ShowTiming
Showcaller timer for live events
One remaining time for the person calling the show and the people on stage.
A showcaller timer is not a phone countdown under the lectern. It is the operational clock the showcaller runs under pressure — while speakers and floor see the same remaining time, without the power to change it. ShowTiming gives you that split: Control for the showcaller, Stage for the room.
Browser-based · No Mac server required · Free to start
What a showcaller timer actually does
At the simplest level, it shows elapsed or remaining time. In a live room that is not enough. A useful showcaller timer has to support decisions when the keynote runs long, a panel takes unexpected questions, or a changeover slips:
- Tell the showcaller where the show is — and what comes next.
- Give speakers a calm, readable remaining time (not hand signals).
- Keep floor, AV, and remote stakeholders on the same timing truth.
- Let authorized operators pause, nudge, advance, and send a short cue message without redistributing a new spreadsheet.
Why phones and spreadsheets break on show day
A laptop timer or phone app can work in rehearsal. Live, they usually fail the same way:
- One person sees one screen — until sightlines change or the speaker moves.
- Isolated clocks count accurately but disagree with each other.
- Every adjustment becomes a radio call: “whose timer is right?”
- Nobody owns a clean teardown — last night’s link or stopwatch still lives in a group chat.
Who needs what (split the jobs)
Serious showcaller timer workflows separate who writes time from who only reads it. Do not put operator controls on the lectern.
| Role | Needs under pressure | ShowTiming surface |
|---|---|---|
| Showcaller / TD | Start, pause, nudge, next segment, cue message | Control (signed in) |
| Speaker / talent | Large remaining time + wrap cue — nothing to tap | Stage (read-only link) |
| Floor / stage manager | Same clock on confidence monitors; named links | Stage (named links) |
| Producer / remote stakeholder | Visibility without operator buttons | Stage (view-only) |
How ShowTiming runs as a showcaller timer
ShowTiming is hosted in the browser. You do not install a local Mac server to call the clock. The showcaller owns Control; everyone else gets Stage:
- Build a rundown of timed segments before doors (talks, breaks, changeovers).
- Open Stage links on lectern, wings, green room, or remote screens.
- Run live from Control: start, pause, ± seconds/minutes, next, short message to Stage.
- After curtain: regenerate or delete Stage links so access does not outlive the show.
Show-day checklist (print this)
Use this before house open — then stop inventing local clocks:
- Lock segment order and durations with the program team (T−90).
- Create named Stage links: Lectern, Prompt, Backstage, Gallery.
- Open Stage on the real displays; check readability from the speaker mark.
- Dry-run: Start → Pause → +10s / −10s while watching every monitor.
- Brief talent: “Watch Stage only. Do not start a phone timer.”
- Agree overrun policy: pause, nudge, or next — before the first hard out.
- After the last segment: revoke or regenerate Stage links.
When the show drifts — one rule tree
Under pressure, use one tree so radio stays short:
- Need the room to freeze? Pause — Stage freezes with you.
- Need more or less time in the same segment? Nudge from Control.
- Segment done? Next — do not leave Stage on a finished title.
- Unsure? Pause first. A short hold beats three private clocks.
When a simpler timer is enough — and when it is not
Not every room needs a full production suite. Match the tool to the stakes:
| If your show looks like… | You probably need… |
|---|---|
| One operator, one presenter, flexible outs, low stakes | A basic countdown can be enough |
| Multiple presenters, hard outs, sponsor windows, floor + desk must agree | A dedicated showcaller timer with shared Control/Stage clocks (ShowTiming) |
ShowTiming is built for that second case: one authoritative countdown, read-only Stage links, no Mac install, free to start — so the showcaller and the room stay on the same clock.
FAQ
- What is a showcaller timer?
- It is the timing tool the showcaller uses to pace the live show, while stage and crew see the same remaining time. ShowTiming splits that into Control (writes time) and Stage (read-only display).
- Is “Showcaller” the phone Caller ID app?
- No. Search results for the bare word often mean a spam-blocker app. A showcaller timer is live-event production software — different intent entirely.
- Do I need a Mac or a local server?
- Not for ShowTiming. Control and Stage run in modern browsers. Some show-calling suites require a Mac host on the production network; that is a different product class.
- Do speakers need accounts?
- No. Stage links open in a browser. Only the showcaller (or TD) needs a ShowTiming account for Control.
- Can Stage change the timer by accident?
- No. Stage is read-only. Start, pause, nudge, and next stay on Control.
- How do I cut access after the show?
- Regenerate or delete Stage links from the event. Previous URLs stop working — that is the recommended teardown.
Related
Product — Control and Stage · Stage timer for live events · Conference speaker timer · Pricing — free to Pro