Live Band Technical Rider PDF: Page-by-Page Example
A technical rider is the document a venue uses to prepare your show. This guide walks through a 3-page sample built from the 5-piece rock preset — 16 inputs, 4 wedge mixes and 4 × 110V drops. Build your own in the tech rider template maker or start from the stage plot maker.
Three pages
The sample rider, page by page
Drawn from the same data the PDF export uses. Page 1 is the plot, page 2 the input sheet with mix columns, page 3 the notes.
Page 1 — stage plot, legend, power
Band header with logo, date, venue and contacts across the top. Below it the stage at a stated scale with ft rulers and a scale bar, every item labelled, wedges with mix numbers, and power drops as orange lightning marks with voltage. A legend column counts items and drops, for example “4 × 110V drops”.
Page 2 — input sheet and monitor mixes
One row per channel — 16 here — with Ch, source, mic or DI, alternate, an amber +48V badge (5 of them), stand and Subsnake port. Each monitor mix gets its own column with L, M or H, so one page replaces a separate mix chart.
Page 3 — backline, soundcheck, hospitality
Free text sections for what the band brings and needs, the load-in and soundcheck schedule, and hospitality, plus a signal and power summary: Active Inputs: 16 Ch, +48V Phantom Channels: 5, Monitor Mixes: 4 (Wedges 4 · IEMs 0).
Sections
Who reads which part of the rider
Each reader looks for a different thing; put it where they expect it.
| Section | Who reads it | What they check |
|---|---|---|
| Band header & contacts | Promoter, production manager | Who to call on show day; correct band name for the billing |
| Stage plot | Stage manager, crew | Riser position, amp line, what needs to be set before the band arrives |
| Item & power legend | Venue electrician, crew | Number of drops per voltage, where they go |
| Input list | FOH engineer | Channel count vs console inputs, mics to pull from stock, +48V channels |
| Monitor matrix | Monitor engineer | Number of mixes vs available buses, wedges vs IEMs |
| Backline | Promoter, backline company | What the band brings and what the venue must provide |
| Soundcheck & schedule | Production manager | Load-in time, line check and soundcheck length |
| Hospitality | Promoter | Water, green room, parking, meals |
Before you send
48-hour rider checklist
Resend the rider two days before the show if anything changed since the advance.
- Band name and show date on every page
- Phone number that works on show day
- Input count within the venue console
- Every +48V channel marked
- Monitor mixes no more than the venue offers
- One power drop per backline position, with voltage
- File named band-name-tech-rider.pdf
- Plot, list and rider from the same version
Send it as a PDF, not a Word file: it prints at scale and looks the same on the promoter’s phone. Keep the editable project file — the .json saved from the studio — for the next tour leg.
Paper
Letter vs A4, and file names
Pick the paper the venue prints on; the layout stays the same.
| Paper | Landscape size | Where |
|---|---|---|
| US Letter | 792 × 612 pt (11 × 8.5 in) | USA, Canada, Mexico, parts of Latin America |
| A4 | 842 × 595 pt (297 × 210 mm) | Europe, UK, Asia, Australia, most other countries |
Name files with the band and the deliverable: sample-5-piece-rock-band-tech-rider.pdf. Venues search their inbox by band name, and the date belongs in the PDF header, not the file name.
Mistakes
Five rider mistakes venues see every week
Each one costs time at load-in; all of them are visible on paper if the plot and the list come from the same project.
| Mistake | What happens on the day | Fix on the rider |
|---|---|---|
| Input list and plot disagree | The crew patches the wrong channel to the wrong stand | Channel numbers at every source on page 1, same numbers on page 2 |
| No +48V marks | Condensers and active DIs are silent at line check | Amber +48V badge on every phantom channel |
| More mixes than the venue has | Two musicians share a wedge they did not ask for | Mix count and bus numbers listed with the matrix |
| Power drops missing | Extension leads across the walkway, a tripped circuit | One marked drop per position, voltage written next to it |
| Outdated line-up | A trio arrives with a five-piece rider | One rider per line-up, resent 48 hours before |
Terms
Stage plot vs input list vs tech rider
| Document | Answers | Format | Main reader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage plot | Where everything sits | Top-down drawing, audience at the bottom | Crew, stage manager |
| Input list | What gets patched | Numbered channels with mic / DI, +48V, stand, port | FOH and monitor engineers |
| Tech rider | What the show needs | Plot + list + mixes + backline + schedule + hospitality | Everyone, including the promoter |
Build the parts with the input list generator, the monitor mix chart maker and the stage layout planner. X32 rooms also get a ready scene. New to plots? Read how to make a stage plot or browse the examples.
FAQ
Rider questions
Does a small club really need a tech rider?
A one-page plot and input list is often enough for a club, but sending the full rider costs nothing and answers the questions the engineer would otherwise call about: how many mixes, what needs +48V, and who to contact.
What is the difference between a tech rider and a hospitality rider?
The tech rider covers stage, sound and power. The hospitality rider covers food, drinks, green room and parking. Many bands keep a short hospitality section on page 3 of the tech rider and send a separate contract rider for fees.
Should the rider be a PDF or a Word file?
A PDF. It looks the same on every device, prints at scale and cannot be edited by accident. Keep the editable source — here, the .json project — so you can update it before the next run.
How long before the show should I send it?
With the advance, about a week out, and again 48 hours before if anything changed. Ask the venue to confirm their console model and number of monitor mixes against your rider.