Free template for bands
Free tech rider template
Everything a venue needs to know to set up for your band, in the order engineers read it. Copy it into any document, fill in the square brackets, and attach your stage plot and input list.
The template
BAND AND DATE [Band name] technical rider Version [1], updated [date] Lineup: [number] people on stage. Set length: [minutes]. Time we need to set up between bands: [minutes]. CONTACTS Advance and day of show: [name], [role], [phone], [email] Gear questions: [name], [role], [phone], [email] Our own sound engineer: [name and phone, or "none, we use the house engineer"] STAGE PLOT AND INPUT LIST Stage plot: attached, or at [link] Input list: attached, [number] channels, drums first and vocals last Stage size we need: at least [width] by [depth] [feet or meters] MONITORS [number] monitor mixes Mix 1: [name], [wedge or in-ears], [what they want in it] Mix 2: [name], [wedge or in-ears], [what they want in it] We bring our own in-ear transmitters: [yes or no]. Frequencies: [if known] BACKLINE We bring: [amps, keyboards, pedalboards, drum breakables (snare, cymbals, kick pedal)] We need from the venue: [drum shells (the drums without cymbals or pedals), bass amp, keyboard stand] We can share: [kit, bass cab] with the other bands on the bill POWER [number] power drops (places we need an outlet): [stage right amp line, center pedalboard, stage left keys] Anything that needs its own circuit: [none, or what] RISERS AND STAGING Drum riser: [width] by [depth] by [height], [or "no riser needed"] Anything else: [keys riser, a table for a laptop at standing height] LOAD-IN AND PARKING Vehicle: [van, car, van and trailer], [length] Load-in: [time you'd like], [stairs or a ramp okay] Parking needed until: [time] WHAT WE CAN DO WITHOUT If the venue can't provide [item], we can [alternative]. Minimum we need to play: [for example, 3 vocal mics, 2 DIs, 2 wedges]. Questions about anything here? Call or email the gear contact above. Thank you for having us.
What each section is for
01Band and date
A date and version, so the venue can tell this rider from last year's.
02Contacts
Two people who can answer questions about the gear, with numbers that work on the day.
03Stage plot and input list
Attach both, and make sure they agree. Engineers trust a rider whose plot and list match.
04Monitors
How many mixes, who is on wedges and who is on in-ears.
05Backline
Backline is the amps and drums on stage. Say exactly what you bring, what you need from the venue, and what you can share when several bands are on the bill.
06Power
Where you need outlets, so the venue can run them before you arrive.
07Risers and staging
Sizes, not just "a riser".
08Load-in and parking
How you arrive and what you need to get the gear in.
09What we can do without
Engineers are kinder to a band that says what bends. A small room may not have everything.
It ends with: "Questions about anything here? Call or email the gear contact above. Thank you for having us."
The two pages engineers read first
Make the stage plot and input list free, with no account. The input list is built from the plot, so they always agree. Download both on one PDF and attach it to the rider.
Tech rider questions
For bands sending their first one.
What is a tech rider?
The page or two a band sends a venue that says what it needs to play: who to call, the stage plot and input list, monitors, backline, power and load-in. It is part of the advance. Food, drinks and the green room go in a separate hospitality rider.
Does a small band need a tech rider?
A short one, yes. Even a one-page rider with your contacts, a stage plot and an input list saves the engineer guessing, and a show that starts on time is better for everyone. You don't need every section; leave out what doesn't apply.
What if the venue can't provide everything on it?
That is normal, especially in small rooms. Treat the rider as a starting point for a conversation, and say up front what you can do without. Engineers respond better to a band that is flexible than to a long list of demands.
How do I send it?
As a PDF with your advance email, with the stage plot and input list attached or on the same pages. Put a date and version on it, and send the new one whenever the lineup or gear changes.
Advancing a whole run?
Tourouter keeps every show's contacts, times and documents in one place, and texts your band the day sheet every morning. Free to plan.
Start planning free