The most common methods are to open viewgrid.tv in your smart TV's web browser or to connect a laptop to your TV with an HDMI cable. You can also use your computer or phone's built-in screen mirroring functions. These solutions depend on your specific devices, not ViewGrid itself.

Saving and Sharing Layouts
If you create a grid that you plan to use often, you can save it by creating a free ViewGrid account. This lets you access your favorite layouts without having to add all the streams again.

You can also share any layout you create, even without an account. The URL in your browser's address bar updates automatically to include all the streams in your grid. Just copy that link and send it to a friend, and they will see the exact same layout you have.

For major gaming and sports events, you can also check our Events calendar, which often has pre-made grids you can open with a single click.