Proof of play is a record of what played, on which screen, when and for how long. It turns “we believe it ran” into “here is the report”. Most screens never need it; the ones that do usually need it because somebody else is paying for the screen time. In easyCMS Studio it is the Analytics page, included with every account.
Do you need it?
You sell screen time
Advertisers buy plays over a period, and at the end of the month they want a report. It makes the invoice solid and ends “did it even run?” in one line.
You promised it in writing
Head office sends a campaign to franchisees, or a supplier pays for placement. The report shows which sites ran it, without a phone call.
Someone can audit you
A safety briefing, a regulated notice, a required disclosure. If an auditor can ask “show me it was on in March”, you need records, not memory.
Showing your own menu, welcome or offers to your own customers? You do not need proof of play. Your real question is “is the screen on and showing the right thing today?”, and My screens answers that: Online or Offline, what each screen is showing, and a fresh picture from it when you tap Take a new picture on its Details page.
If advertising is the plan, start with digital signage for advertising.
What a record tells you
Each time a screen finishes showing something, it notes it down and sends the notes at its next check-in. The report adds them up.
| You see | It tells you |
|---|---|
| Screen | Which screen it played on |
| Design, photo or video | What played |
| Plays | How many times, in the dates you chose |
| On screen | How long it was shown in total |
| First and last played | When it started and when it last ran |
What it does not tell you: how many people were in the room, or whether anyone looked. Proof of play proves playback, not audience.
How to see it in Studio
- Open Analytics from the main menu.
- Choose the period: Today, Yesterday, Last 7 days, Last 30 days, Last 90 days or Choose dates.
- Pick All screens or one screen.
- Switch between Designs, Photos & videos and Screens.
- Tap Download CSV for a spreadsheet, or Print or save as PDF for a report you can send.
For a quick look at one screen, its Details page in My screens lists what it played in the last 7 days, with Full report opening Analytics.
What it costs
Analytics comes with every easyCMS account, the 49€ one included, and never decides your plan. OptiSigns, for comparison, keeps reporting in its Pro tier at $12.50 per screen a month (checked September 2026); for a single three-month campaign, renting like that can be the cheaper choice.
Four things that make a report wrong
Offline screens report late
A screen without internet keeps playing, but its records wait on the device. Check every screen is Online before you send a report.
The last half hour may be missing
Screens report a few times an hour. Run month-end reports the next morning, not at midnight.
Clocks and time zones
A record is only as right as the screen’s clock. Screens in several countries? Agree which time zone the report uses before the first one.
Kept for 90 days
Analytics keeps 90 days. If you need records longer, for invoices or audits, download the CSV every month and file it.
A picture of the screen proves a moment; a report proves a period. Use pictures for support and reports for billing. And a report only counts what was scheduled, so check the first day’s figures on any paid campaign rather than finding a gap in week four. If a screen is offline, troubleshooting offline displays gets it back.
Not sure you need it? Describe your screens to us at info@myeasycms.com or call +48 509 937 137, and we will tell you straight.
Related reading: digital signage for advertising, pricing, and digital signage cost per screen.