Stage3 is a media management software designed for live performances and digital signage. It allows you to manage, organize, and broadcast your videos and audio tracks live on one or more dedicated output screens. This guide will help you get started with the application.
Installation
Download & Run
Click Download for Windows on the main page to get the installer (.msi). Once downloaded, double-click the file to start the installation.
Windows SmartScreen
On first launch, Windows may display a SmartScreen warning. This is standard for independent software that hasn't yet purchased a Microsoft code signing certificate — it does not indicate a security issue.
1. Click "More info" on the SmartScreen window.
2. Then click "Run anyway".
That's it — Stage3 will install normally.
Stage3 is built and distributed directly by its developers. A signed certificate will be added in a future update. The installer is verified clean — see VirusTotal report (0/62 detections).
Interface Overview
The Stage3 interface is organized into six main areas:
| Area | Description |
|---|---|
| Header Bar | Quick access to media import, project saving, output screen selection, and broadcasting. |
| Playlist | Ordered list of all your media on the left, with management of order, transitions, links, and trim settings. |
| Preview / Live | Split into two panels: Preview shows the selected media, Live shows the media currently being broadcast. |
| Mixer | Overall volume control on the right with a vertical fader and perceptual scaling. |
| Timeline | Progress bar at the bottom with timecodes, trim handles, and customizable markers. |
| Transport | Playback controls at the very bottom: play/pause, restart, fade to black, markers, and loop mode. |
Importing Media
Supported Formats
| Type | Formats |
|---|---|
| Video | MP4, AVI, MKV, MOV, WMV, FLV, WebM |
| Audio | MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, OGG, WMA |
Most formats play natively. Files that require conversion are detected automatically.
Automatic Format Detection & Conversion
When you import files or open a .stage3 project, Stage3 checks whether each file can be played by the browser engine.
- Compatible files (MP4 H.264, WebM, MP3, WAV, etc.) play immediately.
- Incompatible files show a warning icon and a Convert button in the playlist.
- Click Convert to transcode the file to a compatible format using the built-in transcoder.
- Conversion progress is displayed as a percentage in the duration column.
- Once converted, the file plays normally. Stage3 remembers the conversion.
Import Methods
- Drag and Drop — Drag your files directly into the Stage3 window.
- Import Button — Click the IMPORT button in the header bar to select your files via the explorer. Multi-select is supported.
The duration of each media is automatically detected upon import.
Playlist
The playlist is the heart of your show control. It contains the ordered list of all media to be broadcast.
Selection and Playback
Single click on an item to select it. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to navigate. The CUT button in the header bar starts playback of the selected item immediately — this is the primary way to switch media during a live show.
Rearranging
Drag and drop items to change their order. You can also use Ctrl + Up and Ctrl + Down to move the selected item. A visual indicator shows exactly where the item will land.
Removing
Select an item and press Del. A confirmation dialog will appear before the item is removed. If the item currently playing is removed, playback stops.
Item Information
Each item in the playlist displays its position number (or a play icon if currently playing), the file name, and its duration. If the item has been trimmed, the effective duration is shown in brackets. A fade icon appears if fade transitions are configured, and a link icon appears if the item is linked to the next one.
Scrub Preview
Hover over the selected item in the playlist to scrub through it. A small progress bar appears on the item, and the Preview panel updates in real time.
Playback Controls
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Play / Pause | Press Space or click the play button in the transport bar. |
| Stop | Press Esc. Playback stops entirely, the live panel clears, and the timeline resets. |
| CUT | Press Enter or click the CUT button. Immediately starts playing the selected item — your instant switch in live. |
| Restart | Press R. The media jumps back to its start point. If a trim-in point is set, it jumps to that point. |
Linking Items
Link items together so they play one after another automatically, without any manual intervention.
Select an item and press L, or click the link icon on the item. When a linked item finishes playing, the next item starts immediately.
Linking works with all other features. Fades complete before advancing, trim points are respected on both ends, and loop mode interacts correctly with linked chains.
Playlist Notes
When the Stage3 window is maximized, a notes column appears in the playlist. Use it to annotate your cues, mark technical reminders, or label sections of your show.
- Click the T button next to any item to activate the note field.
- Type your note and press Enter to save, or Esc to cancel.
- Click outside the field to save automatically.
- Notes with content show the T button highlighted in blue.
Loop Modes
Click the loop button in the transport bar to cycle through three modes:
| Mode | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Off | Playback stops when the current item ends. |
| Loop Media | The current item repeats indefinitely, restarting from its trim-in point each time. |
| Loop Playlist | When an item ends, the next one starts. After the last item, the playlist restarts from the top. |
In Loop Playlist mode, linked items still chain together before the playlist advances to the next unlinked group.
The Timeline
Seeking
Click anywhere on the timeline to jump to that position. A hover indicator shows the time at your cursor position as you move across it.
Timecode Display
The current playback time is shown on the left in HH:MM:SS:cc format (centiseconds). Double-click the timecode to type an exact time. Press Enter to confirm or Esc to cancel. Click and drag the timecode left or right to scrub with fine precision.
Tick Marks
The timeline displays major tick marks every 60 seconds and minor ticks every 10 seconds for visual orientation.
Trim Markers
Trim markers let you set a custom start and end point for each media item, without modifying the original file. This is useful for cutting out intros, outros, or any unwanted section.
Setting Trim Points
Drag the left handle (Trim In) to set where playback begins. Drag the right handle (Trim Out) to set where playback ends. The trimmed-out regions appear dimmed on the timeline.
Precise Editing
Double-click a trim handle to open a text input. Type the exact timecode you want — for example 1:30.500 or simply 90.5. Press Enter to confirm or Esc to cancel. Values are automatically validated: Trim In cannot exceed Trim Out, and vice versa.
How Trim Affects Playback
- Playback always starts at the Trim In point and ends at the Trim Out point.
- Pressing R (restart) jumps to Trim In, not to the absolute beginning.
- Fades are calculated relative to the trimmed range.
- Linked advance triggers at Trim Out.
- Loop mode restarts at Trim In.
The playlist displays the effective duration (trimmed length) in brackets next to the original duration.
Resetting Trim
Drag Trim In all the way to the left to reset it to zero. Drag Trim Out all the way to the right to remove it and use the full duration.
Markers
Markers are saved reference points on the timeline. You can use them to bookmark important moments or to trigger automatic transitions.
Adding a Marker
Press M during playback, or click the + button in the transport bar. A menu lets you choose the type:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Marker | A simple reference point, labeled M1, M2, M3, and so on. |
| Fade Out | A marker that automatically triggers a fade-to-black when the playhead reaches it, labeled FD1, FD2, etc. |
Managing Markers
Right-click any marker on the timeline to open its context menu. From there you can go to the marker position, rename it, edit its timecode precisely, or delete it. Drag any marker along the timeline to reposition it.
Fade Markers
Fade Transitions
Per-Item Fades
Each media item can have its own Fade In and Fade Out duration. Click the fade button on a playlist item to open the settings popup. Use the + and - buttons to adjust in 0.5-second steps, or type a value directly.
| Fade Type | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Fade In | The screen fades from black and the audio ramps from silence to full volume over the set duration. |
| Fade Out | Before the item ends, the screen fades to black and the audio ramps to silence. If the item is linked, the next item starts after the fade completes. |
Manual Fade-to-Black
Click the FADE button in the transport bar and choose Start Fade Out. This begins an immediate fade-to-black at any moment during playback. The duration is configurable via the submenu, with a minimum of 0.1 seconds. After the fade completes, playback advances to the next linked item, or stops if there is no link.
Audio Quality
All volume transitions use micro-ramp interpolation to eliminate audible clicks and pops. This applies to fades, manual volume changes, and output synchronization. The result is clean, professional audio at all times.
Performance
Fade effects on output screens are rendered natively by Windows, outside of the browser engine. This means fades have zero impact on video playback performance, regardless of how many output screens are active. Even on low-end hardware, fades remain smooth.
Audio Mixer
Volume Fader
The mixer is located on the right side of the interface. Drag the fader to adjust volume. Scroll the mouse wheel while hovering over the mixer for fine adjustment. Click Reset to instantly return to 100% volume.
Perceptual Scaling
The fader uses perceptual mapping: the displayed percentage corresponds to how loud the audio sounds, not the raw signal level. This means small movements at low volume produce subtle changes, while the full range feels evenly distributed to the human ear.
Volume changes are synchronized to all output windows in real time.
Multi-Screen Output
Selecting Displays
Click the display selector in the header bar. A dropdown lists all connected monitors with their resolution. Check the monitors you want to use as outputs. The monitor running Stage3 is marked as "(app)" and cannot be selected.
Going ON AIR
Click OUTPUT or press F5 to open fullscreen output windows on all selected monitors. The button changes to ON AIR while outputs are active. Click again to close all output windows.
Synchronization
Audio Routing
When ON AIR, the preview panel is muted. Audio plays exclusively from the output windows. Only one output window produces audio to avoid echo. If that window is closed, the next output takes over automatically.
Output Performance
Output screens use native Windows rendering for fade effects, keeping the video pipeline completely free of overhead. You can run as many outputs as your machine has screens — performance scales linearly and never affects video playback.
Project Management
The .stage3 Format
Stage3 saves everything about your session into a single .stage3 file: the complete playlist with item order, all markers per item (position, label, type), trim in and out points, fade in and out durations, linked item flags, and playlist notes.
Saving and Opening
- Press Ctrl + S or click SAVE. An unsaved indicator (a dot next to "Stage3" in the header) appears whenever you have unsaved changes.
- Click OPEN and select a .stage3 file. Stage3 restores the entire session exactly as it was.
Missing Media Detection
If some files referenced in the project have been moved or deleted, a dialog lists all the missing files. You can choose to load only the available files, or cancel entirely.
Unsaved Changes Protection
If you close Stage3 with unsaved changes, a dialog asks you to Save, Don't Save, or Cancel. The same protection applies when opening a new project over unsaved work.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Up / Down | Navigate playlist |
| Ctrl + Up / Down | Move item up or down |
| Enter | CUT — play selected item |
| Space | Play / Pause |
| R | Restart media |
| Esc | Stop |
| Del | Remove selected item |
| L | Link / Unlink to next item |
| M | Add marker at current position |
| F5 | Toggle output |
| Ctrl + S | Save project |
All shortcuts are disabled when a dialog is open. In that case, Enter and Esc act on the dialog instead.
Tips for Live Use
- Prepare your playlist in advance. Import all your media, set the order, configure trims and fades before the show starts.
- Link your sequences so they chain automatically. You only need to trigger the first item — the rest follows.
- Use fade markers for timed transitions. Place them on the timeline at the exact moment you want.
- Keep the keyboard close. Enter for CUT, Space for pause, R to restart, Esc for emergency stop.
- Test your multi-screen setup before the show. Select your output monitors, go ON AIR, and verify synchronization.
- Save your project regularly. Stage3 will warn you before any unsaved work is lost, but saving often keeps you safe.