A backline rider is only useful if a rental company can read it and quote it without a phone call. Riders that say "drums, two guitar amps, keys" generate questions, guesses, and quotes that can't be compared. Riders that name the gear, the quantities, and the accessories get accurate quotes back quickly. This guide shows how to write the second kind.
Start with the stage plot and the band
Before you list a single item, get two things from the artist or their musical director: the stage plot and the lineup for this show. Lineups change between tours, between festival and headline sets, and between a full show and a TV performance. A rider written for the five-piece tour is wrong for the three-piece acoustic set.
Confirm for each musician:
- What they play in this set, including doubles, such as a guitarist who also plays keys
- What they are bringing themselves, such as guitars, pedalboards, snare, or cymbals
- What has to be rented
If you are new to the vocabulary, our guide to what backline is covers the basics.
Write one line per item
The single most useful habit is one item per line, with the quantity first. Compare:
Drums, two amps and keys
with:
1 × 4-piece drum kit: 22" kick, 12" rack tom, 16" floor tom, 14" snare
1 × Fender Twin Reverb (guitar)
1 × Ampeg SVT head + 8×10 cabinet (bass)
1 × Nord Stage 4 88 with sustain pedal
The second version can be quoted line by line, and two vendors quoting it will be quoting the same thing.
Name models when they matter, and say when they don't
Musicians care deeply about some gear and not at all about other gear. Your rider should make that clear.
- When the model matters, name it exactly, including the size or version: "Nord Stage 4 88," not "Nord."
- When a category is enough, say so: "any professional 4-piece kit in good condition" tells the vendor they can offer what they have.
- When there are acceptable alternatives, list them in order of preference.
The phrase "or equivalent" is common in riders, but on its own it pushes the decision onto the vendor. If a substitute would change the sound or the player's workflow, spell out what is acceptable. We cover this in detail in handling substitutions without surprises.
List the accessories every time
Most show-day problems come from small items nobody wrote down. Build accessories into each line or add a section for them:
- Drums: throne, rug, hardware (how many cymbal stands, hi-hat stand, kick pedal, or a double pedal), cymbals or a note that the drummer brings their own
- Keys: stand type and number of tiers, bench or throne, sustain and expression pedals, and any power or connection needs
- Guitar and bass: instrument stands, a backup amp if it is a critical show, and DI boxes if the venue doesn't supply them
- DJ: the number of players, the mixer model, and whether the DJ brings their own cables or headphones
- General: power strips, extension runs, and music stands
Separate what you need from what you'd like
Vendors quote better when they know your priorities. Two short lists help:
- Required: the show can't happen without it, or the artist will not accept a substitute.
- Preferred: the artist would like it, but a comparable alternative is fine.
This also keeps the conversation calm if something isn't available. You will already know which gaps matter.
Add the show details vendors need
A gear list alone can't be priced. Every request should also include:
- Show name and the artist or production
- Venue name and address
- Show date and the rental window, meaning when the gear must arrive and when it can be collected
- Pickup or delivery, and if delivery, the load-in instructions you have
- Whether you need a backline technician
- A contact for questions on show day
If you are not sure what to confirm about delivery, our guide on delivery, pickup, and load-in lists the questions to ask.
Keep the technical and hospitality sides apart
Some artists send a single document that mixes gear with catering, rooms, and dressing room requests. Rental companies only need the technical side. Pull the backline into its own clean list so vendors don't have to dig through it. If you are untangling a combined rider, see technical rider vs. hospitality rider.
Attach the original, but don't rely on it
It is helpful to attach the artist's original rider so vendors can see the stage plot and any notes. But a PDF formatted for a touring crew isn't always clear to a rental company quoting one show. Your one-line-per-item list should stand on its own. The attachment is the backup.
A simple template
You can copy this structure for most requests:
Show: Artist name, venue, city, date
Rental window: delivery time and date, collection time and date
Fulfillment: delivery to the venue (load-in notes) or pickup
Required
1 × item, model, size, accessories
1 × item …
Preferred (alternatives acceptable)
1 × item, with acceptable alternatives
Notes: what the band is bringing, power, tech needed, show-day contact
Common rider mistakes
A few patterns cause most of the back-and-forth with vendors:
- Brand names without models. "Nord" or "Fender amp" covers dozens of instruments. If the model matters, write it out in full.
- Missing sizes. Drum shells, cabinet configurations, and keyboard key counts change what arrives. A "kick drum" could be several sizes.
- Old lineups. Riders get copied from tour to tour. A rider listing gear for a player who isn't on this date sends vendors looking for equipment nobody will use.
- Hidden requirements. A note buried on page four that the keyboard player needs a second tier on the stand is easy to miss. Put requirements on the line they belong to.
- No contact. If a vendor has a question and nobody answers, they'll guess. Name someone who can make decisions.
Keep the rider current
Treat the rider as a living document. After each show, note what worked, what the players changed on the day, and any substitutions they accepted or refused. Update the master version before the next date, and keep a dated copy so you know which version went to which vendor. On a tour with many cities, that one habit keeps every request consistent, which matters when you are sourcing gear city by city; see sourcing backline on a fly-in tour.
Check it before you send it
Read the list once more with the musicians in mind:
- Does every player have everything they need to make a sound?
- Is every stand, pedal, and seat accounted for?
- Have you said which items allow substitutes?
- Do the dates cover load-in and soundcheck, not just the show?
Then send the same request to each vendor you want quotes from. In Los Angeles you can find backline rental companies by equipment type and compare their replies side by side on BacklineScout.
Frequently asked questions
How detailed should a backline rider be?
Detailed enough that two vendors would quote the same equipment. Name the model wherever the artist cares about it, give quantities and sizes, and list accessories like stands, pedals, and thrones.
Should I say "or equivalent" in my rider?
Use it only for items where a comparable substitute is truly fine, and be specific about what counts as equivalent. For anything the artist cares about, name the model and list acceptable alternatives instead.
Do rental companies need the stage plot?
It helps, especially for delivery and setup. Attach it with your request, but make sure your written gear list stands on its own.