Learn Digital Signage in 2026: Pubs, Podcasts, & Experts

So maybe you're an IT hero kickstarting a digital signage project. Or you're looking for resources to help you implement hardware and software. Or maybe you're totally new to digital signage and just want to figure out what on earth "proAVI" is.

The bad news is, digital signage doesn’t have a central hub of knowledge. The good news is, there are tons of resources if you know where to look.

To give you a hand, this article consolidates the most consistently cited and industry-recognized sources shaping digital signage discourse in 2026. We cover everything from trade journalism and consulting analysis to community forums and independent commentators. Plus, we give you some details like links and "best fors" so you can determine which sources make sense for you.

6 ways to learn digital signage

There are six primary ways to learn about digital signage:

1. Publications
2. Industry research
3. Online communities
4. Practicing experts
5. Podcasts
6. Video channels

Let's take a closer look at each one.

1. Publications to read

'Publications' in this context refers to written articles and tutorials explaining digital signage news, technologies, and other topics. They may explore real-world applications, such as case studies or future developments in the industry. Or, they may focus heavily on headline news or collaborative technologies.

Here are a few worth adding to your RSS feed.

Sixteen:Nine: Best for digital signage PR

Sixteen:Nine is a long-running industry publication founded by journalist Dave Haynes, now operated by Invidis Consulting. Its name is a reference to the aspect ratio of most digital signage screens: roughly 16 inches long wide by 9 inches high.

Although Dave retired in late 2024, the 'flavor' of Sixteen:Nine has remained the same. It still covers digital signage software, hardware releases, case studies, and other industry trends. Plus, there's still plenty of Dave's influence to go around. You can follow him on LinkedIn and review his extensive podcast library.

But don't worry, we'll cover more on Dave later. 😉

Now, here are some resources to help you get an idea of how Sixteen:Nine sounds:

• Samsung VXT, Fugo and Canto Partner to Enable DAM Integration in Digital Signage
• UK CMS Start-Up Fugo Bucks Larger Trend And Moves To Windows Devices
• ISE Expects 1,000+ Exhibitors, About One-Third Include Digital Signage In What They Do Or Sell

rAVe [PUBS]: Best for commercial, professional, and residential signage coverage

rAVe [PUBS] was established in 1998 as a news organization for both the commercial (ProAV) and residential (HomeAV) audiovisual trade industries. They publish daily blogs, videos, and weekly e-newsletters. You can also get real-time updates when following the company on social media.

Unlike Sixteen:Nine, rAVe cares about the principles of household digital signage just as much as commercial messaging. The business side of the pub covers digital signage, collaboration tech, and trade show coverage (including events like ISE and InfoComm). On the residential side, content focuses on audio installation, an overview of new technologies, and innovative ways to set up digital signs in the home.

A few examples of their content:

• Diversified Appoints Paul Lidsky as CEO to Lead Global Growth Strategy
• Fugo Achieves SOC 2 Type II Certification
• Rants & rAVes — Episode 1467: Sennheiser Extends TeamConnect Bar M Rebate Program Through 2025

P.S., rAVe also has a the sister publication, the AV Buyers Club, for end users, IT heroes, and tech managers. It's a bit more focused on technical content and real-world training rather than the basics of signage or producer visibility. So if you're interested in a publication created specifically for practicing pros, this is one publication with plenty of benefits.

Invidis: Best for downloadable reports

You can think of Invidis as the European counterpart of Sixteen:Nine — both of them are run by Invidis Consulting, after all. This is the analytical backbone of the European digital signage market, offering content with deep research, sustainability focus, and data transparency. Most of the company's content creation is English only, but it does have the option to translate content into German.

Invidis offers some of the industry’s most detailed analyses of CMS ecosystems and display manufacturers. It's not just us saying it, either. The Invidis newsletter has an average open rate of 42% and more than 36,000 downloads for its Yearbook publication per year.

You can check out some of their downloadable reports for yourself, like the Signage & Software Yearbook 2024 and the Green Signage Handbook.

Commercial Integrator: Best for experts

If you're an AV integrator or systems designer, Commercial Integrator (CI) could be a useful tool in your arsenal. It's a practical resource covering topics like workforce challenges, project management, and technology integration.

CI is especially relevant for professionals who operate across both digital signage and broader AV environments (think education, retail, and enterprise spaces). It may not offer much in the way of dynamic training or basic networking advice, but it does offer an advanced look at security tips, news, and advance.

Some exemplar content worth checking out:

• CLY6 LEDs Deliver Leading Technology for Outdoor Displays
• Stop Ghosting Your Audience: Content Tips That Actually Convert
• Fugo Launches Windows-Based Digital Signage Player

Fugo Blog: Best for learning about digital signage systems

Fugo is a cloud-based digital signage company that helps people push content to screens from anywhere. We've helped hundreds of brands create thousands of signage screens for corporate, retail, restaurants, and many other use cases.

Not to toot our own horn, but Fugo's blog is pretty special. We publish weekly articles covering digital signage tech reviews, tutorials, and industry commentary. Many of our resources explore internal communications best practices, data dashboard display screens, and product guidance for signage hardware and CMS users. But we also offer plenty of practical insight into signage management, all written from the perspective of a platform deeply involved in the ecosystem.

Some of our most popular resources cover:

• Digital sign and template creation
• Content creation dos and don'ts
• Showcasing how to connect platforms and maximize investments
• Designing digital displays with interactive features
• 'Best of' roundups for ticket tools, CRMs, cloud security tools, and more
• AI-powered signage tools for dashboards and audience engagement

Read more on the Fugo blog.

2. Industry research & consulting

Unlike traditional publications, industry research and consulting firms offer a more statistical view of digital signage. Many of them offer training, integration, or change management solutions to companies with existing signage projects. This means they have an enormous amount of resources at their fingertips to explore statistics, messaging, and other knowledge about the industry.

Remember Invidis? Yes, it publishes articles, but it also provides first-party research. This is one of the most trusted data and benchmarking authorities in the world. It offers dozens of ebooks for those interested in thought leadership, which you can explore in its database here.

Now, let's turn our attention to Invidis' Digital Signage Compass, which is the industry’s first independent CMS benchmarking platform. This tool is designed to help leaders find their perfect digital signage software solution, analyzing over 120 features per software provider and verifying data through direct interviews. That way, you can get transparent comparisons across CMS solutions for end users, integrators, and software vendors. This is also what Invidis describes as “the only independent guide to digital signage software.”

You can learn more about The Compass in Sixteen:Nine’s coverage.

3. Online communities & practitioner forums

Publications offer info, and research and consulting offers advice. Online communities offer a little bit of both, plus a place to swap ideas, share thoughts, and start networking with others in the digital signage space.

You have a few different options to keep in mind:

r/CommercialAV: Best for working professionals

r/CommercialAV is a place where working technicians and integrators can share their unfiltered insights anonymously. Most content revolves around troubleshooting and industry certifications. But you'll also find plenty of product gossip, hiring, and job openings as well.

Whether you're a seasoned signage veteran or a new face in the field, this subreddit in particular is excellent for career support. It's also a great reality check against marketing narratives. You won't find as many vendors hawking features or pricing, which is useful for

r/digitalsignage: Best for general signage enthusiasts

r/digitalsignage is a niche but active community of implementers, small CMS vendors, and a couple of end users. Most of its front page posts cover topics like hardware setups. But you'll also find a few gold nuggets covering stuff like CMS selection and content workflow.

Vendors post a lot in this subreddit in particular, so make sure to read usernames to discover who you're engaging with. There are also plenty of flairs around to help you filter by topic. In typical Reddit fashion, you can also just search for anything in the top bar to find posts related to your questions or passing thoughts.

Discord servers: Best for informal mentorship

Is Reddit not your thing? Then Discord may be an option. There are tons of options offering rapid knowledge exchange, job opportunities, and informal mentorship opportunities.

Some options to choose from:

• Commercial AV Discord
• The After Hours Discord

4. People to follow

Articles, ebooks, and online forums are incredibly powerful tools that support learning about digital signage today. But if you're particularly interested in learning about tomorrow, you'll want some thought leadership from experts on the scene.

This includes:

Dave Haynes: Highlights emerging technologies and companies

• LinkedIn: Dave Haynes
• X: @sixteennine

Mr. Haynes needs no introduction — because we're already introduced him earlier in this roundup. Dave is a veteran journalist and digital signage industry commentator known for his candid, witty insights. He's still one of the most trusted independent voices in signage despite retiring from Sixteen:Nine in 2024.

Florian Rotberg: Covers digital sigange research

• LinkedIn: Florian Rotberg
• X: @invidisintl

Florian is a key voice in digital signage research, sustainability, and market forecasting — as well as the Managing Director at Invidis Consulting. Their work is frequently cited at ISE and DSS Europe events, as it connects the dots between business models, environmental impact, and emerging tech. If you want to understand not just where digital signage is, but where it’s headed, Florian is a must-follow.

Gary Kayye: Major trade show coverage

• LinkedIn: Gary Kayye
• X: @rAVePubs

Gary is the founder of Founder of rAVe [PUBS], an educator, and an active proAV commentator at heart. His social media content offers extensive, on-the-ground coverage of major AV trade shows and product innovation cycles. He’s especially worth following during ISE or InfoComm, since he often catches (and breaks down) emerging trends before they go mainstream.

Stan Richter: Thoughts from a CEO

• LinkedIn: Stan Richter
• X: @signageOS

Stan is the current CEO of signageOS. While he does have an X account, most of his content can be found on LinkedIn. Stan regularly shares insights on cross-platform integration, interoperability, and the evolving role of open standards in signage software. His posts balance a CEO’s big-picture view with a technologist’s curiosity — although you should expect a while between posts.

Peter Critchley: European-centric content

• LinkedIn: Peter Critchley
• X: @PeterCritchley

Peter is the CEO of Trison UK, one of Europe’s largest integrators. So it's no surprise his content covers enterprise-scale signage rollouts and content operations. His commentary often focuses on the real-world challenges of managing global deployments and creating meaningful customer experiences. For anyone working across EMEA or managing multi-site signage projects, Peter's thought leadership updates are gold.

Sean Wargo: Macro-level AV data

• LinkedIn: Sean Wargo
• X: @AVIXA

As VP of Market Intelligence at AVIXA, Sean provides macro-level AV data, market forecasts, and research reports that help contextualize signage trends within the broader proAV sector. His research helps decode where budgets are going and how buyer behavior is shifting. Want data that connects digital signage to the global AV economy? Sean is definitely your guy.

Zuka Kakabadze: Startups and growing small businesses

• LinkedIn: Zuka Kakabadze
• X: @fugo_ai

Zuka is the Founder of Fugo AI and has been a serial entrepreneur for 11+ years. He brings a fresh, startup-minded lens to the world of digital signage and connected retail. His content focuses on how smaller teams can punch above their weight with smart tech and agile operations — plus a behind-the-scenes peek at what he's doing at Fugo.ai.

5. Podcasts

Wanna listen to content on the fly? Podcast content will be your best place to start.

You've got plenty of options depending on your specific audience intent. However, we've narrowed down the three best shows to get you started:

Sixteen:Nine Podcast: Best for expert interviews

A long-running interview series originally hosted by Dave Haynes, the Sixteen:Nine Podcast features in-depth conversations with industry leaders, CMS developers, and integrators.

Dave himself has retired from the project itself, although the podcast continues under the Sixteen:Nine banner. There's also an extensive back catalogue that remains one of the richest archives of digital signage industry interviews available online. We highly recommend it if you're looking to stay abreast of industry news, or get thought leadership content from legitimate industry experts.

rAVe Radio: Best for training, upskilling, and certifications

rAVe Radio is the audio arm of rAVe [PUBS], featuring a collection of focused series covering AV news, events, and business insights.

Some of rAVe Radio's most notable programs include:

• Rants & rAVes: This is rAVe’s flagship show hosted by Gary Kayye. It offers commentary, event recaps, and interviews with AV company leaders.
• Study with Steph: Follows an AV professional’s journey to earn her AVIXA CTS certification. Best for accessible industry education and practical advice.
• Selling AV: A short-format series focused on sales strategies and customer communication within the AV industry.
• The Meeting Equity Podcast Series: Discusses collaboration technology and inclusivity in hybrid meeting environments.
• Alexis AV Talk: A conversational podcast spotlighting diverse voices in AV and professional development topics.

AVNation: Best for video and audio shows

AVNation covers the broader AV network with podcasts and video shows (if you don't want audio only). This content covers industry trends, product news, and technology integration. It also regularly includes crossover topics like digital signage, collaboration platforms, and control systems.

For example: AVWeek 739: The Wizards of AV

6. Emerging and educational video channels

Tired of engaging with tons of static content? It's time to look at dynamic content instead. These video courses offer a more engaging look at the digital signage industry than words, pictures, or social media posts alone.

You can use digital signage videos for all sorts of purposes, from education and training to future forecasting and comparing displays. Either way, video is in the very nature of digital signage — it's dynamic, digital content you can watch from anywhere.

Here are some suggestions to get you started with video content:

• AVPro Edge: This channel specializes in deep-dive product demos. But you'll also find integration guides with strong technical content on HDMI distribution, signal management, and commercial display infrastructure. Videos are a bit sporadic, but well intentioned and practically made. You may also have access to manufacturer-backed demos often cited by smaller integrators and AV educators.
• AV Technician: The AV Technician is a (you guessed it) technician-focused channel with content covering rack builds, system wiring, and troubleshooting. It's a long-established channel with content spanning more than nine years and counting. It's particularly strong for hands-on AV professionals, or those looking to break into the space. See the 'Day in the Life' video for more context on this.
• Kettner Creative: This is a leading educational channel created and for audiovisual technicians. It currently sports over 100K subscribers offering basic courses and how-tos covering event AV setups, live streaming, and sound system configuration. Many of these videos are heavily event-focused. But good news: most content applies directly to signage and display management workflows.
• Fugo YouTube Channel: Fugo has its very own YouTube channel focused on hardware unboxings, reviews, and setup overviews for digital signage players and displays. No matter where you fall on the digital signage spectrum, we offer dynamic content to keep you in the loop. Our recurring series, Signage Tech We Actually Like, for example, offers straightforward evaluations of reliable devices and configurations. We focus each video on practical, brand-agnostic advice for anyone putting together signage projects at their companies.

Frequently asked questions about digital signage

Q: Is digital signage profitable?

Yes, digital signage can help you make money — but only if you know how to use it.

Signage can help boost sales through on-screen promotions. Plus, it saves money on print materials.

Some businesses turn digital signage it into a revenue stream by selling screen time to partners, vendors, or nearby local brands. This is what's called DOOH and/or retail media depending on your goals. To the right target audience, it could make you thousands of dollars per year.

Q: What software is used for digital signage?

Apart from your TV and media player, you'll need a content management system, or CMS, to manage content on screen. Software like Fugo lets you upload content, schedule playlists, and manage displays remotely. You can also tap into AI tools to help automate routine tasks. For example, workflow triggers, AI-powered content creation, and time-based, dynamic content for online images and videos.

Q: Can I use Canva for digital signage?

You sure can. Canva is perfect for designing signage screens like menus, announcements, promotions, and more. Once you’ve created your design, you can upload it directly to a CMS like Fugo. We even integrate with Canva, so your screens can look sharp without downloading or reformatting a thing.

Sidenote: Fugo is often referred to as 'the Canva of digital signage.' If you're looking for access to simple, editable templates for image and video content, you can access our free template creation portal at any time.

Q: How to make money with digital signage?

Businesses can make money with digital signage by promoting products and services. The trick is to treat your screens like a mini marketing channel. You can:

• Promote your own products
• Sell ad slots to nearby businesses
• Highlight limited-time offers to drive impulse buys