What Is Digital Signage? Definition, Examples and How It Works
A plain-English guide to screens, players, software and where businesses use them
Digital signage is the use of screens (TVs, commercial displays, video walls or kiosks) to show information, promotions or messages to people in a physical place. It has three parts: a screen, a player that connects to it and cloud software that decides what shows and when. Businesses use it for menu boards, retail promotions, lobby welcome screens, workplace communication and wayfinding.
Digital signage is the use of screens to show information, promotions or messages to people in a physical place. The menu board at a coffee shop, the welcome screen in an office lobby, the sale price on a screen in a store aisle and the bell schedule on a school hallway TV are all digital signage.
I've run a digital signage company for years, and the simplest definition I've found is this: digital signage is a screen you can change without a ladder.
How digital signage works
Every digital signage setup has three parts:
- The screen. A TV, a commercial display, a video wall or a kiosk. Anything with an HDMI port works.
- The player. A small device that plugs into the screen and plays your content. The Display NOW Edge Player is one; Google TV and Amazon Fire TV devices can also run our app.
- The software. A cloud dashboard where you upload content, build playlists, set schedules and see which screens are online. That's Display NOW.
You update content in the software, and every assigned screen changes within moments, whether it's across the room or across the country.
Digital signage vs a TV
A TV is just the screen. Digital signage adds the parts that let a screen run unattended: scheduling, remote updates, automatic restart after power cuts and alerts when a screen goes offline. We compare the hardware side in digital signage display vs TV.
What can digital signage show?
- Images, videos and PDFs
- Designs from Canva, Google Slides or PowerPoint
- Live data: dashboards, Google Sheets, Power BI
- Calendars, room bookings and event schedules
- Weather, news, clocks and social media walls
- Web pages
See the full list on our media apps page.
Examples by industry
| Industry | Common uses |
|---|---|
| Restaurants and cafes | Digital menu boards, daily specials, wait times |
| Retail | Promotions, price changes, window displays (retail signage) |
| Offices | Company news, KPIs, visitor welcome (workplace signage) |
| Healthcare | Waiting room information, check-in steps (healthcare signage) |
| Schools | Announcements, bell schedules, events (school signage) |
| Manufacturing | Safety messages, shift KPIs (manufacturing signage) |
| Hotels | Event boards, amenities, local tips (hospitality signage) |
| Gyms | Class schedules, workouts, promotions (fitness signage) |
Why businesses use digital signage
- Speed. Change a price or a message in minutes instead of reprinting.
- Attention. Motion and light draw the eye more than static print.
- Scheduling. Show breakfast in the morning and dinner at night without anyone touching the screen.
- Consistency. Every location shows the same approved message.
- Lower ongoing cost. No printing, shipping or hanging posters.
Types of digital signage
- Indoor screens on walls, counters and ceilings.
- Window-facing displays with high-brightness panels.
- Video walls made of several panels showing one picture.
- Kiosks and floor stands for wayfinding and product information.
- Narrowcasting, a term for showing content to a specific audience in a specific place. Read more in what is narrowcasting.
What you need to get started
- A TV or display with an HDMI port.
- A player (see supported hardware).
- An internet connection.
- Signage software. You can start free with one screen.
Our step-by-step guide to getting started with digital signage walks through setup, and how to turn a TV into digital signage covers the screen side.
Frequently asked questions
What is digital signage in simple terms?
Screens that show information, ads or messages to people in a physical place, managed from software so the content can change without reprinting anything.
What is the difference between digital signage and a TV?
A TV is the screen. Digital signage is the screen plus a player and software that schedule what shows, update it remotely and keep it running unattended.
How much does digital signage cost?
You need a screen, a player and a software subscription. Display NOW includes a free plan for one screen, and paid plans are listed on our plans page.
What equipment do I need for digital signage?
A TV or commercial display with an HDMI port, a signage player such as the Edge Player, an internet connection and signage software.
What is narrowcasting?
Narrowcasting is showing content to a specific audience in a specific place, such as customers in a store. It is another name for how digital signage is used.
- Digital signage is a screen plus a player plus software that controls what shows and when.
- Its advantage over print is speed: change prices, promotions and messages from your phone.
- Common uses include menu boards, retail promotions, lobbies, workplaces, schools and healthcare.
- Any TV with an HDMI port can be a sign; commercial displays suit all-day use.
- You can start with one screen and add locations later from the same account.
Start free in minutes: one screen free forever, or try every feature free for 14 days. No credit card.
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