Recording

Recordings will use the selected Canvas settings, using the same resolution, video and audio bitrates, framerate, and hardware encoder. For the Portrait Canvas, the resolution is fixed at 1080×1920. All other settings will match the Main Canvas, except for bitrate, which can be customized separately.

You can choose where your recorded files are saved by setting a local destination:

1. Navigate to Settings → General → Recording
2. In the output settings, locate the Local Destination field.
3. Click the Browse button.
4. Select the folder or directory where you want your recordings to be saved.
5. Optionally, you can also manually paste a file path URL, such as:
   file:///Users/MainUser/Recordings/Tutorial

Your recordings will now automatically save to the specified folder.

Meld Studio offers four file format options for recording:

• MP4 (mp4)
• QuickTime (mov)
• Matroska (mkv)
• Flash Video (flv)

Recordings use H.264 by default. When the active hardware encoder supports it, you can also record in H.265 (HEVC) or AV1 for smaller files or better quality at the same bitrate. See Record with AV1 or H.265 (HEVC).

Select which canvas to record.

1. Navigate to the top-right corner of the main viewport.
2. Find the Record button on the right side of the Go live button.
3. Click Record to start recording.

Click on Stop recording to stop. Your video file will be saved in the designated local destination.

Meld Studio can record video using H.264, H.265 (HEVC), or AV1 when the selected hardware encoder supports those codecs.

HEVC and AV1 use more efficient compression than H.264. Depending on your recording settings and content, they can provide better visual quality at the same bitrate or similar visual quality at a lower bitrate. They can be useful for long recording sessions, high-resolution video, and workflows where storage space or transfer time matters.

To record with AV1 or HEVC, you need:

• A GPU or integrated graphics processor with hardware encoding support for the selected codec
• A hardware encoder enabled in Meld Studio
• A recording file format that supports the selected codec
• Current graphics drivers
• A media player or editing application that can decode the resulting file

Hardware decoding support alone is not sufficient. Your GPU must support encoding for Meld Studio to create recordings with that codec.

If you are unsure which codec to use, start with HEVC and create a short test recording. Confirm that the file opens correctly in your editor and any other applications used in your workflow.

Use H.264 when compatibility is more important than storage efficiency.

1. Open Settings in Meld Studio.
2. Go to Recording Output and select Edit.
3. Enable Hardware Encoder.
4. Open the Codec menu.
5. Select H.265 (HEVC) or AV1.
6. Select a compatible recording format.

The Codec menu only appears when Meld Studio detects additional codecs supported by the active hardware encoder. If the menu does not appear, the current encoder supports H.264 only.

Meld Studio keeps the selected codec and recording format compatible:

• AV1 cannot be selected with MOV.
• FLV recordings always use H.264.
• Switching from a hardware encoder to a software encoder resets the recording codec to H.264.

After changing the encoder or file format, check the Codec setting again before recording.

The examples below are general guidelines, not an exhaustive compatibility list. Support can vary by exact GPU model, laptop configuration, operating system, and driver version.

The options displayed in Meld Studio are the most reliable indication of what the current system can use.

• HEVC: Available on many GeForce GTX 900-series GPUs using the Maxwell architecture and on newer supported models. Exact capabilities vary within the series.
• AV1: Available on GeForce RTX 40-series desktop and laptop GPUs and newer supported models.

For an exact model, check NVIDIA's Video Encode and Decode Support Matrix.

• HEVC 8-bit: Available on supported Radeon RX 400-series GPUs and newer models.
• HEVC 10-bit: Available on supported Ryzen 4000-series APUs, Radeon RX 5000-series GPUs, and newer models.
• AV1: Available on supported Radeon RX 7000-series GPUs and newer models, as well as supported recent Ryzen processors with integrated Radeon graphics.

For an exact model, check AMD's supported video formats.

• HEVC: Available through supported generations of Intel Quick Sync Video and Intel Arc graphics.
• AV1: Available on supported Intel Arc discrete GPUs and supported Intel Core Ultra processors with Intel Arc graphics.

Some Intel processors support AV1 decoding but not AV1 encoding. Check the exact processor or GPU before relying on AV1 recording.

See Intel's codec support for Intel Arc graphics and Quick Sync Video compatibility guidance.

HEVC and AV1 are more compression-efficient than H.264, but selecting a different codec does not guarantee a specific reduction in file size.

The final file size also depends on:

• Recording duration
• Resolution
• Frame rate
• Bitrate or quality setting
• Amount of motion and visual detail in the content
• Encoder implementation and preset
• Number of video and audio tracks

At the same bitrate and duration, recordings will generally have a similar file size regardless of codec, but HEVC or AV1 may preserve more visual detail than H.264.

To reduce file size, use the more efficient codec with an appropriately lower bitrate or quality setting for your workflow.

Always run a short test before changing settings for an important or long recording.

Before using a new codec for a full session:

1. Record a short sample with the same resolution, frame rate, and track configuration you plan to use.
2. Play the file in your usual media player.
3. Import it into your editing application.
4. Confirm that video, audio, and any separate tracks are present.
5. If the file will be uploaded or shared, verify that the destination accepts the selected codec and file format.

If any part of the workflow cannot open the file, use H.264 or try HEVC before recording the full session.

The active encoder does not expose additional recording codecs to Meld Studio.

Check the following:

1. Confirm that Hardware Encoder is enabled.
2. Update the graphics driver from the GPU manufacturer.
3. Restart Meld Studio after updating the driver.
4. Verify that the exact GPU supports encoding, not only decoding, for AV1 or HEVC.

If the menu is still unavailable, continue using H.264. This is expected when the current hardware encoder does not support another codec.

AV1 recording is not supported in the MOV container. Select MP4 or MKV, then choose AV1 again.

This happens when you switch from a hardware encoder to a software encoder. Software encoding in Meld Studio currently uses H.264.

Re-enable the hardware encoder, then select AV1 or HEVC again.

Changing to FLV also forces the codec to H.264.

The application may not support the selected codec or may require an additional system codec.

Try the following:

1. Update the media player or editing application.
2. Confirm that the application supports both the codec and the recording container.
3. Test the file in another current media player.
4. Record another sample using HEVC or H.264 if compatibility is required.

Newer codecs do not eliminate GPU limits. High resolution, high frame rate, multiple outputs, or other GPU-intensive tasks can still overload the encoder.

Try reducing one setting at a time:

• Recording resolution
• Frame rate
• Bitrate or quality level
• Number of simultaneous outputs or GPU-intensive sources

Also confirm that the graphics driver is current and that the correct hardware encoder is selected.

• AV1 is not available with MOV recordings.
• FLV recordings use H.264 only.
• Software encoding uses H.264 and resets a previously selected AV1 or HEVC codec.
• Codec availability depends on the active hardware encoder and driver.
• Playback and editing support depend on third-party applications and operating-system codecs.

If your hardware should support AV1 or HEVC but the codec is not available, open a support ticket in the #create-support-ticket channel on the Meld Studio Discord.

Include:

• Your GPU or processor model
• Your graphics driver version
• Your operating system version
• The selected hardware encoder
• The recording format you are trying to use
• A screenshot of your Recording Output settings

Answers to common questions.

Yes, you can! Meld Studio allows you to record while streaming without affecting your stream quality.

Yes! Use Meld Studio for offline recordings without starting a stream.

Your recordings are saved in the folder specified in 'Local destination' under the Recording settings.

Navigate to Settings → General → Recording → Local destination.

The recording resolution matches your Canvas settings. You can adjust it in Settings → General → Main Canvas.

Meld Studio supports MP4 (mp4), QuickTime (mov), Matroska (mkv), and Flash Video (flv) formats. Choose the file format in Settings → General → Recording.

Yes, when the selected hardware encoder supports those codecs. See Record with AV1 or H.265 (HEVC).

It means that your recording will match the canvas resolution.

It means that the recording will use the Encoder settings as your livestream.

Yes! Meld Studio supports recording in various resolutions, including 4K, 1440p, 1080p, 720p, and Portrait resolutions like Portrait 4K, Portrait 1080p, and Portrait 720p.

Use the Take Screenshot feature by navigating to View → Take Screenshot, pressing the default hotkey F2, or using the Stream Deck plugin action. Configure the screenshot save location in Settings → General → Screenshots.