Multi-User Sessions (Beta)

Multi-user sessions (Beta), added in Capture One 16.8.2, introduces real-time collaboration for photography teams working on the same local network. Built for high-volume production and multi-operator setups, this feature lets everyone view, edit, and manage the same session simultaneously without file transfers, shared drives, or version conflicts.

Contents

• Compatibility
• Who is this feature for
• How multi-user sessions work
  • Core principles
• Step-by-step instructions
  • How to share a session (Session owner)
  • How to join a shared session (collaborator)
  • Re-joining a shared session
  • Working in the session
  • Ending a session (Session owner)
• Roles and collaboration limits
  • Session owner (Studio only)
  • Collaborators (all plans)
• Known limitations
• FAQ

Compatibility

• Available starting from Capture One 16.8.2 
• macOS only
• Requires a local network (LAN), either wireless or wired
• Sharing requires a Studio plan
• Collaborators can join from any Capture One plan
• Session folders need to be enabled, and output folder setting must be aligned on all devices. 
• Optional: For faster and more stable performance, connect two Macs using a Thunderbolt (USB‑C) cable—Multi-user Sessions will prioritise the wired connection over Wi‑Fi.

Who is this feature for

• E-commerce and commercial studio teams
  • High-volume production with multiple operators
  • Clear productivity gains from faster workflows
• Editorial and portrait teams
  • Digitech, retoucher, and art director workflows
  • Faster selection and collaborative editing during shoots

How multi-user sessions work

A session owner enables sharing in Capture One. The application runs a lightweight server on the owner’s machine, allowing collaborators on the same local network to join.

• RAW files are captured or imported on the session owner's machine
• Files stream to collaborators in near real time
• Everyone works on a synchronised local copy of the session
• Full RAW files are shared, not proxies
• Users can disconnect and reconnect without losing progress

Core principles

• Single shared session: All users see the same images, edits, and metadata
• Real-time updates: Changes transfer within seconds
• Conflict-free design:
  • The owner has exclusive controls over the session structure 
  • Edited images are locked for a few seconds on other devices to avoid issues with simulateneous edits 
  • Edits made by everyone are non-destructive, per the usual Capture One principle 

Step-by-step instructions

How to share a session (Session owner)

1. Click File > Shared sessions (beta) > Share and Manage Session.
   
   
    

2. Add a collaborator’s email address. Here you can manage access to your session: 

   • You automatically have access to your own shared sessions. 
   • To allow others to join, add their email addresses to the invitation list. 
   • Invited users will not receive an email notification. Adding emails acts as a security measure to control who can access your session on the local network. 
     
     
3. Click Start Sharing.

How to join a shared session (collaborator)

1. Click File >Shared sessions (beta)> Find Shared Session.
   
    
2. Select the session you are invited to.
   
   
3. Ensure Session Folders (and Include Output folder) are enabled in Settings > General.
   
4. Click Open.
5. Choose a folder that will contain the synced session.

Note: you will see an indicator that the session is “connected” in the library tool, but it may take up to a minute after that for the first images to transfer. 

Re-joining a shared session

If you temporarily lose connection to a session, Capture One displays pop-up messages to help you reconnect automatically.

If you stop working on a session for a longer period, close Capture One, or close the session, you can still rejoin it later.

To rejoin the session, simply open it again from the location where it is saved on your computer.

You do not need to use Find Shared Session again, and it will not work for sessions you have already joined.

Working in the session

• Images stream automatically as they are captured or imported
• All edits, ratings, and metadata sync in near real time

Ending a session (Session owner)

• Click Stop Sharing in the pop-up window
  
• The collaborator will be prompted to:
  • Convert to local copy to continue without any synchronization 
    IMPORTANT: this is a permanent change; when the session is converted to a local copy it cannot be re-connected with a shared session  
  • Retry to reconnect if the session is still shared

Roles and collaboration limits

Session owner (Studio only)

The session owner hosts and controls the session. This role is required to enable sharing.

What the owner can do:

• Start and share a session
• Invite and remove collaborators
• Control session structure (imports, captures, folders, albums, move, rename)
• Manage tethering and file ingestion

Collaborator limits by plan:

• Studio and Studio for Teams: up to two collaborators
• Studio for Enterprise: unlimited collaborators

Collaborators (all plans)

Collaborators join sessions hosted by a Studio user.

What collaborators can do:

• Join sessions on the same local network
• View full-resolution RAW files
• Edit images, including masks and retouching
• Add ratings, colour tags, and keywords
• Create and delete variants 
• See updates from other users in near real time

Limitations:

• Cannot host sessions
• Cannot change session structure.
  • Making changes to the session structure through the file system on a collaborator device may break the synchronization 
• Cannot export files
• Access is controlled by the session owner

Recommended settings

Known limitations

• EIP files are not supported yet, so the feature won’t work if you’re packing as EIP when tethering
• Assisted review tags are not transferred yet
• Albums aren’t supported yet (smart albums are supported)
• You may see error messages about masks, while not necessarily having any issue with masks, due to an overzealous system trying to catch mismatches.
• LCC reference images are not transferred across devices
• Images updated in a third party software will not have their changes reflected in Capture One automatically. e.g. a TIFF file sent to a pixel editor for further changes will show up when it's created, but won't reflect changes when it is modified in the pixel editor software and saved under the same name. To make sure new images are transferred across devices, either save them as new files, or move them to a different folder.
• Making changes through the file system on a collaborator device may break the synchronization. Closing Capture One and reconnecting to the shared session will revert any changes made locally through the file system to synchronize back to the host.

FAQ

Can I use multi-user sessions over the internet?

No. Multi-user sessions require a local network (LAN). Remote collaboration is not supported in this release.

Do collaborators need a Studio subscription?

No. Only the session owner must have a Studio plan.

Are proxy files used?

Collaborators receive full RAW files. Proxy files will still be created locally.  

What happens if two users edit the same image?

This shouldn’t be possible: when an image is edited on one device, it is temporarily locked on another device. This lock only lasts for a few seconds after the edit is made. In case two edits are made simultaneously just before the lock

Can I join from a mobile device?

Mobile devices are not supported yet.

Do all collaborators need to be on the same Capture One version? 

It is recommended that all users run the same version to avoid compatibility issues. That said, different versions may still work together if they support compatible session structures. 
 

Troubleshooting

Cannot find or join a session

• Ensure all users are on the same local network
• Ensure the host is sharing the session – there will be an indication in the Library tool. Closing and reopening the session then sharing again might help.

• Try different routers, hotspots or a wired connection, it is possible that a generic internet provider router might be blocking the communication.

  Additional troubleshooting steps

• Check that Session Folders are enabled (check Settings>General)
• Verify the email address invited to the session

Files are slow to appear

• Use a dedicated router: A dedicated router is strongly recommended for multiuser sessions. For best results, use a router that supports Wi‑Fi 7, ideally on the 6 GHz band, to reduce interference and maximize transfer speeds. 

• Connect the computer via Ethernet: A wired Ethernet connection between the router and host computer provides the most stable performance. 

• A fully wired connection between host and collaborator will be faster than wireless networks. When two Macs are connected via a Thunderbolt (USB‑C) cable, multi-user sessions prioritise the wired connection over Wi‑Fi for data transfer.

• Large RAW files may take a few seconds to transfer 

Edits are not syncing

• Wait a few seconds for updates 
• Close the session and reconnect if needed (applies to both the session owner and collaborators).

• Restart the sharing on the session owner’s workstation.

Connection drops

• The system reconnects automatically after short interruptions
• Use Retry if prompted