How to Write a DJ Tech Rider and Stage Plot

TL;DR — A DJ tech rider should identify the exact performance system, who provides each player and mixer, firmware or media constraints when material, table dimensions, stereo output handoff, booth monitoring, power, network restrictions, changeover plan, and a production contact. Add a simple top-down stage plot so the venue can place the booth, monitors, cable paths, and any guest equipment before load-in.

Table of contents

1. Start with the performance format
2. DJ tech rider template
3. Draw the DJ stage plot
4. Plan signal, power, and changeover
5. Common DJ rider mistakes
6. FAQ

Start with the performance format

“DJ set” is not a technical specification. Begin by naming the format because it determines nearly every downstream requirement. If this is your first production document, start with What Is a Tech Rider? to understand where the DJ setup fits in the full venue handoff.

List exact models only when compatibility or prepared workflow depends on them. Otherwise describe acceptable equivalents and the function they must provide. Never let a brand list replace connector, channel, and provider information.

DJ tech rider template

Document and contacts

• Artist / DJ name:
• Rider version and date:
• Tour or production contact:
• On-site contact and arrival method:
• Set length and scheduled changeover:

Performance equipment

• Player quantity and acceptable models:
• Mixer and required channel count:
• Controller, laptop, interface, or sequencer carried by artist:
• Turntable, cartridge, slipmat, or isolation requirements:
• Media format or prepared workflow constraints:
• Required stands or laptop shelf:

Audio handoff

• Main output: connector and nominal format:
• Stereo L/R handoff location:
• Backup output path, if artist carries one:
• Additional vocal, instrument, playback, or timecode outputs:
• FOH control responsibility:

Monitoring

• Booth monitor quantity and position:
• Independent booth level needed:
• Artist headphones carried:
• IEM requirement, if any:
• Guest or back-to-back monitoring arrangement:

Booth and stage

• Table or booth width, depth, and safe working height:
• Stable load-bearing surface required:
• Position relative to audience and PA:
• Cable entry and protected walkways:
• Weather cover for outdoor shows:
• Security barrier or access control where agreed:

Power and data

• Grounded outlets required at the booth:
• Voltage compatibility for artist-carried equipment:
• Artist-carried power supplies and adapters:
• Network required or not required:
• Any show-critical network use confirmed with production:

Do not request a dedicated electrical circuit without a real requirement and qualified review. State the equipment and location; venue production determines safe distribution under local rules.

Draw the DJ stage plot

A DJ stage plot can be simple, but it should still establish spatial relationships. Draw the performance area from above and include the elements below; Stage Plot Examples provides equivalent patterns for bands, duos, and solo artists.

1. the audience-facing side of the booth;
2. table or riser dimensions that materially affect setup;
3. player and mixer positions in performance order;
4. laptop, controller, interface, synth, or vocal position when used;
5. left and right booth monitors;
6. stereo L/R output handoff to the house system;
7. power at the booth;
8. guest access, changeover space, and protected cable routes when relevant.

Label directions from the performer's perspective and include an audience arrow. If the DJ performs on a festival stage between bands, show where the booth waits before rolling on and whether it travels pre-patched. If it sits in front of band backline, confirm that the booth does not block wedges, microphones, or egress.

Minimal DJ input list

DJ plus vocalist example

Add channels for live instruments, samplers with discrete outputs, talk microphones, or timecode only when the production actually uses them. Keep source requirements in the input list and let the venue turn them into a local patch: Input List vs Patch Sheet explains why those are related but different documents.

Plan signal, power, and changeover

Define the audio boundary

The most important sentence may be: “Artist supplies a stereo balanced XLR L/R output from the performance mixer at the booth; venue receives it and controls the PA.” It establishes the ownership boundary without prescribing the entire house system.

If a controller has only unbalanced outputs, document the real connector and agree on the DI or interface path. Avoid adapters chosen on show day. If the artist's mixer feeds both FOH and recording, state whether those outputs have independent level control.

Advance booth monitoring separately

Booth monitors are not the same as front-of-house coverage. State quantity, preferred side, connection from the performance mixer or house console, and whether the artist needs independent control. A back-to-back set may require a wider usable monitoring area than a solo set. For acts adding wedges or IEMs, use the destination-based format in What Is a Monitor Mix?.

Make power boring

List every artist-carried device and its power supply. Use grounded, production-approved distribution and keep drinks away from electrical equipment. For outdoor shows, confirm weather protection and do not assume a roof protects the booth from wind-driven rain or condensation.

Describe the changeover

For a shared booth, define which devices remain and which are swapped. For festivals, specify whether the artist rig can be assembled and tested offstage, rolled on, and connected through a known stereo handoff. Record who verifies media, playback, and output before the previous act clears.

A concise changeover table is useful:

Common DJ rider mistakes

Writing only a model wishlist. Include quantity, connections, provider, and acceptable alternatives.

Assuming every mixer output is wired the same way. Document the actual stereo handoff and where the venue receives it.

Ignoring table dimensions. A controller, laptop, mixer, and backup device can exceed a generic cocktail table. State usable width and depth.

Treating internet access as guaranteed. Prepare show-critical media locally. If the performance genuinely depends on a network, advance it as a production dependency rather than a casual Wi-Fi request.

Forgetting booth monitors. FOH sound does not tell the performer what is happening at the booth.

Leaving hybrid sources off the plot. Vocals, synths, percussion, and timecode need their own positions and channels.

Final checklist

• Format, player quantity, mixer, and providers are explicit.
• Acceptable substitutions are recorded.
• Booth dimensions and stable support are confirmed.
• Main stereo output connector and ownership boundary are clear.
• Booth monitors and control method are described.
• Every live or hybrid source appears in the input list.
• Power location and artist-carried supplies are listed.
• Outdoor weather protection is confirmed where relevant.
• Changeover steps have owners.
• Production contact and revision date are visible.

FAQ

What should be in a DJ tech rider?

Include contacts, schedule, exact performance format, provided and carried equipment, acceptable substitutes, audio outputs, booth monitoring, table dimensions, stage plot, power, network constraints, changeover, and any extra live inputs.

Does a DJ need a stage plot?

Yes. Even a two-channel DJ set benefits from a simple plot showing booth position, dimensions, monitors, output handoff, power, cable paths, and audience direction. Hybrid and festival sets need it even more.

What equipment should a venue provide for a DJ?

There is no universal package. The agreed rider should list the exact players, mixer, booth, monitors, cabling, power, and any acceptable alternatives the venue provides. The artist should separately list everything carried.

How does a DJ connect to a PA system?

One common handoff is a stereo balanced left/right output from the DJ or performance mixer to the house audio system. The actual connector, gain structure, and responsibility must be agreed for the specific rig.

Should a DJ tech rider include hospitality?

It can include a short indexed hospitality section or reference a separate hospitality rider. Keep food, transport, and dressing-room requests distinct from the technical setup so each venue team can find what it owns.

Keep the DJ setup reusable

Create a Rider in Techrider.live for the stage plot, inputs, equipment notes, PDF, and current live link. If the act changes between club, festival, and hybrid formats, keep a named baseline for each real configuration rather than rewriting one ambiguous file.

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Last updated: 2026-07-14 · Reviewed by the Techrider.live team for club, festival, and hybrid electronic performance workflows.