A band books your room for a ticketed show and sends over a twelve-page PDF the week after. It lists microphones by model number, a monitor mix for every player, a lighting plot and a power requirement your electrician will want to read twice. Somebody needs to answer it, line by line.
That document is a technical rider. Venues that know how to read one avoid surprises on show day, and venues that answer it well get asked back by production teams.
What Is a Technical Rider?
A technical rider is a document from a performer, speaker or production company that lists the technical requirements for their event, such as stage size, sound, lighting, video, power, crew and schedule. It is usually attached to the performance or rental agreement. Requests for food, drinks and dressing rooms normally sit in a separate hospitality rider.
What a Technical Rider Usually Contains
Riders vary in length, from one page for a solo speaker to dozens for a touring production. Most cover a common set of sections.
Stage plot
A diagram showing where each performer, instrument, riser and monitor goes on stage. It tells you the stage size and layout the act expects.
Input list
A numbered list of every audio source, such as vocals, instruments and playback, with the microphone or connection for each. Your sound engineer uses it to set up the mixing console.
Sound, monitors and backline
Requirements for the main sound system, the stage monitors and any backline, which is equipment such as amplifiers, drum kits or keyboards that the act expects the venue or a supplier to provide.
Lighting and video
Lighting requirements, any special effects and video needs, such as screens, projectors, a confidence monitor for speakers or a presentation clicker.
Power, crew and schedule
Electrical needs, the crew the act expects, such as stagehands or a house engineer, and the timeline for load-in, soundcheck, doors and load-out.
How to Read a Rider
Read the whole rider once before you mark anything. Some requirements depend on others, and the schedule often explains why a request matters.
Then compare it with what your venue has. A good habit is to keep a house tech pack, a short document listing your stage dimensions, sound system, lighting, power, load-in access and crew. With that in hand, most of the rider can be checked quickly.
Flag anything you do not understand rather than guessing. Riders are full of shorthand and model numbers, and a two-minute question to the act's production manager or your own sound engineer is far cheaper than renting the wrong equipment.
How to Answer a Rider
Mark every line with one of four answers. This makes the response clear and keeps negotiations short.
- Provided by the venue, included in the rental
- Provided by the venue at an extra cost, with the price
- Supplied by the act or the client
- Not possible, with a suggested alternative
Send the marked-up rider back with your house tech pack and offer a short call to settle open items. Production teams expect some lines to be negotiated, especially brand-specific equipment where a comparable model will do.
Turn the Answers Into Costs and Commitments
Anything the venue agrees to provide becomes a commitment. Price rentals, extra crew and overtime clearly, and add them to the quote or a contract addendum.
Pay particular attention to power and crew. A rider that needs more power than your circuits provide may require a generator or an electrician, and a request for a house sound engineer means scheduling someone for load-in through load-out. Confirm the schedule against your load-in policy and any curfew or noise limits.
Requests That Deserve a Closer Look
Most rider lines are routine. A few kinds of request are worth slowing down for, because they affect safety, cost or the building.
- Rigging from the ceiling or trusses, which needs rated points and qualified riggers
- Haze, fog or pyrotechnics, which can trigger alarms and often need fire marshal approval
- Power beyond your house circuits, which may mean a generator or an electrician
- Load-in times outside your normal access hours
- Sound levels or end times that conflict with local noise rules
For each of these, ask the production manager for details in writing and check them with the right person, whether that is your electrician, your fire marshal or your building manager. A short delay in answering beats a problem on show day.
On Show Day
Print the agreed, marked-up version of the rider and give it to your crew. Walk the stage with the act's production manager at load-in to confirm the setup matches. Keep notes of any changes made on the day, since they often affect the final invoice. After the show, ask the production manager what worked and what did not, and add anything useful to your tech pack.
Build Your House Tech Pack
If you do not have a house tech pack, write one this month. List stage sizes and heights, sound and lighting equipment, power and circuits, load-in access and parking, crew available and contact details. Update it whenever equipment changes, and attach it to every proposal for performance events.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a technical rider and a hospitality rider?
A technical rider covers equipment and production needs, such as stage, sound, lighting, power and crew. A hospitality rider covers food, drinks, dressing rooms and other comforts for performers. Both are usually attached to the performance agreement.
Who pays for items on a technical rider?
It depends on the agreement. Some items are included in the venue rental, some are charged as extras and some are supplied by the act or the client. Mark each line clearly and confirm costs in writing before the event.
Do speakers and corporate events have technical riders?
Yes. Speakers often send short riders covering microphones, screens, a presentation clicker and a confidence monitor. Corporate productions may send detailed riders similar to those from bands.
Can a venue say no to items on a rider?
Yes. Venues often decline or substitute items they cannot provide. Offer a comparable alternative where possible and agree on changes in writing before the event.
