Technical rider: what it is and what it should include
Published on Tuesday 19 May 2026
In our article about contracts for musicians, we already touched on it: the technical rider. This is a document that lists all the ‘technical specifications’ of a band. There are many versions in circulation, varying greatly in quality. With a good rider, the on-site engineer knows exactly what to expect. What should a technical rider include? And what’s the difference between a technical rider and a hospitality rider?
Photo(cropped): Setting The Stage, by Mike Schmid, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
What is a technical rider?
Alongside the technical rider, you also have the so-called hospitality rider. That one covers the band’s personal requirements when it comes to food and drink, catering, and so on. Here, we’re focusing on the technical rider—although there is some overlap between the technical rider and the hospitality rider. “For example, the desired stage temperature for a ballet company. That could just as well be included on a technical rider,” says Rinaldo Klein Bleumink, who tours a lot with ballet companies. Rinaldo Klein Bleumink and Huug Lohuis from Showline AV Solutions have seen a huge number of technical riders. Huug pulls a few folders off the shelf to show the different technical riders from various bands. The variety is enormous—and so are the differences in quality. “A good technical rider benefits everyone. Not just the technicians, but the band as well. If the organiser has a solid rider from your band, you avoid problems on site. The engineer then knows exactly what to expect and can provide the right equipment.”
Professional
“With a good rider, you can play anywhere as a band,” say Huug and Rinaldo. “It makes you look professional and it saves a huge amount of frustration and irritation. And if your band gets delayed on the way to the show and arrives later than planned, the engineer can already prepare as much as possible based on the rider. That way, everything is already in the right place when the band arrives.” On these pages, you’ll find an overview of what a good technical rider should include, as well as an example rider from the band Lickety Split, with the common line-up of guitar, bass, drums, lead vocals and backing vocals provided by the instrumentalists.
Technical rider checklist
A good technical rider is as complete and detailed as possible. But don’t go overboard either—for example by specifying lots of brands and exact models. In any case, a good technical rider includes:
- Contact details for the band, so the venue/organiser can always call and/or email if there are questions or anything unclear. Ideally, include these details on every page of your rider.
- How long do you need to load in and set up? Keep in mind it makes a difference whether you’re the only band playing or whether there are multiple bands. At a festival, a changeover (including soundcheck) often needs to be completed within 45 minutes.
- Who is in the band (singers and instrumentalists)? Roles are more important than names, but of course you can include names too. Who needs a vocal mic? Does the guitarist sing as well, for example? This overview also immediately shows how big the band is and therefore how large the stage needs to be. The available stage might be too small and you may need to make adjustments as a band. It’s better to know that in advance than to find out on the day.
- A stage plot: a layout of the band’s stage setup. Where is the lead vocal, where are the instrumentalists, where are power points needed, and so on. See the example stage plot of Lickety Split in this article.
- Are you bringing your own sound engineer? If so, how long do you need for the soundcheck? And can your engineer work with both a digital and an analogue mixing desk? Or, for example, only with an analogue desk?
- Create a complete and clear input list. This is the list of everything that needs to be miked/DI’d. For each ‘source’ (vocals, guitar amp, drums, etc.), indicate whether it needs a microphone or a DI. Optionally, you can note a preference for a certain type of microphone per source (so-called preferred mics). You can be very specific with brand/model, but it’s better to indicate what kind of mic you mean, possibly with examples of brand/model. Make sure the drum input list is complete—so include every component that needs miking. Double kick drum? State it explicitly. A good input list makes it immediately clear how many channels the band needs on the mixer, so the right mixing desk can be supplied.
- Which effects do you need, and for what? Do you have requirements for front of house and the PA system (venue sound reinforcement)?
- What are your monitoring requirements? Does the band use in-ears or stage monitors? How many monitors do you need? Where should they be placed? And optionally: what needs to be heard in which monitor mix?
- Does the band have a drummer and/or brass players, and do they need to be on a raised platform (a riser)? If so, what size should that riser be? Or is the band bringing their own (drum) riser?
- Do you need three-phase power? If so, what type of connection and how many metres from the stage?
- How many cars are you arriving in? This is in relation to parking spaces. Are you also bringing a lorry/van?
Check it yourself
You can cover a lot with a technical rider and a hospitality rider, but it’s also good to check certain things yourself in advance. For example: * Are you coming with a lorry? Check for yourself whether it can get close to the venue. Is the show in a marquee in a field? Check whether there are ground protection mats/trackway to prevent vehicles from sinking in. * Do you want to sell merchandise? Check whether the organiser allows it and under what conditions.
The hospitality rider
A band’s hospitality rider lists requirements in terms of food and drink, catering, accommodation, and so on. Huug and Rinaldo have some striking examples on file. For instance, a band that demands a complete arsenal of drinks and snacks in the dressing room—and even specifies the colour of the towels. “Very few festival organisers are going to provide all of that in detail,” Huug notes. “Some bands go way too far with their hospitality rider. It might look tough, but the question is whether you’ll be invited back to that festival next time if you take it that far. Keep it to what really matters. For example, if a band member has an allergy to certain foods. And that you want a healthy meal—that’s perfectly reasonable. Bands that play a lot of festivals can’t live for days on end on cheese sandwiches, chips, Chinese takeaway and pizza.”
Wiring it all together
Some musicians have their setup better organised than others. One guitarist might have all their effects together on a single pedalboard and only needs one power point. Another guitarist has everything separate and needs multiple power points. “Some musicians connect everything together, but not in the most practical way,” Rinaldo knows. “We bring enough power strips with us, so that’s not the issue. Still, it helps if musicians set up their gear so each of them can manage with one or just a few connection points. It reduces hassle and clutter on stage. You get fewer faults, and if something does go wrong, the cause is easier to find.” Huug adds: “Also buy good cables. As a guitarist or bassist, make sure you have two good instrument leads, so you always have a spare. A lot of technical problems on stage come from musicians’ bad cables.”
The technical rider of Lickety Split
An example of a technical rider (input list + stage plot) from the band Lickety Split, for their tour of Afghanistan, where the band performed for military personnel last summer. Lickety Split has the common line-up of guitar, bass, drums, lead vocals and backing vocals by the instrumentalists. A special detail about the band is that it’s an all-female group.
