What Is a Teleprompter and How Does It Work?
A teleprompter is a screen that shows a script to a speaker and scrolls it as they talk, so they can deliver it word for word while looking at the camera or the audience. On a television camera, the words are reflected on a sheet of glass in front of the lens. At a conference, they appear on glass panels beside the lectern. On a video call, a teleprompter app shows them on your computer screen, close to the webcam.
“Communicating complex scientific topics is an important part of my work. I’ve used Notch for several conference presentations and found it a useful addition to my presentation toolkit.”
How does a teleprompter work?
A camera teleprompter works with a monitor, a sheet of special glass and a little geometry:
- A monitor lies flat below the camera lens, facing up, and shows the script mirrored (flipped left to right).
- A sheet of beam-splitter glass sits at a 45° angle in front of the lens. It reflects the monitor towards the presenter, which flips the text the right way round again.
- The glass is coated so that it reflects some light and lets the rest through. The camera, sitting behind it in a hood that blocks stray light, sees straight through to the presenter and records no text.
- The presenter looks into the lens to read, so to viewers it looks like eye contact.
- Someone scrolls the script at the speaker's pace: a prompter operator, the speaker with a hand control, or software that follows their voice.
A conference teleprompter, often called a presidential teleprompter, uses the same idea without a camera. Two angled panes of glass stand on either side of the lectern, each reflecting a monitor on the floor. The speaker reads while turning between them, and the audience sees only clear glass.
A software teleprompter on a computer, tablet or phone skips the glass. It shows the script directly on the screen, ideally near the camera, and scrolls it in the same way.
Types of teleprompter
| Type | Used for | Script shown on |
|---|---|---|
| Camera-mounted | Television and filmed video | Glass in front of the lens |
| Conference (presidential) | Speeches at a lectern | Two glass panels by the lectern |
| Floor or confidence monitor | Stages and events | A screen facing the stage |
| Software | Video calls, presentations, lessons | Your computer, tablet or phone |
| Voice-following | Any of these | Any screen, moving as you speak |
How the script keeps pace
The text has to move at the speed you speak, and there are three common ways to do that:
- A fixed speed you choose before you start, adjusted with the keyboard or a slider. Simple, but you have to keep up with it.
- An operator who watches you and scrolls by hand. This is how television studios work.
- Voice following, where software listens and moves the script as you say the words, and waits when you pause.
Most people speak at about 130 to 170 words per minute. The speech length calculator turns a script's word count into speaking time.
Who uses a teleprompter?
Newsreaders, presenters and politicians have used teleprompters for decades. Today, most people who use one are reading on a computer, for work that involves calls and presentations:
- Sales teams keep a pitch and product demo on track.
- Educators and trainers keep lesson points in view during online classes.
- Team leads deliver updates without losing their place.
- Customer success teams walk customers through onboarding and setup.
- Consultants and recruiters keep the questions and points they prepared for a call or interview close at hand.
A teleprompter for video calls
On a video call, the camera is at the top of your screen, so the best place for your script is right below it. Notch is a teleprompter app for Mac and Windows that sits at the top of your screen near the webcam and floats above your other windows. It follows your voice in six languages, using speech recognition on your computer, and stays hidden from supported screen sharing, so you can keep your notes in view while you share your slides or demo.
For a quick try without installing anything, the free online teleprompter scrolls your script at a set speed in your browser. To get started, read how to use a teleprompter.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called a teleprompter?
The name comes from TelePrompTer, a company that made one of the first prompting devices for television in the early 1950s. The word has since become the general name for any device or app that scrolls a script for a speaker.
Is a teleprompter the same as an autocue?
Yes. Autocue is a brand name that is widely used in the UK and elsewhere to mean a teleprompter. Both describe a screen that scrolls a script for the speaker to read.
Can the audience see the teleprompter?
Not on a camera rig, because the camera looks through the glass and sees only the presenter. At a conference, the audience sees clear glass panels but not the words. On a video call, a teleprompter app is usually visible if you share your whole screen, unless it is hidden from screen sharing, as Notch is with supported screen sharing.
How fast does a teleprompter scroll?
As fast as the speaker talks, usually around 130 to 170 words per minute. An operator or the speaker sets the speed, or a voice-following teleprompter moves with the speaker's voice. The speech length calculator converts a word count into speaking time.
Do I need special equipment to use a teleprompter?
Not for video calls or presentations from your desk. A teleprompter app on your computer is enough, as long as the text sits close to your webcam. Glass rigs are for filming with a separate camera.