A Studio is your central workspace in Iris for camera management and team collaboration. Think of it as a virtual hub that groups together all the cameras and computers at a particular location. Most users name their Studio after the physical space where their cameras are set up — like "Main Auditorium," "Conference Room B," or "Sanctuary."
Each Studio belongs to an Organization (your account or company) and can have multiple team members collaborating within it. You can own and access multiple Studios, making it easy to manage cameras across different locations from a single Iris account.
What You'll Need
An Iris account — you must be logged in to create or manage Studios.
Organization membership — your account must belong to an Organization. If you're a new user, one is created automatically during setup.
An internet connection for creating, renaming, deleting, or switching Studios.
Plan Limits
All plans — including Free — let you create unlimited Studios. However, each Studio has plan-based limits on:
The number of video sources (cameras) you can add
The number of collaborators you can invite
The amount of cloud usage included per month
Creating a Studio
New Studios go in your default Organization. There are two ways to create a new Studio:
Method 1: Automatic Creation (New Computer)
When you download, install, and open the Iris Desktop App on a new computer and log in, and your account doesn't have any Studios yet, Iris automatically creates a new Studio, links this computer to it, and opens it. This is the simplest path. If your account already has one or more Studios, Iris shows the Studio Picker instead (see Method 2).
Method 2: In the Studio Picker
The Studio Picker is the first screen you see when you sign in to the Iris Desktop App on a new computer and your account has one or more Studios. Even if you have only one Studio, Iris asks rather than linking automatically. (Iris in a web browser has no Bridge, so it skips this step.)
You'll see a one-time setup screen marked BRIDGE SETUP with the heading "Looks like you're on a new machine" and the text "This computer's bridge isn't linked to a studio yet. Create a new one, or link it to a studio you already have." A chip shows "This computer" and this computer's name. If you're new to Iris, you'll also see a short three-step guide.
To make a new Studio, click Create studio. You'll see "Creating [computer name]…" while Iris creates the Studio, names it after this computer, links this computer to it, and opens it. There's no name field, but you can rename the Studio later in Studio Settings.
To use a Studio you already have, pick it under Or connect to an existing studio. Each card shows the Studio name, your role in it (for example, Owner), a status badge, and when it was created. Studios that only have Iris Enabled cameras appear like any other Studio, and you can link this computer to them normally.
Not linked: Iris links this computer and opens the Studio.
Linked to [computer name]: you'll see an Unlink Bridge confirmation. Confirming unlinks the other computer and links this one. See Migrating a Bridge to a New Studio.
You can't close or skip this screen: create or pick a Studio to continue. From then on, Iris opens that Studio automatically on this computer. Linking a computer to a Studio requires an Owner or Admin role on that Studio.
Switching Between Studios
Click the Studio name or dropdown arrow in the top-left corner of the Iris interface. A dropdown menu appears listing all your Studios.
Click any Studio name to switch to it.
Switching only changes which Studio you're viewing. It doesn't relink this computer, and Iris still opens this computer's own Studio the next time you launch it.
What You'll See in the Studio Switcher
Each Studio in the list shows:
Studio name
Status indicator — whether the Studio is online (at least one linked device is active) or offline (all devices inactive)
Badge indicating your relationship:
THIS DEVICE (green) — the Studio your current computer is linked to
OWNER — you created and own this Studio
ADMIN — you have admin access
PRODUCER — you have producer access
GUEST — you have view-only access
Studios are sorted with your current device's Studio first, then Studios you own, then Studios you've been invited to. Within each group, newer Studios appear before older ones.
Renaming a Studio
Go to Studio Settings (click the gear icon when hovering over a Studio in the Switcher, or go to Settings > Studio Settings from within the Studio).
Edit the Studio Name field.
Click Save Changes.
You need Owner or Admin permissions to rename a Studio. If you don't have permission, the name field is grayed out.
Deleting a Studio
You can delete a Studio only if:
You are the Owner
You have more than one Studio on your account (you can't delete your last one)
To delete:
In Studio Settings, click "Delete Studio."
A confirmation dialog appears. You must type the exact phrase "Delete [Studio Name]" to confirm.
Click Delete Studio to proceed.
Deleting a Studio unlinks all cameras and devices from it. You'll need to re-link them to another Studio to continue using them.
Leaving a Studio
If you were invited to a Studio (you're not the Owner), you can leave it:
In Studio Settings, click "Leave Studio."
Once processed, the Studio is removed from your account.
Owners can't leave their own Studio — they can only delete it.
Inviting Collaborators
You can invite team members to collaborate in your Studio:
Open the Invite Users dialog from within your Studio.
Enter one or more email addresses.
Choose a permission level for the invitees:
Admin — Can control all sources, manage settings, invite other users
Producer — Can control all or specific sources, but can't manage billing or remove users
Viewer — Can view live sources but can't control them or access settings
Click Send. A confirmation notification appears.
You can also create a shareable invite link that anyone can use to join your Studio.
The number of collaborators is limited by your plan. When the limit is reached, the invite input is disabled with a message.
The ability to set granular permissions (Admin/Producer/Viewer) may depend on your plan. On some plans, all invitees are added as Admins by default.
Support Access
You can temporarily grant Iris support staff access to your Studio for troubleshooting. This access automatically expires after 24 hours.
User Roles and Permissions
Role | What they can do |
Owner | Full control — manage settings, billing, sources, invite/remove members, delete the Studio |
Admin | Control all sources, manage settings, invite users. Can't delete the Studio. |
Producer | Control sources (all or specific ones). Can't manage billing, settings, or remove users. |
Viewer | View live video and audio feeds only. No control, editing, or management access. |
What Happens If…
…you install Iris on a new computer and log in? If your account doesn't have any Studios yet, Iris creates one, links this computer, and opens it. If you already have Studios, the Studio Picker lets you pick one or create a new one.
…you try to add a camera but hit your source limit? You'll see a "Source Limit Reached" error. Upgrade your plan or link the camera to a different Studio with capacity.
…you try to invite more collaborators than your plan allows? The invite input is disabled with a message about the collaborator limit. Upgrade to increase.
…you don't have permission to rename or delete? The name field is grayed out. Delete and Leave options only appear if your role permits them.
…all devices in a Studio go offline? The Studio shows "Offline" in the Switcher. You can still access settings and invite collaborators, but no live feeds until a device comes back online.
…you pick a Studio that another computer is linked to? You'll see an Unlink Bridge dialog: "A Studio can only be linked to one Bridge at a time. To link this Studio to a new Bridge, you must first unlink [computer name]." Confirm to link this computer and unlink the other one. If you cancel, nothing changes.
…you exceed your plan's cloud usage? Cloud features are disabled, but local network features continue to work. Usage resets on your billing cycle, or you can upgrade.
…you delete a Studio? All cameras linked to it are unlinked. You'll need to re-link them to another Studio.
Troubleshooting
What's happening | Likely cause | What to do |
Studio Switcher shows no Studios | Account data hasn't loaded, or no Studios exist | Wait for loading. Try logging out and back in. If your account has no Studios, opening the Iris Desktop App on a computer that isn't linked yet creates one for you. |
"Source Limit Reached" when adding a camera | Studio's source cap for your plan is reached | Upgrade your plan or link to a different Studio with capacity |
Can't rename the Studio (field grayed out) | You don't have Owner or Admin permissions | Ask the Owner to rename it or upgrade your role |
"Delete Studio" option doesn't appear | You're not the Owner, or this is your only Studio | You can't delete your last Studio. If you have multiple and still don't see it, you may not be the Owner. |
Studio shows "Offline" | All linked devices are off or disconnected | Ensure at least one device is powered on and connected |
"Can't add more collaborators" | Plan collaborator limit reached | Upgrade your plan or remove existing collaborators |
Cloud usage disabled notification | Exceeded your plan's monthly cloud usage | Local features still work. Upgrade or wait for the next billing cycle. |
FAQs
What is a Studio? A workspace in Iris that groups your cameras, computers, and team members — typically representing a physical location.
How many Studios can I create? Unlimited on all plans, including Free.
Can I rename a Studio? Yes. Go to Studio Settings, edit the name, and save. Requires Owner or Admin permissions.
Can I delete a Studio? Yes, if you're the Owner and have more than one Studio. You'll need to type a confirmation phrase.
What's the difference between deleting and leaving? Deleting permanently removes the Studio (Owner only). Leaving removes your membership but the Studio continues for other members.
How do I move a camera to a different Studio? Unlink it from the current Studio and re-link it during the device setup process.
What do the badges in the Studio Switcher mean? THIS DEVICE = your computer is linked to that Studio. OWNER, ADMIN, PRODUCER, GUEST = your permission level.
What happens to cameras if I delete a Studio? They're unlinked. You'll need to re-link them to another Studio.
Can multiple people manage the same Studio? Yes. Invite collaborators with different permission levels.
Why can't I set collaborator permissions? Granular permissions (Admin/Producer/Viewer) may depend on your plan. On some plans, all collaborators get a default role.
Use Cases
Educational institutions — Separate Studios for each classroom, lecture hall, or online learning hub.
Entertainment venues — Dedicated Studios for different theaters, concert halls, or production stages.
Multi-campus organizations — A Studio per campus for customized management while maintaining organizational consistency.
Corporate facilities — Studios for conference rooms, training suites, and executive broadcast spaces.
Houses of worship — Separate Studios for main sanctuary, youth ministry, and online streaming setups.