Mac users, this update is for you!

Background blur and background removal are now available in Meld Studio on MacOS. No green screen. No third-party plugin. No fussing with OBS filters. Just a clean, professional-looking stream straight from your camera.

How to set it up (takes about 10 seconds):

1. Select your camera layer in Meld Studio
2. Go to the Inspector panel and toggle on Background
3. Choose Blur to soften your space, or remove to cut it out completely

That's it!

Whether you're streaming from a messy desk, a shared space, or just want a cleaner look on camera, this has you covered. Background removal is especially useful for anyone dropping in a custom scene background.

This is available right now on MacOS. Learn more about this update on our blog.

Drop a comment if you run into any issues or have feedback. We're watching this thread.

Been seeing this question pop up a lot, so figured we'd write it up properly: how do you actually get instant replay working on your gaming stream?

The short answer depends on what software you're using. If you're on Meld Studio, it's genuinely two clicks and you're done. If you're on OBS, it's a whole project involving the Replay Buffer setting, a custom Replay scene, a media source, VLC as a video source, and a plugin. We've done it both ways. One of them is not worth your time.

So here's the full breakdown.

Why Instant Replay Matters for Gaming Streams

If you've ever landed a clutch play and immediately wanted to show your chat again, that's the use case. Instant replay lets you capture the last X seconds of your stream and play it back directly on screen, overlaid on your live feed, without interrupting the broadcast. Your viewers see the replay, then you're back to live. It's a pro sports broadcast staple that's now completely doable for solo streamers.

The problem has always been the setup friction. Until recently, doing this properly required multiple tools stitched together and a lot of trial and error.

Setting Up Instant Replay in Meld Studio (The Easy Way)

Meld has a built-in Replay Clip feature that was added in release v0.9.3.0. Here's all you have to do:

Step 1: Press the clip button

Hit the clip button in Meld at any point during your session. You don't need to be live or recording for this to work. Meld captures the last 90 seconds automatically.

Step 2: Choose to replay it

After clipping, you'll get a prompt asking if you want to replay the clip on stream. Hit yes.

Step 3: Watch it play

The replay plays as an overlay on your main canvas without interrupting your livestream or any active recordings. When it's done, it disappears and you're back to live.

That's it. The clip also saves locally to your clips folder at the same time, so you've got the footage for YouTube, TikTok, or whatever else you want to do with it after stream.

A few things worth knowing:

• The replay follows your Main Canvas (horizontal) settings
• Clips save to wherever you've set in Preferences > Clipping > Local Destination
• You can clip without being live, which is great for testing your setup

The OBS Approach (For Context)

If you're using OBS and want to replicate this, here's what the setup actually looks like:

1. Enable Replay Buffer in OBS Settings > Output
2. Set a hotkey to save the buffer
3. Create a separate Replay scene in your scene list
4. Add a Media Source to that scene pointing to your replay buffer save folder
5. Manually switch to the Replay scene when you want to show a replay, then switch back

It works, but it's a lot of moving parts to maintain. If anything breaks mid-stream, you're debugging while live. And the scene-switching is manual, so you have to remember to switch back.

Meld's implementation handles all of that automatically as a single built-in action.

TL;DR

Meld Studio: Clip button > replay prompt > done. 90-second buffer, plays as overlay, saves locally, doesn't interrupt your stream.

OBS: Replay Buffer + custom scene + media source + VLC + hotkeys. Works, but it's a lot to set up and maintain.

If you're already on Meld, the feature is live right now. If you haven't tried it yet, Meld is a free download. Worth it just for this feature alone if clutch moment replays are part of your stream personality.

Drop any questions below if you run into issues with the setup!

KreationX will be live on the Meld TWITCH and KICK channels!

Meld Spark is now available in your browser, and the website works on mobile too.

You can describe an overlay, alert, widget, or chat game in plain English, and Spark builds it for you as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Until now, that meant being at the computer where you stream. Now you can build from a laptop that isn't yours, a computer away from home, or your phone.

What can you create with Meld Spark?

• Overlays, lower thirds, and scene frames
• Follower, subscriber, and donation alerts
• Goal trackers, countdown timers, and leaderboards
• Polls, chat commands, and chat-controlled mini-games

Spark elements are built to react to chat, follows, subs, and raids on Twitch, YouTube, Kick, and TikTok.

How do I use Meld Spark in my browser?

1. Open Spark in your browser on desktop or mobile
2. Describe what you want and name the style early (cozy, minimal, cyberpunk, retro, and so on)
3. Refine it with follow-up prompts until it feels like your stream

No install is needed to start creating.

Try Meld Spark in your browser

Read the full release blog post

We'd love to see what you build. Share your creations in the comments, and if you run into anything odd, let us know and we'll help.

Today we're rolling out AV1 and H.265 (HEVC) recording support. If you're tired of H.264 eating your storage for long sessions, this should help out.

The short version: both codecs compress way more efficiently than H.264, so you can get noticeably smaller files without losing quality or keep the same file size and get a cleaner image.

How to turn it on:

1. Settings > Recording Output > Edit
2. Enable your hardware encoder
3. Pick H.265 (HEVC) or AV1 from the new Codec menu

A few things to know before you dive in:

• The Codec menu only shows up if your GPU and encoder actually support additional codecs. If you don't see it, your hardware is currently locked to H.264, that's expected, not a bug.
• AV1 doesn't work with MOV. Use MP4 or MKV if you want AV1.
• FLV recordings are H.264-only, no way around that one.
• Switching from a hardware encoder to software encoding will bump you back to H.264 automatically.

Hardware wise, roughly speaking:

• NVIDIA: HEVC since GTX 900 series, AV1 needs RTX 40 series or newer
• AMD: HEVC on RX 400 series and up, AV1 needs RX 7000 series or newer
• Intel: Arc GPUs and newer Quick Sync generations support AV1

If your card's older than that, you'll just keep recording in H.264 like normal.

Read our blog post for more details!

we get asked about this a lot so here's the full picture.

meld supports vst3 plugins directly in the audio engine. no bridge, no third party host, no routing through a daw. it's currently behind the experimental features toggle: hold shift, click the m logo in the bottom right, enable vst3 plugin support, restart. after that your installed vst3 plugins show up in the audio track effects list next to the built in filters. custom plugin paths can be added in settings.

for context on how this compares to other streaming software:

• obs supports vst2 only. vst3 in obs requires atkAudio, a free community plugin that bridges vst3 into the filter system. it works, but it's an extra install and an extra layer in the audio chain
• streamlabs is built on obs and has the same vst2 limitation
• xsplit doesn't support vst3

so if you're running fabfilter, izotope, waves, or anything else that's vst3 only these days, meld loads it without a workaround. works on windows and macos, free.

read our full comparison with setup steps here

if you hit issues with a specific plugin, drop it in the comments. we're tracking compatibility as the feature moves out of experimental.

good news, this is way easier than it used to be. there are two parts to multi-platform chat: reading and replying to everything in one place, and showing a combined chat on stream. i'll cover both.

reading and replying in one feed

if you're multistreaming through meld studio, chat consolidation is built in. no third-party tools, no extra tabs. here's the setup:

1. go to settings → streaming outputs and log into each platform you stream to (twitch, youtube, kick)
2. click the chat bubble icon on the right-hand panel to open the stream chat
3. that's it. messages from every logged-in platform land in one feed, each tagged with a platform icon and username so you know where people are watching from

a few things worth knowing once you're in there:

• replying: type in the one chat box, then click the ⋯ menu under it to pick where your message goes. you can send to twitch only, youtube only, kick only, or all of them at once
• filtering: the gear icon in the top right of the chat panel lets you toggle platforms on and off, so if one chat is moving too fast you can temporarily hide it
• split activity feed: you can separate events (follows, subs, raids) from actual messages, either stacked above chat or side by side in two columns. keeps the feed readable when things get busy
• custom chat urls: the chat panel runs in a browser view, so if you already use something like streamer.bot or a pop-out chat panel, you can load that url directly instead

showing combined chat on stream

if you also want viewers to see a unified chat overlay, grab a multiplatform chat widget from the meld gallery. the color-coded one reads twitch, youtube, kick, and tiktok live simultaneously and tints each message by platform (purple, red, green, pink) so your audience can see the cross-platform activity too. add it as an element on your canvas and you're done. if you want to restyle it, spark can adjust colors and badge behavior from a plain english prompt, no css required.

if you're on obs

obs doesn't aggregate chats natively, but you have options. the easiest is spark plug, meld's free obs plugin, which brings the unified multi-platform chat into obs. it pulls twitch, youtube, kick, and tiktok live into one feed, and you can run the same color-coded multiplatform chat overlay from the meld gallery as a browser source, so your viewers get the combined chat on stream too. alternatively, you can go the manual route: docks → custom browser docks, then paste in a chat url from a third-party aggregator to get a combined feed inside obs.

either way, the goal is the same: one feed to read, one box to type in, and nobody in your community feels like they're watching the b-stream.

Today we've added two updates to Meld Studio that you won't want to miss out on!

Speech to Text (Meld Pro and Meld Max feature)

Meld can now listen to what you say while you're live (when turned on). It's not just a transcript feature, it actually powers real time stuff:

• Trigger Spark elements based on words or phrases you say
• Auto generate closed captions as you talk No hotkeys, no manual triggers, no typing captions out yourself. If you already use the Closed Captioning widget, turn on Speech to Text and it'll start populating captions automatically. Good combo if you care about accessibility or you know a chunk of your viewers watch with the sound off.

How to Turn on Speech to Text

There's no complicated setup involved. Once it's turned on, Meld starts listening and responding as you speak.

• Go to Settings
• Under Audio toggle on Speech to Text
• Select the audio track that is your Microphone

This is useful for streamers who want their overlays and alerts to feel alive, not static. Instead of manually triggering an animation or sound effect, you can just say the word, and Meld handles the rest.

Go Live Review Window (Available for all users)

This one's for anyone who's ever hit "Go Live" and immediately realized the title was still from last week, or the category was wrong, or you just forgot to toggle a platform on. Before you go live now, a review window pops up so you can check your title, category, tags, and which platforms you're streaming to, all in one screen. Simple, but it should save some people from a rough start to a stream.

Speech to Text is a Pro/Max feature while the Go Live Review is available to everyone with this update.

What are you going to use Speech to Text for?

We just rolled out Screen Draw in Meld Studio and wanted to share it here since a lot of you have asked for an easy way to draw on your stream without messing with plugins.

What it does:
Screen Draw adds a live annotation layer right on top of your canvas. You get:

• A highlighter marker for calling out something without covering it up
• A freehand pen for sketching plays, routes, or whatever
• A stamp tool with preset arrows, circles, squares, and X marks Everything shows up instantly for your viewers, no rendering delay, no exporting clips to edit later.

Setup in Meld Studio:
Open Screen Draw and hit "Add to Meld Studio" which will drop it right into your current scene. Click the mouse icon above the canvas to make the layer reactive. Move your mouse to the top left corner of the canvas and the toolbar pops up.

Setup in OBS
Since it runs as a browser source, it works in OBS too:

1. Copy the Screen Draw link
2. Add a Browser Source, paste the link, set it to 1920x1080
3. Click the source and hit Interact (easy to forget this step, if drawing doesn't work, this is probably why)
4. Mouse to the top left corner for the toolbar

Why we built this
A few use cases we had in mind:

• Esports or sports streamers circling plays and drawing rotations live, like a telestrator
• Playing tic-tac-toe or Pictionary with chat right on the canvas
• Just goofing around, drawing a mustache on your own face, stamping X's during a bad play, whatever If you're on Meld Pro or Meld Max, there's also a version of this where you can generate a link and let trusted viewers draw on your canvas with you. No install on their end, they just click the link.

Grab Screen Drawn and start drawing with chat today!

We just pushed an update to our Stream Deck plugin that gives you a little more control over clipping without having to stop what you're doing mid-stream.

Previously, your clipping options were limited to the available preset times. With this update, there are now more clip lengths to choose from, plus the ability to create a custom clip button for the exact amount of time you want to capture (up to 90 seconds for now).

If you know you regularly want to grab the last 30 seconds, 90 seconds, or whatever makes sense for your content, you can set up a dedicated button on your Stream Deck and have it ready whenever something happens.

This is especially handy if you're clipping for Shorts/TikTok later and different moments need different amounts of context. Sometimes you just need the reaction.

If you use a Stream Deck with Meld, update the Meld Studio Stream Deck Plugin and give the new clipping options a try.

What clip length are you going to be using?

Hardcore Minecraft runs are having a moment right now, and if your chat has been asking when you're doing one, we just shipped the toolkit for it.

This pack gives you everything you need to broadcast a Hardcore run properly: a Boss Tracker so viewers know what's still standing, a Death Counter for the moment everything goes wrong, and a Subathon Timer.

Free Hardcore Minecraft overlay pack. Boss Tracker, Death Counter, Subathon Timer. Works in OBS or Meld Studio.

👉 Grab it here

What's in the pack

Minecraft Boss Tracker

Shows viewers exactly what's standing between you and disaster: Ender Dragon, Wither, Warden, whatever gauntlet you set.

• !slain: mark the current boss beat, reveals the next one
• !bossreset: reset the tracker if you need a clean restart
• Low-profile widget, doesn't crowd your gameplay

Minecraft Death Counter

The number your chat is going to be spamming the second something goes wrong.

• !death+ / !adddeath: add a death
• !death- / !subdeath: correct a miscount
• !deathreset: start over
• Updates instantly, tracks across streams/episodes, won't touch your frame rate

Minecraft Subathon Timer

If you're going the "stream doesn't stop until it's done" route, this is what keeps the clock alive.

• Follow: +1 min | Sub T1: +5 min | Sub T2: +10 min | Sub T3: +20 min
• Raid: +30 sec per viewer | Fourthwall purchase: +10 min
• Fully configurable time values, manual add/subtract/reset controls built in

All three are mod-controllable through chat, so your mods can update boss status or fix a death count without you ever tabbing out mid-run.

How to install it

In OBS (via free Spark Plug plugin):

1. Install Spark Plug
2. Open OBS, sign in with your Meld account.
3. Drop Boss Tracker, Death Counter, and Subathon Timer into your scene as browser sources

In Meld Studio: They're built in, just add each as a Web Source layer, resize, done.

Quick FAQ

Do I need Meld Studio to use these? No, the whole pack works as browser sources in OBS through Spark Plug, which is free.

Can my mods control it without touching my broadcast software? Yes, all three elements are designed around mod-restricted chat commands.

Does the Death Counter track lifetime or per-run? It supports tracking across streams/episodes, so you can keep a running lifetime tally on top of the current run.

Is it customizable to match my branding? Yes, colors, fonts, and layout are all adjustable instead of using a fixed default skin.

If you've ever wanted your cam layer to actually feel like it's part of your scene instead of just floating on top of it, this is for you. You can now composite any visual layer (camera, media, game capture, images, whatever) using the same blend modes you'd find in Photoshop or After Effects, except it's live and updates in real time while you're streaming or recording.

How to use it:

• Select a layer
• Go to the Inspector Panel
• Look for the new Blend Mode dropdown right under Fill Mode
• Pick one and watch your scene change instantly

What's in the dropdown:

• Multiply (darkens things, good for shadows and moody vibes)
• Screen (brightens things, great for glows and light effects)
• Overlay (punches up contrast)
• Soft Light (subtler version of Overlay)
• Color Dodge (intense highlights, light streaks)
• Difference (weird, bold, high contrast inverted colors)
• Hue (applies color from your top layer, keeps the brightness underneath)
• Luminosity (applies brightness from your top layer, keeps the color underneath)

No plugins, no extra software, no rendering. It's just a dropdown now. You can read more about this feature on our Blog.

clip: instantly make a vertical clip of your content

switch scene: mutes your mic automatically on BRB

record: one press before you start that match

meld hotkeys work even in fullscreen.