What is a speaker timer?

A speaker timer is a countdown display placed where the presenter can see remaining time at a glance—typically on a confidence monitor at the lectern or a tablet on a stand. Its job is to show the speaker how much time is left without giving them any controls. In a well-run setup, the operator starts, pauses, and adjusts the clock; the speaker reads it. ShowTiming's Stage screen is that read-only display.

How is a speaker timer different from a stage timer?

In practice, the terms overlap—both refer to a countdown the people on stage can read. The distinction in ShowTiming is functional: the stage timer is the broader system (operator + all floor displays), while the speaker timer is specifically the read-only view the presenter reads at the lectern. Stage is the speaker-facing surface; Control is the operator's surface. Same server clock, two different roles.

Do speakers need an account to see the countdown?

No. Stage links are open URLs—anyone with the link opens the display in a browser, no login required. Only the operator needs a ShowTiming account to access Control and manage Stage links.

Can the speaker pause or reset the timer?

No. Stage has no controls—no Start, no Pause, no Reset, no way to adjust anything. That's deliberate. The speaker can read the clock and nothing else. Only the operator, signed in to Control, can change the countdown.

What does the speaker see on the lectern monitor?

Remaining time in large, readable digits—dominant on the screen. The active session title. Any desk message the operator sends (e.g. "Wrap in 60 seconds"). Warning colour states: green for normal, amber for warning, red for danger, red with a negative count for overtime. No buttons, no operator interface.

Is there a speaker timer app?

ShowTiming works as a browser-based speaker timer—open it on any modern browser on any device and it behaves like a dedicated app without the install. There's no native app to download from an app store. A browser URL is faster to deploy on show day. Open the Stage link on the lectern screen and the timer is live in under ten seconds.

Can I use ShowTiming as a presentation timer for a single talk?

Yes. Build one segment with the talk's duration, open Stage on the lectern screen, and hit Start from Control. The timer is live. When the talk ends, you can advance to Q&A or stop the clock. There's no minimum event size—a single-session setup works exactly the same way as a full conference day.

What happens when the speaker goes over time?

When a session hits zero, the timer flips to Overtime and counts up in the negative. Control and Stage both show the same colour state—red, with a negative count—so the speaker reads the same signal as the desk. The operator can nudge time from Control to extend the session, or advance to the next segment immediately.

Can remote speakers see the same countdown?

Yes. Any screen with a browser and an internet connection can open a Stage link and show the live countdown. A remote speaker opens the link before their session and sees the same remaining time, warning colours, and desk messages as the room. No special software, no separate timing channel.

How many speaker timer screens can I run at once?

Discovery accounts include up to 2 Stage links per event. Pro accounts go up to 20. Each link can be named independently—Lectern, Backstage, Green Room, Wings—and personalised for that display's layout. Full breakdown at pricing.

Can I use ShowTiming as a conference timer for a full day?

Yes. Build the full day as a rundown—keynotes, panels, breaks, Q&A slots, changeovers—and run it segment by segment from Control. The operator advances through sessions as the day progresses; Stage resets automatically for each new segment. One tool, one operator, one server clock for the whole day.

How do I turn off the speaker timer after the event?

From the Stage & Broadcast tab, regenerate or delete each Stage link. Regenerating creates a new URL; the old one stops working immediately. Deleting removes the link entirely. Either way, the previous URL can no longer display the live countdown.

ShowTiming

Speaker timer - the countdown the presenter reads, not controls

The speaker reads the clock. You run it. No hardware, no install, no risk.

The speaker needs to see how much time is left. But handing them a timer they can pause, reset, or ignore is a liability—not a solution. ShowTiming splits the job cleanly: the operator runs the countdown from Control, and the speaker reads it on the lectern monitor via Stage, a browser-based display with no buttons whatsoever.

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Free Discovery · Browser-based · No install

What a speaker timer actually needs to do

A speaker timer has one job: show the presenter how much time is left, in a format they can read at a glance without looking away from the audience. Large digits. Clear warning colours. Nothing else demanding attention.

It must not give the speaker any controls. A presenter who can pause the clock—even accidentally—is a presenter who can derail your schedule. The timer must match exactly what the operator sees at the desk, and it must update the instant the operator makes an adjustment.

Hardware timers on the lectern—the DSAN Limitimer system, for example, at $900—do part of this well. The speaker gets a clear display. But the operator can't nudge time remotely, can't advance to Q&A with a click, and can't send a message to the floor without walking to the device. There's no operator/speaker split. A phone stopwatch under the lectern is worse: it's isolated, the speaker controls it, and when the operator adjusts their own timer the phone doesn't know. A browser-based speaker timer connected to a server clock does all of it—shared countdown, operator control, read-only display for the speaker—with no hardware dependency.

🔧 How ShowTiming works as a speaker timer

Control — the operator runs the clock

The operator—stage manager, technical director, showcaller, or conference organiser—opens Control on their laptop or tablet. They start the countdown, nudge time if a session runs long, advance to the next segment, and send a short message to the speaker, all without leaving the desk. Control is the single working surface for the whole event. Only signed-in operators can access it—nobody on the floor can touch it.

See how Stage works

Stage — the speaker's read-only display

Stage is what the speaker sees on the lectern monitor or confidence monitor: remaining time in large, readable digits, the active session title, and any message the operator pushes from the desk. That's it. No Start button. No Pause. No way to adjust anything. The speaker reads the clock; only the operator changes it. Stage works on any screen with a browser and an internet connection—no account required for the presenter, no install on venue hardware.

One server clock — no drift between desk and lectern

Both Control and Stage pull their time from the same server-side countdown, not from local device clocks that drift apart over a long conference day. When the operator nudges time by 90 seconds because a panel ran long, Stage updates immediately—same number, same colour state. No lag to reconcile, no radio call asking whose timer is right.

⚖️ Speaker timer vs hardware timer vs phone stopwatch

Hardware timer (e.g. DSAN Limitimer at $680–$900)

Works well for the speaker—the display is clear, the signal light is visible. But the operator can't sync it remotely, can't nudge time without walking to the device, and the unit has to travel with the production or be rented from the venue. There's no operator/speaker split.

Phone stopwatch under the lectern

Free and familiar, but fundamentally isolated. The speaker controls it, which means they can pause it, reset it, or forget to start it. The operator has no visibility into what the phone is showing. When the operator adjusts their own timer, the phone doesn't know.

ShowTiming browser-based speaker timer

The operator runs Control from the desk, the speaker reads Stage on the lectern screen. No hardware to ship, no install on venue equipment, no account for the speaker. The server clock keeps both in sync. When the operator nudges, Stage follows. When a session hits Warning or Overtime, both screens change colour at the same moment.

🎤 Speaker timer for every presentation format

Conference keynotes and sessions

A single speaker, a confidence monitor at the lectern, and an operator advancing the rundown between sessions. Put Stage on the lectern monitor and the speaker has a live countdown timer for speakers throughout their talk.

Panel discussions

Multiple panellists, a moderator on stage, and a Q&A segment that needs its own countdown. The operator builds the panel as two segments—discussion and Q&A—and advances from Control when the moderator signals.

Award ceremonies and galas

Tight presenter slots, fast changeovers, and guests who haven't rehearsed. A remote timer on Stage gives each presenter a clear remaining time without handing them any controls. Warning and Overtime colours tell the presenter the same thing as the desk.

Corporate events and product launches

External speakers and executives get a read-only Stage link—no account, no briefing on controls, no risk of them accidentally stopping the clock mid-announcement. The stage clock on the lectern screen keeps the programme on track.

Remote and hybrid presentations

A remote speaker opens the Stage link in their browser before the session starts. They see the same countdown, the same warning colours, and the same desk messages as the room. No separate timing channel to manage, no special software to install.

🚀 How to set up a speaker timer

Four steps from prep to live.

Build the session rundown. Add each talk, panel, and break with a title and duration. The full programme lives in one rundown—no separate clock setup required.
Open Control on the operator's device. Sign in, open the event, select the first session. Control is the working surface for the whole show.
Share the Stage link to the lectern monitor. Create a named Stage link (e.g. "Lectern") from the Stage & Broadcast tab and open the URL in a browser on the confidence monitor. No account needed for the speaker.
Go live — hit Start. The speaker reads Stage; the operator runs Control. Nudge, advance, or send a message as the session demands. Stage follows every change from the same server clock.

✅ Speaker timer checklist (print this)

Build the full session rundown the day before—every talk, panel, and break with accurate durations
Name each Stage link by location: Lectern, Backstage, Green Room
Test Stage on the lectern monitor before the first speaker arrives—confirm it's readable from the podium position
Brief the speaker in one sentence: "This shows your remaining time—you don't need to touch it"
Set warning thresholds appropriate for session length—a 10-minute talk needs different thresholds than a 45-minute keynote
Prepare desk messages for common scenarios: "Wrap in 60 seconds", "Hard stop at :30", "Q&A starts now"
Confirm the lectern screen has a stable internet connection before doors open
Revoke Stage links after the last session—regenerate or delete them from the Stage & Broadcast tab

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❓ FAQ

What is a speaker timer?: A speaker timer is a countdown display placed where the presenter can see remaining time at a glance—typically on a confidence monitor at the lectern or a tablet on a stand. Its job is to show the speaker how much time is left without giving them any controls. In a well-run setup, the operator starts, pauses, and adjusts the clock; the speaker reads it. ShowTiming's Stage screen is that read-only display.
How is a speaker timer different from a stage timer?: In practice, the terms overlap—both refer to a countdown the people on stage can read. The distinction in ShowTiming is functional: the stage timer is the broader system (operator + all floor displays), while the speaker timer is specifically the read-only view the presenter reads at the lectern. Stage is the speaker-facing surface; Control is the operator's surface. Same server clock, two different roles.
Do speakers need an account to see the countdown?: No. Stage links are open URLs—anyone with the link opens the display in a browser, no login required. Only the operator needs a ShowTiming account to access Control and manage Stage links.
Can the speaker pause or reset the timer?: No. Stage has no controls—no Start, no Pause, no Reset, no way to adjust anything. That's deliberate. The speaker can read the clock and nothing else. Only the operator, signed in to Control, can change the countdown.
What does the speaker see on the lectern monitor?: Remaining time in large, readable digits—dominant on the screen. The active session title. Any desk message the operator sends (e.g. "Wrap in 60 seconds"). Warning colour states: green for normal, amber for warning, red for danger, red with a negative count for overtime. No buttons, no operator interface.
Is there a speaker timer app?: ShowTiming works as a browser-based speaker timer—open it on any modern browser on any device and it behaves like a dedicated app without the install. There's no native app to download from an app store. A browser URL is faster to deploy on show day. Open the Stage link on the lectern screen and the timer is live in under ten seconds.
Can I use ShowTiming as a presentation timer for a single talk?: Yes. Build one segment with the talk's duration, open Stage on the lectern screen, and hit Start from Control. The timer is live. When the talk ends, you can advance to Q&A or stop the clock. There's no minimum event size—a single-session setup works exactly the same way as a full conference day.
What happens when the speaker goes over time?: When a session hits zero, the timer flips to Overtime and counts up in the negative. Control and Stage both show the same colour state—red, with a negative count—so the speaker reads the same signal as the desk. The operator can nudge time from Control to extend the session, or advance to the next segment immediately.
Can remote speakers see the same countdown?: Yes. Any screen with a browser and an internet connection can open a Stage link and show the live countdown. A remote speaker opens the link before their session and sees the same remaining time, warning colours, and desk messages as the room. No special software, no separate timing channel.
How many speaker timer screens can I run at once?: Discovery accounts include up to 2 Stage links per event. Pro accounts go up to 20. Each link can be named independently—Lectern, Backstage, Green Room, Wings—and personalised for that display's layout. Full breakdown at pricing.
Can I use ShowTiming as a conference timer for a full day?: Yes. Build the full day as a rundown—keynotes, panels, breaks, Q&A slots, changeovers—and run it segment by segment from Control. The operator advances through sessions as the day progresses; Stage resets automatically for each new segment. One tool, one operator, one server clock for the whole day.
How do I turn off the speaker timer after the event?: From the Stage & Broadcast tab, regenerate or delete each Stage link. Regenerating creates a new URL; the old one stops working immediately. Deleting removes the link entirely. Either way, the previous URL can no longer display the live countdown.

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Give your next speaker a timer they can actually read

The speaker reads the clock. You run it. That's the whole idea.

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