Tool profile
Meld Studio: cost, fit and limits
Meld Studio is a live streaming and recording application made by Meld Studio, Inc. that combines multistreaming, 4K recording and Spark, an AI assistant that builds overlays, alerts and scenes from written requests. It is offered from a free tier upward.
What to know first
Meld Studio has a free tier and two paid plans. Meld Free streams to Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, Kick and X and records in 4K with multitrack audio. Pro is $17 a month billed $200 annually and Max is $50 a month billed $600 annually; both mainly raise how many Spark AI requests you get and how fast they run. The free Spark cap is not stated.
Meld Studio at a glance
| Maker | Meld Studio, Inc., Not stated on the vendor pages |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Entry price | Free, then $17 per month billed $200 yearly (Pro) |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI Live Streaming Software in 2026, rank 4 of 13 |
| Website | meldstudio.co |
Who Meld Studio is best for
Streamers who want overlays without coding
Spark turns a written request into an overlay, alert or scene, so a creator can describe a layout instead of building it by hand.
OBS users who want AI help
Spark Plug lets Spark work inside OBS, which suits creators who keep OBS as their mixer and want only the AI assistant.
Creators who clip live moments
Free includes one-click clipping while streaming and LUT Lab color grading, so highlights and a graded look come without extra tools.
Meld Studio plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Meld Free | $0 per month | Multistream to Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, Kick and X, 4K recording with multitrack audio, one-click clipping, LUT Lab, the Spark Elements gallery and Spark Plug for OBS. |
| Meld Pro | $17 per month, billed $200 annually | Everything in Free, plus extended Spark requests, smarter Spark models, priority processing, voice-reactive overlays and collaborative screen draw. |
| Meld Max | $50 per month, billed $600 annually | Everything in Pro, plus 10x higher Spark request volume, the most capable Spark models, highest priority processing and direct support from the Spark team. |
Checked November 2026.
What Meld Studio does
- Spark assistant
- Spark builds overlays, alerts and scenes from written requests. The homepage says it uses Google Gemini to understand requests and write code, so creators describe a look instead of building it.
- Spark Plug for OBS
- A bridge that lets Spark create elements inside OBS, so the AI assistant is usable by creators who keep OBS as their mixer and do not want to switch programs.
- Multistreaming and 4K recording
- Free sends to five named platforms at once and records in 4K with multitrack audio, which keeps voice, game and music on separate tracks for later editing.
- LUT Lab and effects
- Color grading and effects are handled in LUT Lab, a feature on the free tier that changes the look of the camera feed without another program or plug-in.
- Voice-reactive overlays
- Pro adds overlays driven by speech-to-text, plus collaborative screen draw, for shows where the host's voice should change what appears on screen during the broadcast.
How Meld Studio handles your data
Meld Studio's terms name Google's Vertex AI as the third-party AI provider behind Spark, and the homepage names Google Gemini. The privacy policy cites Google's Vertex AI terms, which say Google will not use customer data to train AI or ML models without prior permission; Meld itself does not state a training position. Retention is not stated, though some information may be kept after a deletion request where the law requires it. Hosting region and certifications are not stated.
Where Meld Studio falls short in practice
- Free Spark cap is not printed. The pricing page says Pro and Max raise Spark requests and priority but gives no free-tier number, so a heavy user cannot plan usage in advance.
- Prompts go to a third party. Spark requests reach Google's AI service, which a team with confidential layouts or unreleased branding should weigh before enabling the assistant on its streams. Confirm the data path first.
- Narrow production toolset. The pages list multistreaming, recording and clipping but not remote guests, instant replay or hosted storage, so event crews will need other software alongside it.
Works with
Alternatives to Meld Studio
Meld Studio: common questions
What is Spark in Meld Studio?
Spark is Meld's AI assistant. It builds overlays, alerts and scenes from written requests, and Spark Plug lets it work in OBS. The homepage says it uses Google Gemini to understand requests and write code, and the terms name Google's Vertex AI as the AI provider.
Is Meld Studio free?
Yes. Meld Free costs $0 with no card and includes multistreaming to five platforms, 4K recording with multitrack audio, one-click clipping and LUT Lab. It also includes a limited number of Spark requests, though the cap is not stated. Pro and Max are paid upgrades.
What does Meld Studio Max add over Pro?
Max adds 10x higher Spark request volume than Pro, the most capable Spark models, the highest priority processing, first access to new Spark features and direct support from the Spark team. It costs $50 a month billed $600 annually. Max is aimed at heavy Spark users.
Do overlays made with Spark disappear if I cancel?
The pricing page says overlays built with Spark stay with the user if the plan is cancelled. What happens to access to the smarter Spark models, voice-reactive overlays or priority processing after cancelling follows the plan tiers, so those paid features would stop.
Does Google use my Meld data to train its models?
Meld does not state its own training position, but its privacy policy cites Google's Vertex AI terms. Those terms say Google will not use customer data to train AI or ML models without prior permission. A team that needs more detail should ask Meld how Spark requests are stored.