Shotimer
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Use cases Studios and podcasts

Studios and podcasts

A podcast and studio timer for segments and hard outs

Time each segment, hit your hard outs and see how long a recording has been running, on a screen everyone in the studio can read. Cue hosts silently from the control room.

Create a free account See how it works

Free plan: 3 rooms, 3 timers and 3 screens per room. No card needed.

Every segment on time

Build the running order as segments, each with its own countdown. Hosts see the time left on a screen in the studio.

  • Hard outs: enter the time a segment must end, and Shotimer works out the duration.
  • Linked segments: the next one starts as soon as one ends.
  • Count up: see exactly how long a recording or an interview has run.
A studio screen showing the Interview segment countdown, with the cue STANDBY below it.

Cue the host silently

Send a cue to the host's screen from the control room. Nothing makes a sound in the studio: chimes only play on the Controller, and you can mute them.

  • Ready-made cues: such as STANDBY and 5 MIN LEFT, or write your own.
  • Colours and bold: make the important word stand out.
  • Blackout: blank the studio screens in one press.
The Shotimer Controller with Cold open, Interview and Recording length in the running order.

Fast enough for live work

Run the whole show from the keyboard, and trust it to keep going if the network blips.

  • Keyboard shortcuts: Space, R, the arrow keys and B for blackout.
  • Time of day: a timer can show the current time, for live programmes that run to the clock.
  • Keeps counting: screens carry on from their last update if the connection drops.
How it works

Ready in three steps.

Set up your running order

Create a free account, open a room and give each timer a title, a speaker and a duration.

Put the timer on a screen

Open the stage screen in a new tab, or scan its QR code on a TV, tablet or phone. Nothing to install.

Press Start

Every screen counts down together. Add a minute, send a message or move to the next timer from your laptop or phone.

Questions & Answers

Frequently asked questions.

Yes. A count-up timer counts from zero, so you can see exactly how long you've been recording.
Yes. Enter the time a segment must end, such as 14:30, and Shotimer works out the duration for you.
Yes. Send a message such as STANDBY or “30 seconds to the break” to the host's screen. Nothing makes a sound in the studio, because chimes only play on the Controller.
Yes. Space starts and pauses, the arrow keys move between segments, R resets the current timer and B blacks out the screens.
Not yet. An OBS overlay is on the roadmap. Today, Shotimer shows the timer on screens in the studio rather than in the stream.
Yes. The free plan includes 3 rooms, 3 timers per room and 3 screens per room, with no card needed.

Learn more in the docs

More ways to use Shotimer

Event production

Several rooms, separate links for operators and moderators, and one controller at a time, so the crew never fight over the clock.

Read more

Presentations and talks

A big, clear countdown beside your slides, with warnings as time runs out and a colleague who can nudge you along.

Read more

Try Shotimer at your next recording.

Create a free account and put a timer on your own screens in a few minutes.

Create a free account