diff --git a/recOrder/scripts/listener_demo.py b/recOrder/scripts/listener_demo.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..79136322
--- /dev/null
+++ b/recOrder/scripts/listener_demo.py
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+# %%
+# this script demonstrates how to obtain the current acquisition progress
+# from a running MM MDA through JAVA calls translated with pycromanager
+
+import time
+from pycromanager import Studio
+
+studio = Studio(convert_camel_case=False)
+
+engine = studio.getAcquisitionEngine()
+
+# %%
+# here the MDA should be in PTCZ order for the demo to work
+# since it detects and print finished positions
+# start MDA before running this block or the data store will be None
+
+datastore = engine.getAcquisitionDatastore()
+mode = datastore.getPreferredSaveMode(studio).toString()
+
+intended_dims = datastore.getSummaryMetadata().getIntendedDimensions()
+p_max = intended_dims.getP() - 1
+t_max = intended_dims.getT() - 1
+c_max = intended_dims.getC() - 1
+z_max = intended_dims.getZ() - 1
+
+p = 0
+
+while datastore:
+    if engine.isFinished():
+        if p < p_max:
+            raise RuntimeError("not finished properly")
+        print("Finished!")
+        break
+    required_coord = (
+        intended_dims.copyBuilder().p(p).t(t_max).c(c_max).z(z_max).build()
+    )
+    # this call is guaranteed to get the coordinates that are already
+    # written to files in an OME-TIFF storage to avoid race, see:
+    # https://github.com/micro-manager/micro-manager/blob/4fd5cfa15f420fb553ae176243f8fdb5d4cb80ed/mmstudio/src/main/java/org/micromanager/data/internal/multipagetiff/StorageMultipageTiff.java#L989-L992 #noqa
+    # not sure if NF-TIFF follows the same behavior
+    # NDTiffAdaptor also returns a different type (iterator) than a set in OME-TIFF:
+    # https://github.com/micro-manager/micro-manager/blob/4fd5cfa15f420fb553ae176243f8fdb5d4cb80ed/mmstudio/src/main/java/org/micromanager/data/internal/ndtiff/NDTiffAdapter.java#L198-L205 #noqa
+    written_coords = datastore.getUnorderedImageCoords()
+    found = False
+    if mode == "ND_TIFF":
+        written_coords = written_coords.iterator()
+        while written_coords.hasNext():
+            if written_coords.next().toString() == required_coord.toString():
+                found = True
+                break
+    else:
+        if written_coords.contains(required_coord):
+            found = True
+    if found:
+        print(f"Found {p}")
+        print(required_coord)
+        p += 1
+    print("Waiting...")
+    time.sleep(1)
+
+# %%