Getting Started with Digital Signage — Your First Screen in 60 Minutes

What You Need

Before you start, have these ready:

1. A screen — Any TV or commercial display with HDMI input works for getting started. For a permanent installation, use a commercial screen (see the hardware buying guide for the differences).

2. A media player — The Alliance Player is recommended. Alternatively, a Raspberry Pi 4 (with the Alliance OS image), an Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, or any Android device with the Alliance app.

3. A power outlet near the screen’s location.

4. Wi-Fi or ethernet at the installation location.

5. An Alliance account — Sign up free at app.r52signage.com (no credit card required).

Step 1: Create Your Account (5 minutes)

1. Go to app.r52signage.com
2. Click “Start for free”
3. Enter your name, email, and password
4. Verify your email address
5. Complete the brief onboarding wizard (your business name, screen count, primary use case)

You now have an Alliance account with one free screen.

Step 2: Set Up Your Media Player (10 minutes)

Alliance Player:

1. Connect the HDMI cable from the Alliance Player to your screen’s HDMI port
2. Connect power (USB-C or DC power, depending on your model)
3. Connect ethernet if available, or note the Wi-Fi setup instructions on the box
4. The Alliance Player boots and displays a 6-character pairing code on screen

Fire TV Stick:

1. Plug into screen HDMI port, connect USB power
2. Complete Fire TV setup (connect to Wi-Fi, sign in to Amazon)
3. Search for “Alliance Digital Signage” in the Appstore and install
4. Open the app — a pairing code appears

Raspberry Pi with Alliance OS:

1. Flash the Alliance OS image to a microSD card using Raspberry Pi Imager
2. Insert the SD card and power on
3. Connect HDMI and follow the on-screen setup wizard
4. A pairing code appears after a few minutes

Step 3: Pair the Screen (2 minutes)

1. In the Alliance dashboard, click “Add screen”
2. Enter the 6-character pairing code from your screen
3. Name your screen (e.g., “Reception”, “Kitchen”, “Gym Floor”)
4. Click “Add screen”

Your screen is now connected. It will show a “No playlist assigned” message.

Step 4: Create Your First Content (10 minutes)

1. In the dashboard, click “Create content” > “New slide”
2. Browse the template library and choose a template close to your needs
3. Click “Use this template”
4. Edit the text to your message
5. Replace the image with your own photo or choose from the free stock image library
6. Set the duration (how long this slide appears) — 7 seconds is a good default
7. Click “Save”

Repeat for 3–5 more slides to create a simple playlist.

Step 5: Create a Playlist and Assign It (5 minutes)

1. In the dashboard, click “Playlists” > “New playlist”
2. Name the playlist (e.g., “Welcome screen”)
3. Add your content slides by clicking “Add content” and selecting the slides you created
4. Order the slides by dragging
5. Click “Save playlist”
6. Go to “Screens”, click your screen name, and click “Assign playlist”
7. Select your new playlist and click “Assign”

Step 6: Watch Your Content Go Live (2 minutes)

Within 60 seconds, your screen will update and begin showing your content. You’ll see the playlist name in the screen’s status panel in the dashboard.

What Comes Next

Once your first screen is running:

Add more content — Build out a full playlist with 10–15 slides covering your most important messages.

Add widgets — The Alliance’s widget library lets you add live weather, news, social media feeds, and more to your playlist without manual updates.

Set a schedule — Configure different content for different times of day or days of the week.

Add more screens — When you’re ready to scale, upgrade your plan and add your next screen.

Explore templates — The Alliance’s 800+ templates cover every industry and use case. Pick the ones that fit your business.

If you get stuck, the Alliance support team is available via live chat in the dashboard.

You’re done! Your first screen is live.