Open mic set time calculator
Work out a fair set length for every performer and get a running order with clock times. Everything is calculated in your browser.
| # | Performer (type names in to print a lineup) | Intro | On stage | Off by |
|---|
How to work out open mic set times
The basic sum is simple: take your total show time, subtract everything that isn't a performance, and divide what is left by the number of performers. The hard part is remembering everything that eats into the night, and that is what this calculator is for.
- Show length is the full window from when you start talking to when the room needs to be clear or the next act starts.
- Host opening time covers your welcome, house rules and any featured announcements before the first performer.
- Host intro per performer is the few seconds you spend bringing each person up. Thirty seconds is a common starting point.
- Changeover is the gap while one act leaves and the next sets up: tuning, moving a mic stand, plugging in. Musicians usually need more than poets.
- Intermission is placed halfway through the running order if you add one.
Rounding the set length down to a whole minute or half minute gives you a simple number to announce and leaves a small cushion for the acts who run over. The "spare time" figure shows how much cushion you have.
If the set length comes out too short, either cap the list or trim the changeover. The line under the results shows how many performers fit at common set lengths.
Let the lineup keep time for you
MicSheet gives you a live sign-up link for each night and a lineup on your phone where slot times calculate themselves. Reorder slots, check people in, mark no-shows and add walk-ins as the night goes, and a waitlist fills gaps when someone cancels.
Founding Host: $29 once (plus tax where applicable) for Pro for life, limited to the first 150 hosts. Every feature is free for all hosts during early access.