What to include in a technical rider

Does your artist need a technical rider, and what should it look like? We chatted with an artist manager, a booking agent, and a festival booker to unpack this critical document for your artist’s success, show to show.

While the hospitality rider ensures the artist is comfortable, the technical rider ensures the show actually happens. See it as the blueprint for the performance, detailing every piece of hardware, cable, and stage dimension required to translate the music from the studio to the live environment.

To break down exactly what belongs in this document, we spoke with Max Mäder (Founder and artist manager at 1182), Niels van Loo (Founder and booking manager at Parachute Booking), and Anna Breitenfeld (Festival booker at Open Beatz in Germany).

Define the core production elements

According to Max, who manages acts ranging from solo artists to touring bands, the technical rider must be strictly separated from general logistics. It’s a functional instruction manual for the venue’s sound engineers.

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For larger productions, the scope expands significantly. This document must also cover the lighting setup, the number of stagehands needed, and the access and licenses required.

Visualize the setup

A text list of cables and mixers can sometimes be misinterpreted or skimmed over by promoters. Niels handles bookings for electronic acts and suggests adding visual aids for complete clarity.

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By including a diagram of the equipment and where the artist stands relative to it, you reduce the risk of arriving at a venue only to find the stage dimensions are wrong or the cables too short.

The backline rider

One of the most critical distinctions Max makes is between the gear the artist brings and the gear the venue must rent. If the artist isn’t traveling with their own drum kits, amplifiers, or specific synthesizers, you need to include this section in your technical rider.

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He usually attaches this alongside the main technical rider to “start advancing” the show well before the tour begins.

Weather & stage dimensions

For indoor club shows, the environment is controlled. But for festivals, the technical rider must account for the elements. Anna, who books the multi-stage Open Beatz festival in Germany, says technical riders are scrutinized to ensure the stage can physically protect the equipment and the artists.

She recently booked Dr. Peacock, who performed with other artists, including a live violinist.

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If the rider demands a specific stage design that doesn't fit the festival's standard setup, costs can skyrocket. Anna told us about a big techno artist who was “very picky about the stage design,” and that the Open Beatz team actually ended up building the stage to match their requirements.

Special effects (SFX) & budget

An artist might want CO₂ cannons, confetti, or pyrotechnics, and these items are often the first to be challenged during negotiation. Unlike standard sound equipment, SFX are viewed as premium add-ons.

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Who signs off on the technical rider?

A hospitality rider might get approved directly by a festival booker or promoter, but the technical rider requires a much more rigorous vetting process.

A missed beer is a letdown, but a missing power generator or an unsafe stage roof is a show-stopper (and not in a good way).

The artist’s booking agent is rarely the person approving the technical gear. And while a booker or promoter handles the offers, contracts, and advancing, they may lack the know-how to approve a complex technical rider. It needs to reach the hands of the production crew first.

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The production manager might talk it through with the stage crew first and provide feedback on what’s technically feasible, which the booker or promoter relays to the booking agency. This often leads to a negotiation phase where adjustments are made before the rider is finally signed off for advancing.

As you can see, this can take a bit of time. We recommend you start reviewing the technical rider well before show day to avoid last-minute panic.

Technical riders must be cross-referenced with physical realities like the size and orientation of the venue, stage rigging, and how much power is actually available.

So, once the stage manager gives the green light, the document must become binding. Niels advises against leaving these specs as loose email attachments. Using SystemOne, he merges the entire artist rider directly into the booking contract to make sure it gets signed off and goes on to advancing.

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And SystemOne does so much more than help you handle contracts. It’s an end-to-end artist booking platform for agencies.

To learn more, book a demo right here or request your own free trial of SystemOne.