In OBS Studio, save stream settings by creating or duplicating a Profile, configuring it, and switching to it when needed. Profiles preserve stream, video, and output settings, but not scenes: save those separately in a Scene Collection.
What an OBS Profile saves
An OBS Profile is a reusable set of configuration settings, mainly for streaming and recording output. Depending on your setup, it can include the connected streaming account, destination and stream key, video settings such as canvas and scaled resolution, and output settings such as bitrate and encoder options. You can create, duplicate, rename, remove, import, and export profiles from OBS Studio’s Profile menu. OBS Project’s Profiles guide explains the feature.
OBS states: “Profiles do NOT store your Scenes — use Scene Collections”. A profile will not preserve your scene layouts, sources, webcams, or media placements. If you need to move or switch both the settings and the visual layout, manage and export the relevant Scene Collection separately.
Create or duplicate a profile
- Open the Profile menu. In OBS Studio, use the Profile menu at the top of the window.
- Choose New or Duplicate. Choose New for a blank profile using default settings, or Duplicate to copy the currently selected profile’s settings.
- Name it for its job. Names such as “YouTube 1080p” or “Recording” make it easier to identify the intended destination or use. They are organizational suggestions, not built-in presets or automatic optimizations.
- Configure the active profile. Set the stream destination and account, video settings, and output settings appropriate to the platform and session. Confirm that you are editing the profile you intend to use.
- Switch profiles when your needs change. Use the Profile menu to select the configuration for the next stream or recording. Verify the selected profile before going live.
For profile-specific options and terminology, see the OBS Profiles documentation. OBS’s overview guide describes the relationship between stream, video, output, scenes, and sources.
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Save scenes separately with a Scene Collection
If a different stream also needs a different layout—for example, distinct scenes or webcam arrangements—select or create a separate Scene Collection as well as the Profile. Profiles and Scene Collections serve different purposes, so switching one does not replace the other. When transferring a setup, export both if you need both the configuration and the scenes and sources.
Export a profile as a backup or transfer
- Open the Profile menu and choose Import/Export.
- Export the current profile settings. OBS creates a JSON file.
- Store that file somewhere you can find it for backup or transfer. A USB flash drive is one optional storage location; it is not required by OBS.
- On another OBS installation, use Profile > Import/Export to import the saved profile.
- If you also need your scenes and sources, export and import the Scene Collection separately.
Profile exports can include stream configuration, so treat the JSON file as sensitive if it contains account or stream-key information. Do not share it publicly or include it in screenshots. OBS documents profile import and export in its Profiles guide.
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Profile switching is different from YouTube’s Reuse settings
YouTube Live Control Room has a Reuse settings action for carrying a prior stream’s metadata, settings, and stream key into a new YouTube stream. That is a YouTube-side action; an OBS Profile switches settings in OBS. They are separate tools. YouTube describes the action and stream-key controls in Manage live stream settings.
YouTube describes a stream key as functioning like a password and address for the encoder connection. If it is exposed, an authorized channel owner or manager can reset it in Live Control Room and then update the encoder’s configuration. Protect exported profiles accordingly.
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Choose settings for the actual stream
A saved profile preserves the values you set; it does not decide whether those values suit a particular platform, network, or computer. Check the destination’s current requirements and your available upload capacity. OBS notes that bitrate depends on upload speed and service limitations, and that 60 fps can place more demands on a system than 30 fps. Base canvas resolution and output or scaled resolution are separate settings.
As platform-specific examples, YouTube’s current encoder guidance recommends H.264 at 17 Mbps for 1080p at 60 fps and 14 Mbps for 1080p at 30 fps. These are YouTube recommendations for those exact modes, not universal OBS settings or guarantees that a connection can sustain them. Consult YouTube’s encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions guidance for the applicable resolution, frame rate, and codec before configuring a profile.
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Test before going live
- Confirm the active OBS Profile and, separately, the active Scene Collection.
- Check the destination or account and verify that the correct stream key is configured.
- Review output resolution, frame rate, bitrate, and encoder settings against the platform’s current guidance and your upload capacity.
- Run an upload-speed test and make a test stream using audio and motion similar to the planned program. Check stream health and system performance before relying on the setup live.
OBS recommends testing settings before streaming; YouTube also recommends testing and monitoring stream health. See the OBS overview guide and YouTube encoder guidance.
Common problems and fixes
- Your scenes did not appear after importing a profile: Profiles do not contain scenes. Import the matching Scene Collection separately.
- The stream connects to the wrong destination: Select the intended Profile and verify its account, server or destination, and stream key before going live.
- A profile imported but the stream key needs attention: Recheck the credential in OBS. If the key may have been exposed or changed, reset it in YouTube Live Control Room if authorized, then update OBS.
- The saved output stutters or drops frames: A profile stores settings, not a guarantee of performance. Reassess bitrate against available upload speed, check the platform’s limits, and test the workload on the actual system.
- You expected a new profile to contain your prior settings: New starts with defaults; use Duplicate when you want a copy of the current profile.
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