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In OBS Studio, save recurring stream settings in a Profile: open the Profile menu, choose New or Duplicate, name it, and configure the stream, video, and output settings you want to reuse. Profiles do not save scenes; use a Scene Collection for layouts and sources.
What an OBS Profile saves
OBS Studio’s Profile feature preserves settings primarily related to streaming and recording. It covers the Stream section, including the connected account, Video settings such as the base canvas resolution, and the available Output settings. This can include the destination/server and stream key, output resolution, frame rate, bitrate, and encoder configuration. You can switch profiles, duplicate one, rename or remove one, and import or export profile settings. OBS Project’s Profiles guide describes the feature and its operations.
Profiles are useful when you regularly change destinations or output configurations—for example, between a recording setup and a stream, or between different resolutions or connection conditions. A profile stores configured values; it does not automatically optimize them or ensure they remain appropriate if platform requirements, network capacity, or computer performance change.
Create and configure a profile
- Open the Profile menu. In OBS Studio, use Profile in the top menu bar.
- Create or copy a profile. Choose New to create a profile with default settings, or Duplicate to copy the currently selected profile and its settings.
- Name it for its purpose. Choose a descriptive name such as “YouTube 1080p” or “Recording.” These are examples, not built-in presets. If you use several profiles, a short note outside OBS about their destination and intended resolution can make them easier to distinguish.
- Configure the active profile. Set the destination and account in Stream, the canvas and output video settings in Video, and encoder and bitrate options in Output. OBS’s overview guide explains how stream, video, output, scenes, and sources fit together.
- Verify the selected profile before streaming. Check the destination, output resolution, frame rate, bitrate, encoder, and system performance for the stream you intend to run.
Profiles and Scene Collections are separate
A Profile does not include your scenes, sources, or scene layout. OBS states: “Profiles do NOT store your Scenes — use Scene Collections”. A Scene Collection stores the scenes and sources that make up your layout, such as webcams, games, devices, and media. If you want to preserve or move an entire setup, keep track of both the Profile and the relevant Scene Collection, and export each separately.
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Export a profile, make a backup, or import it elsewhere
- In OBS Studio, open Profile and choose Import/Export.
- Export the current profile settings. OBS creates a JSON file.
- Store the file somewhere you can find it for backup or transfer. A USB flash drive is one optional storage choice; it is not required.
- On the other OBS installation, use Profile > Import/Export to import the JSON file.
- If the scenes and sources are also needed, export and import the Scene Collection separately.
Treat exported files and screenshots carefully: a profile can include the connected account and stream configuration. YouTube describes a stream key as working like a password and address. If you think a key has been exposed, an authorized channel owner or manager can reset it in YouTube Live Control Room, then update the encoder with the replacement. See YouTube’s live stream settings guidance.
Choose settings for the destination, then test
There is no single bitrate or resolution that suits every platform, connection, and computer. OBS notes that bitrate depends on upload capacity and the service’s limits; 60 fps can demand more from a system than 30 fps. The base canvas resolution and the scaled output resolution are separate settings, so check both rather than assuming they match.
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For YouTube specifically, its current published 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 targets for other services or codecs. Check YouTube’s encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions for the complete guidance before choosing a profile.
- Compare profiles by destination/account, output resolution and frame rate, bitrate and encoder, and the connection conditions they are intended for.
- Run an upload speed test and test the stream before an important broadcast. Use audio and movement similar to the intended content, then monitor stream health.
- Check that the selected Scene Collection is also the one you want; switching a Profile does not select or replace your scene layout.
OBS recommends testing before streaming to catch configuration or performance problems. YouTube also recommends testing and monitoring stream health; neither a saved profile nor a stored bitrate proves that a live stream will work well on a changed network or system.
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OBS profiles versus YouTube’s “Reuse settings”
These features operate in different places. An OBS Profile switches OBS-side settings. YouTube’s Reuse settings action copies prior stream metadata, settings, and the stream key into a new YouTube stream. Use the YouTube action when you want to carry forward a previous stream’s platform-side setup; use OBS Profiles to switch the settings configured in OBS. YouTube documents the platform action in its live stream settings instructions.
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OBS Profiles save settings, but your computer still runs OBS and supplies the stream. For a prerecorded YouTube stream that should continue while your computer is off, StreamNeo is a cloud option: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. StreamNeo loops uploaded videos; it does not broadcast a live camera feed.
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