Best Free Tally Light for Church AV — Volunteer-Friendly Setup
Church AV teams face a unique tally challenge. Dedicated hardware tally systems cost $200–$600 per unit, require network configuration, and assume the same volunteers will show up every week to run them. The reality of most church productions is different: rotating volunteers, tight budgets, and a service starting in 30 minutes.
Cue Light was built for exactly this environment. Any phone becomes a tally display. Volunteers scan a QR code and they're live — no training required. The TD controls everything from one browser tab.
The church AV tally problem
Most church productions have at least three people who need a tally signal:
- The speaker or pastor — needs to know which camera to address, especially during multi-camera cuts
- Camera operators — need to know when their shot is live so they hold steady and don't reframe
- Remote campus — the second location needs to know when the feed is live so their host knows when to speak
Hardware tally solves the first two but completely misses the third. The moment the remote campus is on a different network, LAN-based tally is useless. Cue Light is cloud-native — it works over the internet, so all three locations get the same signal from the same browser tab.
How to set up tally for Sunday service
- TD opens Cue Light on their deviceOpen cuelight.io/app on the TD's phone or laptop — wherever they're sitting during service. No download, no account.
- Show QR code to camera operatorsTap "Show QR Code" on the controller. Each camera operator scans with their phone. Their screen opens as a fullscreen tally display — green when live, amber when preview.
- Send display link to remote campusCopy the display link and send it to the remote campus tech team before service. They open it on any browser — their screen shows the same tally signal.
- Brief the speakerGive the speaker a phone with the display link open, propped next to their water or on the pulpit edge. Green = cameras on, be sharp.
Why it works for church specifically
Rotating volunteers
New volunteer every Sunday? Show QR, they scan, they're live. No settings, no accounts, no handover notes needed.
Multi-site campuses
Remote campus connects over the internet — not your local WiFi. Works even if they're in a different building or city.
Phones volunteers already own
No hardware purchase. Every volunteer has a phone. Cue Light turns it into a tally display for free.
Zero budget required
Compare to $200–$600 per hardware tally unit. Most churches need 3–5 displays. Cue Light: $0.
Common church switcher setups
| Switcher | Built-in tally | Cue Light adds |
|---|---|---|
| Blackmagic ATEM Mini | LAN tally only | Internet tally for remote campus + Zoom guests |
| Roland V-60HD | No built-in wireless tally | Full wireless tally for all crew and campus |
| vMix (PC-based) | LAN web tally only | Internet tally — works over cellular |
| OBS (streaming only) | No tally | Manual tally — TD taps when stream goes live |
| No switcher | N/A | Director-controlled, no switcher needed |
Tips for church AV teams
- iPhone users: use Safari — Safari on iPhone supports Wake Lock (screen stays on). Chrome on iOS doesn't.
- Android users: use Chrome — Chrome on Android has full Wake Lock support.
- Prop the phone next to the camera lens — so camera ops see the tally colour without looking away from their shot.
- Give the speaker a dedicated display phone — a cheap Android or old iPhone on a phone stand near the pulpit. Leave it on charge. It stays green when cameras are live.
- Send the display link to remote campus in advance — have them bookmark it so they can open it on any Sunday without asking for it again.
- Keyboard shortcuts for fast services — if the TD's hands are on a keyboard: 1 = Live, 2 = Preview, 0 = Off.
Ready for Sunday?
Open Cue Light, show the QR, send the link to your remote campus. 30 seconds to tally for your whole team.
Start free — no signup