Saved Profile and Scene Collection Pairings for Complete Production Setups

[huckletsplay]

OBS intentionally keeps Profiles and Scene Collections separate, which gives users the flexibility to mix and match scene layouts with different output configurations.

I would like an optional feature that allows users to save named pairings of a Profile and Scene Collection as a complete production setup or workspace.

For example:

• Podcast Scene Collection + Local Recording Profile
• Podcast Scene Collection + YouTube Livestream Profile
• Gameplay Scene Collection + 1080p60 Profile
• Interview Scene Collection + 4K30 Recording Profile
• Side-by-Side Scene Collection + Wide-Canvas Profile

This would preserve the current independent Profile and Scene Collection menus. Users could still mix and match them manually. The proposed feature would simply provide an additional way to save and switch combinations that are frequently used together.

The problem is that many Profile mismatches are not obviously visible in the OBS preview. Two setups may use scenes that look identical while requiring different:

• Base or output resolutions
• Frame rates
• Video encoders
• Recording quality settings
• Bitrates
• Recording formats
• Recording paths
• Audio-track configurations
• Streaming services or connected accounts

For example, a 1080p30 and 1080p60 setup can look identical in the preview. A user could also have the correct Scene Collection selected while accidentally using a low-bitrate streaming Profile, the wrong encoder, the wrong audio-track configuration or the wrong recording destination. The mistake may not be discovered until after the production is finished.

A possible workflow could be:

Production Setups

• Podcast – Local Master
• Podcast – YouTube Live
• Gameplay – 1080p60
• Side-by-Side Recording

Selecting a Production Setup would switch both its saved Profile and Scene Collection.

Possible safeguards and options:

• Keep the existing separate Profile and Scene Collection menus
• Do not switch while recording or streaming
• Allow multiple saved pairings to use the same Profile or Scene Collection
• Optionally include a starting scene
• Display both the active Profile and Scene Collection prominently
• Warn the user if they manually change one part of a saved pairing
• Allow users to continue with the mismatched combination if intentional

A simpler alternative would be to let each Scene Collection specify an optional preferred Profile and warn the user when a different Profile is active.

This would not reduce OBS’s current flexibility. It would add a safer workflow for users who repeatedly switch between production environments and need to ensure that scenes, resolution, frame rate, encoder and output settings are all correct before recording or streaming.