Answers to the questions people most often ask before trying Meldio for the first time. This list will keep growing — if you have a question that isn't covered here, reach out at support@meldio.ai.
Getting started
Can AI read a screenplay?
Yes. Meldio is built specifically to parse standard screenplay formatting — character names on their own line, followed by dialogue — and turn that into performed, multi-voice audio. Both .fountain and .fdx exports, as well as plain text and Word documents, work as input.
Do I need to create an account to try it?
No. Quick Studio, Meldio's free tier, requires no signup at all — you paste in your content and get audio back. An account is only needed for Full Studio, which adds saved projects and more advanced controls.
Can I make a demo before producing my full play or script?
Yes — this is one of the most common ways people use Quick Studio. Paste in a single scene rather than a full script, and you'll get a fast, informal read of how the dialogue and character voices work before committing more time to a full production.
Characters and voices
Can AI assign different voices to different characters?
Yes. Meldio automatically detects each distinct speaker in your content and assigns a separate voice to each one, so a multi-character scene comes back with genuinely distinct voices rather than one narrator reading every line.
How many characters can Meldio support in one script?
There's no hard cap built into the detection logic itself, though very large casts (a dozen or more speaking characters in one scene) become harder to keep vocally distinct simply because there are only so many clearly different-sounding voices available. For most scenes — two to six characters — this isn't a practical concern.
Can I change a voice if I don't like the one that's suggested?
In Full Studio, yes — every character's voice assignment can be reviewed and changed, with a preview available before you commit. Quick Studio uses automated casting without manual override, by design, to keep the free tier fast and simple.
Content and formatting
Can AI read stage directions?
Meldio's character detection is built around spoken dialogue, not stage directions or action lines. Stage directions are typically excluded from the generated audio rather than read aloud, since including them would interrupt the flow of a performed scene. If you want specific stage direction context reflected in tone or pacing, Full Studio's performance direction controls are the better fit.
What file formats can I upload?
Plain text, Word documents (.docx), PDF, and screenwriting-specific formats like .fountain and .fdx are all supported.
Does formatting really matter that much?
Yes — it's the single biggest factor in getting clean character detection. Character names need to sit on their own line, directly above their dialogue, with consistent capitalization. Inconsistent formatting is the most common reason a character gets missed or two speakers get merged into one.
Music and production
Can I add background music?
Yes, in Full Studio — you can add a background music cue or song cue alongside your dialogue. Quick Studio's free tier focuses on dialogue-only output.
Can I control the pacing or emotional tone of a specific line?
This level of control — performance direction — is available in Full Studio, where you can apply specific delivery styles to individual lines rather than relying on default automated pacing.
Privacy and output
Does Meldio keep my script private?
Your uploaded content is used only to generate your requested audio and isn't shared publicly or used to promote other users' work. See Meldio's full privacy policy for complete details.
Can I export or download the finished audio?
Yes — both Quick Studio and Full Studio let you download the finished MP3 directly, so you can use it wherever you need — sharing with collaborators, reviewing privately, or using it as reference audio.
Use cases
Is this only for playwrights and screenwriters?
No — while theatrical writing is one of the clearest use cases, the same underlying capability applies anywhere written dialogue needs to become audio: corporate training scenarios, educational content, scripted podcasts, audiobook excerpts, and internal communications all use the same process.
Can I use this for a podcast episode?
Yes. Scripted, multi-voice podcast content works well with the same character-detection and voice-casting pipeline used for dramatic scenes. See the Podcasts use case page for specifics.
Can I use this for corporate training scenarios?
Yes — scenario-based training dialogue (a customer-service call, a roleplay exercise) is one of the more common practical applications, especially for content with a short shelf life that wouldn't justify hiring voice talent. See the Corporate Training use case page.
Length and limits
Is there a limit to how long a script can be?
Quick Studio is best suited to shorter excerpts — a scene, a short chapter — rather than entire long-form works in one pass, both for speed of review and output reliability. Full Studio is better suited to longer, multi-session projects.
How long does it take to generate audio?
For a short scene, generation typically takes well under a minute. Longer passages take proportionally more time.
Can I generate the same script more than once with different settings?
Yes — there's no restriction on regenerating a script with different voice assignments or performance directives to compare results, within the usage limits of your account tier.
Getting better results
Why did my characters get merged into one voice?
This almost always traces back to formatting — inconsistent capitalization of a character's name, or a missing blank line between speakers. See Formatting Your Script for Best Results for the specifics that prevent this.
Can I control how a specific line is delivered — like whispered or angry?
Yes, using performance directives — a short phrase in asterisks before a line, like *whispering*. See Using Performance Directives Effectively for the full list of supported styles.
My dialogue sounds stiff — how do I fix that?
This is usually a writing issue rather than a voice issue — dialogue written like formal prose tends to sound stiff no matter which voice reads it. See Writing Better Dialogue for AI Narration for specific habits that help.