Meld Studio is the first free streaming app in years that's actually made people think about leaving OBS.
It's built only for streamers. Multistreaming, vertical layouts, effects and audio monitoring are built in. No hunting for plugins, no fifty-tab settings menu.
But it doesn't use the same words as OBS. Sources are called something else. Properties live somewhere else. And the one feature that'll save you the most headache, the Duplicator, isn't something OBS beginners know to look for.
So here's Meld for people coming from OBS, or coming in fresh. The layout, the vocabulary, the Duplicator, and the stream and recording settings that matter.
The short answer
- Meld Studio is a free streaming and recording app for Windows and Apple Silicon Macs.
- Scenes and Layers on the left, Canvas and Audio Mixer in the middle, Inspector on the right. Layers are what OBS calls sources.
- Use a Duplicator layer to put the same webcam (or any layer) in every scene. Set it up once and every scene stays in sync.
- Turn on the hardware encoder in the stream settings so your graphics card does the encoding, and set bitrate off your upload speed.
- Meld Multi sends one stream to the cloud and out to multiple platforms, so your internet only carries one.
What Meld Studio Is (and Why Streamers Are Switching)
Meld does the same core job as OBS. It builds what your viewers see, then sends it live or saves it as a recording.
The difference is the stuff around it. Meld was built for streaming first, so the things OBS needs plugins for come in the box:
- Effects on layers and audio, no plugins to install.
- Multi Canvas for a vertical 1080x1920 layout next to your normal one.
- Meld Multi, a free cloud multistream (in beta).
- CUE on every audio track so you can hear your alerts in your headphones.
- Built-in chat for Twitch and YouTube in the right panel.
It's free, it runs on Windows and natively on Apple Silicon Macs, and it can import your OBS setup so you're not starting from zero.
Should you switch? If OBS works for you and you don't need vertical or multistream, you don't have to. If you're new, or you're tired of stacking plugins, try Meld. Both are free. Still learning OBS? Start with How to Use OBS Studio.
The Meld Studio Layout
A simplified diagram of the Meld Studio layout, not a screenshot.
Everything lives in one window:
- Scenes (left, top): your layouts. Starting Soon, Gameplay, Just Chatting, BRB. Click the + to add one, right click to rename it.
- Layers (left, bottom): everything inside the selected scene. Webcam, game, alerts, chat, images, text.
- Canvas (middle): what your viewers see. Click a layer right on the canvas to move or resize it.
- Audio Mixer (under the canvas): your audio tracks. By default it only shows the tracks playing in the current scene, plus any Global tracks (like your mic) that are in every scene.
- Inspector (right): every setting for whatever layer you selected. Size, position, crop, opacity, effects. Nothing selected? It's empty. You can also flip this panel over to show your stream chat.
OBS vs Meld: The Words Are Different
Most of the confusion is vocabulary. Here's the translation:
| In OBS | In Meld | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Scenes | Scenes | Your layouts. Same idea. |
| Sources | Layers | The things inside a scene: camera, game, alerts. |
| Preview | Canvas | What your viewers see. |
| Properties and Filters | Inspector | Settings and effects for the selected layer, all in one panel. |
| Paste (Reference) | Duplicator | The same layer showing in more than one scene, kept in sync. |
| Group | Group | A folder of layers. Meld lets you nest up to three deep. |
| Audio Monitoring | CUE | Hear a track in your headphones. One click on the track. |
| Base (Canvas) Resolution | Main Canvas | The size of your layout, like 1920x1080. |
| A vertical plugin | Multi Canvas | A second, portrait 1080x1920 layout for vertical platforms. |
| A multistream plugin | Meld Multi | Cloud multistream. One upload, many platforms. |
| Game Capture, Browser, Image, Text | Same names | Meld also has Video Device, Display Capture, Media Source, Markdown, Rectangle and Widgets layers. |
The Duplicator: One Webcam, Every Scene
This is the feature I'd learn first.
Most people set up their webcam in their Gameplay scene, then add the webcam again as a brand new layer in Just Chatting, then again in their Ending scene. Now you've got the same camera set up three separate times. Change the crop or a filter and you're fixing it in three places.
The Duplicator layer fixes that. You set the webcam up once. Every other scene gets a Duplicator pointing back at it.
Set the webcam up once. Every other scene you're on camera in gets a Duplicator.
How to do it:
- Set up your webcam as a normal Video Device layer in one scene. Get the crop and effects right.
- Go to the next scene. In the Layers panel, click + and pick Duplicator.
- Choose the scene and the webcam layer you want it to copy.
- Move and resize it however you want for this scene. Big in Just Chatting, small in Gameplay.
Change the source layer and every Duplicator follows. Want one to point somewhere else? Change it in the Inspector's Source dropdown.
Don't copy and paste instead. Copy and paste gives you a separate, independent copy. The Duplicator stays linked to the original.
My take: on top of being easier to manage, it's lighter on your system than loading the same camera as a brand new layer in every scene. Use it for your webcam in every scene you're on camera, and for anything else that shows up in more than one scene. Alerts are the big one: those belong in every scene, Starting Soon and BRB included. Your chat box and frame too.
Coming From OBS? Import Your Setup
Meld has an OBS importer, so you can bring your scenes over instead of rebuilding them. Meld says some things may not come over cleanly, so go through every scene and layer after you import and fix anything that looks off. Plugins from OBS won't come with you. That's usually fine, because Meld has most of that built in.
Meld Stream Settings That Matter
Open Settings. Here's what to set and what to leave alone.
Canvas and framerate (General)
- Main Canvas: 1080p for almost everyone. Meld goes up to 4K, but a bigger canvas costs more GPU for no gain on a 1080p or 720p stream.
- Framerate: 60 for games, 30 is fine for just chatting.
- Multi Canvas: turn on Portrait (1080x1920) only if you're streaming vertical to TikTok or Shorts.
Encoder and bitrate (Stream)
- Hardware Encoder: on. That's your NVIDIA or AMD card on Windows, or Apple's built-in encoder on a Mac. Turn it off and Meld falls back to your CPU (x264), which fights your game for performance.
- Quality preset: on NVIDIA you get seven presets. Start in the middle and only go higher if your GPU has room. The Mac hardware encoder doesn't have presets.
- Bitrate: off your upload speed, not a number from a comment section. Meld shows each platform's allowed range. Twitch is 3,000 to 6,000. YouTube goes up to 40,000. Kick goes up to 8,000.
- Stream Resolution: you can stream lower than your canvas. A 1080p canvas streaming at 720p is a great move on slower internet.
Not sure what your card can handle? Use the GPU table in my OBS guide. The encoders are the same hardware, so the same rules apply in Meld.
Quick version of the upload rule: keep your bitrate around 75% of your upload speed or less.
| Your upload speed | Bitrate | Stream at |
|---|---|---|
| Under 4 Mbps | 2,500 kbps | 720p30 |
| 6 to 9 Mbps | 4,500 kbps | 720p60 |
| 9 to 15 Mbps | 6,000 kbps | 1080p60 |
| 15 Mbps and up | Twitch 6,000. YouTube 9,000 and up. | 1080p60, sharper on YouTube |
Skip the tables. Get your exact Meld settings.
My free Stream Settings Tool takes your graphics card, processor, game, upload speed and every platform you stream to, including vertical, and gives you the exact Meld settings your PC can actually hold. Canvas, encoder, bitrate, Meld Multi, step by step. If your setup can't do it all, it tells you straight and gives you the best version you can run.
One heads up: you can't change stream settings while you're live in Meld. Test before you go live, not during.
Want to see what your encoder is doing? View, Encoder View shows you live.
Meld Recording Settings
Same rule as OBS: your recording isn't limited by your internet, so don't record at your stream's quality if you don't have to.
- Format: MKV. If Meld or your PC crashes, the file survives. Meld also records MOV and FLV.
- Bitrate: don't leave it on "Same as stream" if you edit your recordings or make clips. Give the recording its own, higher bitrate. Your viewers get the stream your internet can carry, and you get a clean file to cut up later.
- Weaker GPU? "Same as stream" is lighter. If your stream starts struggling while recording, switch back to it.
Multistreaming and Vertical in Meld
This is where Meld pulls ahead of OBS for a lot of people.
Meld Multi sends one stream from your PC to Meld's cloud, and the cloud sends it out to your platforms: Twitch, YouTube, Kick, TikTok and more. Your internet only carries one stream. It's free while it's in beta.
If you send each platform straight from your PC instead, your upload has to cover all of them added together. Two 6,000 kbps streams is 12,000 kbps of upload. That's where most multistreams fall apart.
Multi Canvas handles vertical. You build a portrait 1080x1920 layout next to your normal one, using Duplicators so your webcam and alerts are already there. That's your TikTok LIVE or vertical YouTube stream without a second app.
Deciding which platforms are even worth it? Where to Stream in 2027.
Quick Answers
Is Meld Studio free?
Yes. Meld Studio is free to download and use on Windows and Mac. Meld Multi, its cloud multistreaming, is also free while it's in beta.
Is Meld Studio better than OBS?
It depends what you need. Meld has multistreaming, vertical layouts, effects and audio monitoring built in, so it's easier for most streamers. OBS has a bigger plugin library and more control. Both are free, so try both.
What is the Duplicator in Meld Studio?
The Duplicator is a layer that shows another layer, like your webcam, in a different scene. It stays linked to the original, so changes to the source show up everywhere. Copy and paste makes a separate copy instead.
What are layers in Meld Studio?
Layers are the pieces inside a scene, like your webcam, game capture, alerts, chat and images. They're what OBS calls sources. Select one and its settings appear in the Inspector panel.
Can I import my OBS scenes into Meld?
Yes. Meld has an OBS importer that brings your scenes over. Check every scene and layer afterward, since some things may not transfer perfectly, and OBS plugins won't carry over.
Does Meld Studio work on Mac?
Yes. Meld runs natively on Apple Silicon Macs and uses Apple's built-in hardware encoder. It also runs on Windows with NVIDIA or AMD hardware encoding.
What are the best Meld Studio settings for streaming?
A 1080p Main Canvas at 60 fps, Hardware Encoder on, and a bitrate around 75% of your upload speed or less. That's usually 6,000 kbps for 1080p60 or 4,500 kbps at 720p60. Record in MKV with its own higher bitrate.
How do I multistream with Meld Studio?
Use Meld Multi to send one stream to Meld's cloud, which then sends it to Twitch, YouTube, Kick, TikTok and more. Your internet only has to carry one stream.
Where to Go From Here
- Want your exact settings? Use the free Stream Settings Tool. Your graphics card, your game, your platforms.
- Using OBS instead? How to Use OBS Studio: The Settings That Actually Matter.
- Building your setup? The Streaming Gear I'd Actually Buy in 2026.
- Thinking about a mixer? Best Mixer for Streaming: Do You Even Need One?
- Want the full streaming system? The Streamer Blueprint starts at $15. Schedules, growth, getting paid.
- Making videos too? The Creator Blueprint starts at $15.
- Plan your streams and uploads: The Content Planner.
- Never lose a stream idea again: Grab the free Idea Bank.
- Want me to look at your setup? Book a 1-on-1 Strategy Call.