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How to write a tech rider
Updated October 7, 2026 · 3 min read
A tech rider (technical rider) tells the venue and promoter what your show needs technically: sound, monitors, backline, lighting, power and stage. It is part of your contract and the basis of your production advance.
Free templates for this guide
Download and edit these for your own tour. No sign-up, no email required.
Tech rider template
Stage, power, PA and FOH, monitors, backline, lighting, video and crew needs, with references to your input list and stage plot.
Input list template
A 16-channel input list with mic or DI, stand, 48V and monitor mix columns, ready to edit for your band.
Stage plot template (printable PDF)
A blank stage outline with a grid, audience edge and symbol key, plus a filled-in example for a four-piece band.
See the complete free resource library for budgets, riders, checklists and more.
What goes in a tech rider
- Contacts: your tour manager and front-of-house (FOH) engineer.
- Summary: touring party size, what you carry and what you need provided.
- PA and FOH: system requirements, console preferences, FOH position.
- Monitors: number of mixes, wedges or in-ears, who mixes monitors.
- Backline: what you bring, and what you need the venue to provide.
- Input list and stage plot: attached or referenced.
- Lighting and video: what you need or carry.
- Power: what you need on stage and for vehicles.
- Stage: minimum size, risers, load-in needs.
- Crew: stagehands or loaders needed.
Keep it realistic
A rider written for a theater won’t be met in a small club. Split essentials from preferences, and say what you can live without. Engineers respect a rider that shows you understand the room.
Be specific
"Professional PA appropriate to the venue" is vague. Better: "FOH system capable of even coverage for the room, with subs." Name console preferences but allow alternatives.
Version and date it
Put the date and version on the rider and update it when the lineup or setup changes. Send the current version in every advance.
Attach the stage plot and input list
The rider is the summary; the stage plot and input list are the detail. Always send them together.
Riders and the advance
The venue will reply with what they can and can’t provide. Use the advance to agree on substitutions so there are no surprises. See how to advance a show.
Example tech rider sections (EXAMPLE)
- Touring party: 4 musicians, 1 tour manager, 1 FOH engineer.
- We carry: guitars, pedalboards, cymbals, snare, in-ear rig for 2 players.
- We need: PA suitable for the room, 6 monitor mixes (4 wedges, 2 IEM feeds), drum kit (kick, rack, floor, hardware), bass amp, one 16-channel FOH position.
- Power: 4 power drops on stage.
- Stage: minimum 6 m x 4 m; drum riser preferred.
Common tech rider mistakes
- Copying another band’s rider that doesn’t match your setup.
- Out-of-date lineup or gear.
- No contact for questions.
- Listing nice-to-haves as requirements, which makes the whole rider look negotiable.
How TRMNGR helps
On each show day in TRMNGR, the Tech Rider box lets you + Add File (saved to Files › Tech Riders and linked to that day) or + Add URL, so everyone sees which rider applies. Your stage plot and input list live on the Stage tab and export as PDFs to send alongside it.