Technical rider: what to include (+ free template)

A technical rider is a one- or two-page document that tells the venue and the sound engineer exactly what your band needs on stage. A good rider saves time at soundcheck, prevents unpleasant surprises, and makes the production crew see you as a professional who's easy to work with.

This guide covers what to include, in what order, and the most common mistakes. At the end you'll find a concise template you can copy as your own starting point.

A technical rider is an attachment you send to the venue well before the show – in practice at least 1–2 weeks ahead, earlier for festivals and bigger productions – typically as part of advancing. It answers one question: what does the band bring, and what does the venue need to provide?

The rider's main job is to remove guesswork. When the venue's engineer knows your channel count, monitor needs and stage footprint in advance, soundcheck is fast and the evening runs on time. Without a rider, every detail gets sorted out on site – usually in a rush and badly.

Keep the rider short and realistic. A clear one- or two-page document gets read; a ten-page wish list does not. Ask for what you actually need, not what the headliners get.

A good rider includes the following, read top to bottom:

• Contact details. Band name, line-up (how many on stage), and a technical contact by name and phone number. This is the most important line – the venue will call exactly this number.
• Stage plot. A simple top-down drawing of where each player, amp and monitor is placed. It doesn't have to be a work of art – a clear sketch is enough.
• Input list. A numbered list of every source into the desk: channel 1 = kick, channel 2 = snare, channel 3 = hi-hat, and so on – drums usually take several channels, so bass often lands around channel 7–9. Note whether each channel needs a mic, a DI box or a line, and whether it needs +48V phantom power (condenser mics, active DIs).
• Monitor needs. How many separate monitor mixes (wedges or in-ears) and who hears what. What matters is the number of mixes, not speakers – and this is the most commonly forgotten part.
• PA & FOH. What you expect from the room: a PA suited to the size of the venue, and a FOH desk with enough channels. Usually it's enough to state that the house system is fine.
• Backline. Are you bringing your own backline (drums, amps) or do you need the venue's gear? Be specific, because this also drives the load-in and soundcheck timing.
• Lights and power. Often a note like "basic stage wash is fine" plus the number of power outlets on stage. If you run your own lighting or a smoke machine, mention it.
• Crew. Are you bringing your own sound engineer or using the venue's? If your own, state when they arrive.

Two attachments matter more than anything else: the stage plot and the input list. They're the part of the rider the engineer actually looks at.

The stage plot is drawn top-down (bird's-eye). Mark the players, amps, drums and every monitor, numbered – and clearly mark where the audience is, so left and right don't get mixed up. Add a small legend on the side. You can draw it with free tools or even by hand and photograph it – legibility is what counts.

The input list is a numbered table: channel number, source (instrument/vocal), the mic or DI required, and any note. Keep the numbering logical: drums first, then bass, guitars, keys, and vocals last. Stereo sources (keys, backing tracks) take two channels, left and right – if you run backing tracks or a click, list them separately. That way the engineer finds the channels in the same order at every show.

Tip: keep the input list the same at every show. When "channel 7 is keys left" for you, it always is – soundcheck speeds up and mistakes go down.

• An outdated contact number. If the rider lists your previous drummer's number, nobody can reach you. Update contacts before every tour.
• The rider doesn't match the actual line-up. The input list says 24 channels, but a four-piece shows up. Keep the rider in line with what you actually bring.
• No date or version. Put a date on the rider (e.g. "updated 6/2026") so the venue knows it's using the latest version.
• Too long and unrealistic. A small club can't provide an arena-sized wish list. Ask for what fits the room.
• Missing stage plot and input list. A text-only rider with no diagram forces the engineer to guess – exactly what the rider is meant to prevent.
• Monitors left out. State clearly how many separate monitor mixes and who hears what.
• PDF only, no copyable version. Send the rider as a PDF so it looks the same everywhere – but also provide the input list in a copyable form if asked, since many engineers paste channel names straight into the desk.

Copy this skeleton as your own starting point and fill in your band's details:

• 1. Band & contacts – name, line-up (X people on stage), technical contact + phone (someone who knows the gear and is reachable on show day)
• 2. Stage plot – top-down, players + amps + monitors numbered
• 3. Input list – number · source · mic/DI · note
• 4. Monitors – how many mixes / in-ears, who hears what
• 5. PA & FOH – "house system is fine" or special needs
• 6. Backline – what we bring, what we need from the venue
• 7. Lights & power – basic wash + outlets on stage
• 8. Crew & timing – own or house engineer, arrival time
• 9. Date & version – e.g. "updated 6/2026"

A technical rider is a short, clear document that tells the venue what your band needs. The most important parts are up-to-date contacts, a stage plot and an input list. Keep it realistic for the size of the room, send it as a PDF at least 1–2 weeks in advance, and update it whenever your line-up changes.

In KIERTUE you can attach the technical rider and stage plot directly to a show, so they travel along with advancing and stay available to the whole band.