---
title: The Session Menu
---

<p>
  The <kbd class="menu">Session</kbd> menu groups together everything related to the session and the file operations.
</p>

<dl>
	<dt>New...</dt><dd>Creates a <a href="/working-with-sessions/new-session-dialog/">new</a> session</dd>
	<dt>Open...</dt><dd>Opens an existing session</dd>
	<dt>Recent...</dt><dd>Opens a list of recent session that can be opened</dd>
	<dt>Close</dt><dd>Closes the current session (but not Ardour)</dd>

	<dt>Save</dt><dd>Saves the current session</dd>
	<dt>Save As...</dt><dd>Saves to a new session (with options)</dd>
	<dt>Rename...</dt><dd>Changes the name of the session</dd>
	<dt>Snapshot (keep working on current version) ...</dt><dd>Create a <a href="/working-with-sessions/snapshots/">Snapshot</a> but any subsequent change will be saved to this session</dd>
	<dt>Snapshot ( switch to new version) ...</dt><dd>Same thing, and any subsequent change will be saved to this new snapshot session</dd>
	<dt>Save Template...</dt><dd>Saves the session as a <a href="/working-with-sessions/session-templates/">template</a>, without the audio</dd>
	<dt>Metadata</dt>
		<dt class="sub1">Edit Metadata...</dt><dd>Opens the <a href="/working-with-sessions/metadata/">Metadata</a> window, where informations about the session can be saved</dd>
		<dt class="sub1">Import Metadata...</dt><dd>Creates the metadata by extracting them from another session</dd>

	<dt>Add Track, Bus or VCA...</dt><dd>Adds a <a href="/working-with-tracks/adding-tracks-and-busses/">new track/bus/VCA</a> to the session, same as the <kbd class="menu">Track &gt; Add Track, Bus or VCA...</kbd></dd>

	<dt>Import</dt><dd>Opens the <a href="/adding-pre-existing-material/">Import</a> windows, to add media to the session</dd>
	<dt>Import PT session</dt><dd>Import a ProTools&copy; session file. Not everything in the original session can be imported.</dd>
	<dt>Scripting</dt>
		<dt class="sub1">Add Lua Script...</dt><dd>Loads or adds a <a href="/lua-scripting/">Lua Session script</a> to the current session</dd>
		<dt class="sub1">Remove Lua Script</dt><dd>Removes a loaded Lua Session script from the session</dd>
	<dt>Open Video...</dt><dd>Imports a <a href="/video-timeline/">video file</a> in the session</dd>
	<dt>Remove Video</dt><dd>Removes the video part of the session (the video timeline disappears)</dd>
	<dt>Export</dt>
		<dt class="sub1">Export to Audio File(s)...</dt><dd><a href="/exporting/">Export</a> all or part of the session in audio form</dd>
		<dt class="sub1">Stem export...</dt><dd><a href="/exporting/export-dialog/">Exports each track</a> as its own audio file (for e.g. DAW interchange)</dd>
		<dt class="sub1">Export to Video File</dt><dd>Exports the session to a <a href="/video-timeline/operations/">video file</a></dd>
	<dt>Clean-Up</dt>
		<dt class="sub1">Bring all media into session folder</dt><dd>Copies all the media files imported from outside the session folder in that folder, see <a href="/working-with-sessions/cleaning_up/">Cleaning up Sessions</a></dd>
		<dt class="sub1">Reset Peak Files</dt><dd>Reinitializes the buffered images representing the audio files</dd>
		<dt class="sub1">Clean-up Unused Sources...</dt><dd>Quarantines all the media files not used in the session to a specific subfolder of the session</dd>
		<dt class="sub1">Flush Wastebasket</dt><dd>Deletes those quarantined files</dd>

	<dt>[] Properties</dt><dd>Shows the <a href="/preferences-and-session-properties/session-properties-dialog/">Session Properties</a> dialog, allowing to fine-tune the parameters of the current session</dd>

	<dt>Lock</dt><dd>Locks the session by showing an Unlock window that (until cliked) blocks every action on Ardour's window</dd>

	<dt>Quit</dt><dd>Exits Ardour. Prompts for saving the session if it has been modified.</dd>
</dl>