All guides

Technical rider and stage plot template for bands

By Noam Bargil, bandleader of Benga Band and founder of RunTheBand. Updated 2026-11-05.

A technical rider tells the venue and the sound engineer what your band needs to play well. A stage plot shows where everyone stands. Send both with your contract and you avoid the classic problems on the day: one power socket behind the cake table, a stage that fits four people, or a house engineer who expected a trio.

What goes in a technical rider

1. Contact. Who to call about technical questions, with a phone number.
2. Lineup. Every musician and instrument, so the venue knows how many people and how much gear arrive.
3. Stage. Minimum size (for a 6-piece band we ask about 4 by 5 metres), level and dry, covered when outdoors.
4. Power. How many sockets, how close to the stage, and on which groups. Ask for separate circuits for sound and light if you can.
5. Sound. Whether you bring your own PA or use the house system. If you use house sound: the input list, monitors and who mixes.
6. Load-in and build-up time. When you can arrive, how long you need (we plan around 3 hours for a full band with PA and lights), and where to park.
7. Sound limiters and curfews. Ask the venue to tell you in advance.
8. Hospitality. A hot meal and drinks for band and crew, a room to change, water on stage.

What goes on a stage plot

A stage plot is a simple top-down drawing of the stage:

• the front edge of the stage and where the audience is
• each musician's position, labelled with name or instrument
• amps, drum riser, keyboard stands
• monitor wedges or in-ear packs, numbered to match the monitor mixes
• power drops (where you need sockets)
• DI boxes and microphones, numbered to match the input list

Draw it with our free stage plot maker, which also builds the input list for you, or on paper. Save it as a PDF and keep it to one page.

Free technical rider template

Copy this, replace the brackets, and attach your stage plot.

TECHNICAL RIDER: [BAND NAME]

Technical contact: [name], [phone], [email]

LINEUP
[Lead vocals (f)], [Lead vocals (m)], [Guitar], [Bass], [Drums], [Keys]
Total on stage: [6] musicians, plus [1] sound engineer

STAGE
Minimum [4 x 5] metres, level, dry, covered when outdoors.
Drum riser [2 x 2] metres if available (not required).

POWER
[4] x 230 V sockets (16 A) on stage: drums back centre, keys stage left,
guitar/bass stage right, front-of-house position.
Sound and light on separate groups where possible.

SOUND
[We bring our own PA and lights.] / [We use the house PA; see input list.]
Front-of-house position in the centre of the room, with a clear view of the stage.

INPUT LIST
 1  Kick                  mic      short stand
 2  Snare                 mic      clip
 3  Hi-hat                mic      short stand
 4  Overhead L            mic      tall stand
 5  Overhead R            mic      tall stand
 6  Bass                  DI
 7  Guitar                mic      short stand
 8  Keys L                DI
 9  Keys R                DI
10  Vocals 1 (lead f)     wireless mic
11  Vocals 2 (lead m)     wireless mic
12  Vocals 3 (backing)    mic      tall stand

MONITORS
4 mixes: [1 vocals front], [2 guitar/bass], [3 keys], [4 drums]

TIMINGS
Load-in from [time]. Build-up and soundcheck take about [3] hours.
Please tell us about any sound limiter, curfew or noise rules in advance.

HOSPITALITY
Hot meal and soft drinks for [7] people at [time]. Please ask us about dietary needs.
A private room or space to change. Water on stage.

Stage plot attached.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a technical rider and a hospitality rider?

The technical rider covers what you need to perform (stage, power, sound, timings). The hospitality rider covers how the band is looked after (food, drinks, changing room, parking). For wedding and function bands they usually fit on one page together.

Do wedding bands need a rider?

Yes. Most problems at weddings are about power, space and timings, and a one-page rider sent with the contract prevents them.

What is an input list?

A numbered list of every microphone and direct input (DI) the band needs, in the order the sound engineer plugs them into the mixing desk. It matches the numbers on your stage plot.

How big should the stage be for a wedding band?

For a 5 or 6-piece band with drums, about 4 by 5 metres is comfortable. A 3-piece can work on 3 by 3 metres.

---

RunTheBand puts the timings, venue details and contacts for every gig in one call sheet that the whole lineup can open. See how it works or read what to put in your contract.

Try RunTheBand free for 14 days