ShowTiming
Stage monitor timer: why read-only wins on the floor
Same remaining time. Zero accounts. No accidental taps.
On show day the floor does not need a login. It needs a big, honest countdown that matches the operator — and nothing to poke by mistake. That is the job of a stage monitor timer: information for talent and crew, not a second control room.
The floor job is not the operator job
The person timing the show needs start, pause, next segment, and fine nudges. Speakers, stage managers, and backstage crew need one thing: how much time is left on the current segment, and what comes next. When you give everyone the same full UI, you invite wrong clicks, password chaos, and another “whose timer?” argument on radio.
Separate the jobs on purpose. Control writes the clock. Stage only reads it. If someone on the floor “helps” by opening operator tools, you have not improved alignment — you have multiplied failure modes.
Operator vs floor — what each side actually needs
Treat the roles as different tools, not different logins on the same dashboard.
| Need | Floor / stage | Operator |
|---|---|---|
| Remaining time | Large, glanceable, always on | Same clock, plus controls |
| Adjust timing | Never | Pause, nudge, next |
| Accounts | None — open a link | Signed-in Control room |
| After the show | Link can be revoked | Owns the rundown and access |
Why shared accounts fail on stage monitors
Handing a laptop or tablet the operator password “just for the countdown” creates four predictable problems:
- Someone mutes, pauses, or jumps segments without meaning to.
- Credentials leak into crew chats and stay valid after the show.
- Each device becomes another place the clock can diverge if offline logic creeps in.
- Radio fills with “refresh your screen” instead of cues.
Read-only Stage links keep one authoritative clock
A stage monitor timer should be a tokenized, read-only view: open the URL on the display, see remaining time and the active or next segment, and leave Control alone. The operator remains the only person who can change state. That is how ShowTiming Stage works — same server clock as Control, no operator chrome.
You can still hand out several monitors (backstage, prompt, lectern). Each link is a display, not a second control room. When the show ends, revoke access instead of hunting for shared passwords.
Readability beats chrome. If talent cannot parse remaining time from their mark in under a second, increase size, reduce clutter, or move the display — do not add operator buttons “so they can help.”
Handoff sequence: create → copy → open → brief → revoke
This is the field ritual. Do it the same way every show so nobody improvises access on radio.
- Create — In the event, open Stage & Broadcast. Name the monitor (example: Lectern). Create the Stage.
- Copy — The secret URL may show once. Copy it immediately into your show bible or password manager for the event — not a public Slack forever.
- Open — Load the URL on the real display. Confirm remaining time, next segment, and cue message readability from the talent mark.
- Brief — Tell floor: “This screen is watch-only. Do not tap. Timing changes only from Control.”
- Live — Operator alone starts, pauses, nudges. If a Stage looks wrong, fix Control or the network — do not invent a phone timer.
- Revoke — After curtain (or after the last hold), regenerate or delete Stage links you shared widely. Leftover tabs should stop showing live state.
Checklist before you put a screen on stage
- Confirm which person owns Control — only they start, pause, and nudge.
- Open Stage links on the actual displays; check brightness and distance readability.
- Brief the floor: this screen is information only — do not tap or “help” the timer.
- Dry-run pause and +10s while watching every Stage monitor.
- After curtain: revoke Stage links so leftover tabs stop showing live state.
One operator, five monitors, zero accounts
Multi-monitor setups fail when each screen becomes a login. Prefer named Stage links: Backstage LED, Prompt, Lectern, Green room, FOH confidence. Five displays can follow one Control session without five passwords — and without five places someone can pause by accident.
When you add a sixth monitor mid-show, create a new named Stage and copy the URL once. Do not duplicate an old laptop session that still has Control open “from rehearsal.”
FAQ
Do speakers need a ShowTiming account? No. Stage views are designed to open from a link without signing in.
Can the stage pause the timer? No. Read-only means the floor cannot change timing — only the operator in Control can.
How is this different from a phone stopwatch on the lectern? A phone stopwatch is a second clock. A Stage monitor follows the same remaining time the operator is running, including pauses and adjustments.
What if we lose the URL after closing the page? Regenerate the Stage link, copy the new URL, and update every display. Treat the old URL as dead — that is the point of rotation.
Related
Why a shared countdown changes show day · Revocable stage timer links after the show · Wiki: Stage · Product overview