How to build and run a professional online soundboard
A soundboard is an organized bank of audio cues used by show callers, stage managers, technicians and event producers. Instead of hunting through audio files during a show, every cue has a large, labeled trigger button. This browser-based tool is designed for pre-show announcements, short stingers, walk-on music, audience instructions, and other clips where a simple operator-controlled playback system is appropriate.
1. Start with announcement presets, or build your own
The full announcement bank includes ten Talking Shop VOG calls and two Freesound CC0 WAV cues. The Talking Shop section has familiar show-control announcements, covering doors/opening calls, ten-minute and five-minute warnings, a final seating call, a general welcome and 15–60-minute break reminders. Each button has an editable title and announcement script. Click All 12 announcements to restore the full bank or CC0 WAV pair for just the two Freesound scripts or Blank soundboard to design from scratch. The remote VOG files link to the original publisher; the two CC0 Freesound recordings have source/download pages, and you attach their WAVs locally before playback.
2. Choose the number of buttons and buttons per row
Set Number of buttons to expand or contract the board; increasing it inserts empty pads that you can name and assign audio. Choose Buttons per row from one to twelve, then adjust height, gap, corner radius and text size for your control surface. On phones and narrow displays the grid adapts to smaller widths so pads remain tappable. A four-column bank of large, strongly differentiated buttons usually works well for a laptop touch interface.
3. Customize each cue independently
Enable Button edit mode, then click a pad to open its editor. You can change its label, the spoken-script notes, fill color, text color, optional hotkey, playback volume, looping option and clip URL. Audio files you own can be uploaded through the editor; compatible MP3, WAV, OGG, M4A and AAC playback varies by browser. For example, assign green to pre-show announcements, blue to walk-on music, amber to break returns and red to cues requiring special attention. The colors themselves do not determine output volume or playback priority.
4. Set an optional timer for each announcement
Open a pad’s editor and enter its countdown in hours, minutes and seconds (maximum 23:59:59). A zero delay keeps the original immediate-play behavior. For example, assign a 00:10:00 countdown to the ten-minute warning and 00:05:00 to a five-minute cue. In normal mode, tapping a timed pad arms the countdown instead of playing immediately. The pad then displays its live remaining time, and the board header identifies the next scheduled cue. Tap the same pad again to cancel its timer, choose PLAY NOW to bypass the delay, or press Cancel all timers to disarm every cue. Each pad can have its own timer running at the same time.
Safety: Timer presets are saved with your board, but active countdowns are intentionally cleared when you leave, reload or replace the board. Keep the browser tab open, computer awake, network available for remote clips, and test autoplay permissions well before the show. JavaScript timers may be delayed when the tab is in the background, and browsers can block delayed audio playback. This countdown is a convenience, not a guaranteed show-control trigger or a substitute for a dedicated playback system.
5. Test audio routing before doors
Select the correct computer output device at operating-system level and verify the level at the mixer or USB interface. Open the board, click each required cue, and confirm that the sound reaches the assigned loudspeaker or program bus without clipping. Browsers usually block automatic audible playback until a user gesture, so trigger at least one test manually during setup. If the show requires isolated channels, true redundancy, timecode synchronization or deterministic low latency, use professional playback software or hardware instead of a general-purpose browser.
6. Save a layout and rehearse the playback workflow
Your layout is saved in browser storage where supported. Use Export layout JSON to save cue names, colors, order, external links and other configuration. Imported files must be trusted; this application validates configuration fields and does not execute scripts. Locally uploaded media is stored only on the device/browser that imported it, and is not embedded in the JSON export. Reattach those tracks when moving between computers. Use Stop all or the Escape key to halt a misfired clip; choose a fade duration when you need a gentler exit.
Common live-show mistakes
- Relying on third-party internet audio without rehearsing for unavailable links, stalls or network outages.
- Assuming an exported JSON deck includes actual music or voice recordings—it includes the layout, not the media files.
- Starting a second cue while the first is still running without deciding whether overlapping playback is desirable.
- Using button colors alone as cue identifiers; add readable labels for accessibility and rapid recognition.
- Waiting until doors open to discover browser autoplay restrictions, an incorrect sound-output device, or timer throttling when the tab is inactive.
- Using unlicensed audio for public playback or redistributing recordings whose owner only permits limited event use.
Frequently asked questions
Can every sound button have its own timer?
Yes. In Edit button, set the countdown as hours, minutes and seconds, or leave all fields at zero for instant playback. Each button can be armed and canceled independently. Timer settings are included in saved and exported layouts, but active countdowns do not restart automatically after a page reload or import.
What happens if I close the browser while a timer is running?
The armed countdown stops. Scheduled cues only run while the page remains active and the device is awake, and audio may be blocked by browser playback restrictions. Use professional show-control equipment for mission-critical timed cues.
Can I put my own MP3, WAV or other sound effects on a button?
Yes. Switch to edit mode, select a button, choose Uploaded file, and select an audio file from your computer. Supported formats depend on the browser. Imported media is kept locally using browser IndexedDB when available, rather than uploaded to a server.
Can I choose 3 buttons per row, or create a 40-button board?
Yes. The column setting supports one through twelve columns, and the total number of buttons can be set from one through 120. Mobile screens cap the visible column count to keep buttons usable.
Can buttons have different sizes and colors?
Yes. There are global settings for button height, text size and corner radius, plus individual button settings for color and extra height. Individual text color can also be overridden.
Can I export this soundboard and use it on another computer?
Export the JSON layout and import it on the next computer. External URLs are retained, but uploaded audio stays in the original browser and must be added again. Rehearse every cue after migration.
Do the preset announcements belong to this site?
No. The recorded voices are owned by their original creator, Jonathan Pagden. This toolkit does not include audio copies. The publisher specifies permitted charity/corporate event uses and no resale, and can withdraw permission. Check the source’s terms before using or offering these tracks.
Does this replace QLab or hardware show playback?
No. It provides flexible operator-triggered playback for straightforward soundboard needs. Professional systems offer more predictable local-media, routing, redundancy and show-control functions.
Are the two Freesound recordings genuinely CC0?
Yes. Freesound lists both the “take your seats.wav” and “cell phones.wav” files by Ellis_Fullfrequency as Creative Commons Zero, allowing use without attribution requirements. We still credit the creator and link to the exact source pages for provenance. A free Freesound account may be needed to obtain the original WAV.
Why does a CC0 sample ask me to attach a WAV first?
The official Freesound page links are web pages, not playable WAV file URLs. This tool does not substitute those URLs into its audio player or claim that a file was downloaded. Download the WAV from Freesound and attach it in the editor; the file can then play from your local browser storage on that device.
Related AV production resources
Prepare cue order and show timings in the Show Rundown Creator. Use the AV Calculators to estimate uncompressed audio throughput, and the AV Calculators when checking audio signal levels.