How to Import Scene Collections into OBS

A scene collection in OBS Studio holds your scenes and the sources inside them, such as cameras, microphones, browser sources, images and window captures. Importing one lets you move a layout to a new computer, restore a backup or reuse a setup someone shared with you. This guide covers the import itself and what to check afterwards.

Before you start

Importing a scene collection happens entirely inside OBS Studio on your computer. No account or online service is involved. You only need the collection file and OBS installed on the machine where you want to use it.

• A scene collection file, normally a .json file created with Scene Collection > Export in OBS.
• OBS Studio installed on the target computer. Recent versions can also read collections from some other streaming apps, but supported apps and formats depend on your version, so check what your importer lists.
• Any plugins the original setup used. Sources from a plugin that is not installed will not load.
• The media files the scenes refer to, such as images, videos, overlays and fonts. The collection stores file paths, not the files themselves.

A scene collection does not contain output settings. Bitrate, encoding, recording format, canvas resolution and frame rate belong to a separate OBS profile. If you want those settings too, export and import the profile through the Profile menu as well.

To keep the process reversible, export your current collection first with Scene Collection > Export. Importing adds a new collection rather than replacing the active one, but a backup protects you if you later edit or remove the wrong collection.

Step-by-step instructions

• Copy the scene collection file to the computer running OBS, along with any media files it uses.
• Open OBS Studio and choose Scene Collection > Import in the menu bar.
• In the importer window, add your file. You can use the browse button in the path field or drag the file into the list.
• If you are coming from another streaming app on the same computer, you can enable the option to search for scene collections automatically. OBS lists the collections it finds.
• Make sure the checkbox next to each collection you want is ticked. You can change the name shown for it if you want something easier to recognize.
• Click Import. The window closes and the collection is added to OBS.
• Open the Scene Collection menu and select the imported collection to switch to it.

If a collection with the same name already exists, rename the imported one in the importer so you can tell them apart. Your previous collection stays in the Scene Collection menu, and you can switch back to it at any time.

If you also need the original output settings, use Profile > Import and choose the exported profile folder, then select that profile from the Profile menu. Review the Output and Video settings afterwards, because encoders available on one computer may not exist on another.

Check the output

After switching to the imported collection, click through each scene and confirm that its sources appear in the preview where you expect them.

• Media: images, videos and overlays should display. A blank area or an error usually means the file path no longer matches.
• Cameras: open each video capture source and confirm the correct device is selected. Device identifiers often differ between computers, so a capture source may point to nothing.
• Audio: check that microphone and desktop audio sources show movement in the Audio Mixer when you speak or play sound.
• Window and game capture: these refer to specific windows or applications, so reselect the target if the source is empty.
• Layout: if sources look stretched, cropped or offset, the canvas resolution in Settings > Video probably differs from the original setup.

Finish with a short test recording. Play it back to confirm the picture, sound and frame rate look right before using the collection for a live stream or call.

Common problems and next steps

Missing files after import: the collection still points to folders on the original computer. Recent OBS versions may show a dialog listing missing files and let you locate them. Otherwise, open each affected source's properties and browse to the file again. Keeping media in one folder and copying it to the same location on the new machine reduces this work.

Sources missing or shown as unavailable: the original setup likely used a plugin that is not installed. Install a compatible version of that plugin, restart OBS and switch to the collection again.

The file does not appear or will not import: confirm it is an OBS scene collection file and not a profile folder or a settings file from another program. A file exported from a much newer OBS version may contain sources an older version does not recognize, so updating OBS is worth trying.

Collections imported from another streaming app look incomplete: importers convert what they can, but some source types or effects may have no direct OBS equivalent. Rebuild those sources manually and then export the result as an OBS collection for future use.

Removing an import you do not need: switch to that collection, then choose Scene Collection > Remove. Check the collection name first, because removal cannot be undone from inside OBS unless you have an exported copy.