Stage plot: make one a sound engineer can set up from without calling you
What your stage plot should show, the input list that goes with it, and the mistakes that eat into soundcheck time, with a full example for a four-piece band.
Stage plot: make one a sound engineer can set up from without calling you
You show up at 5 p.m. for soundcheck. On stage, the engineer has set up a keyboard on the left, two monitors in front of a drum kit that hasn't been in that spot for a year, and there's no DI for the bass. They simply followed the stage plot you sent. The one for your old lineup.
A stage plot isn't paperwork. It's the only thing the crew has to prepare your show before you get there. If it's clear and current, soundcheck starts on a stage that's already set. If it's vague, you spend the first hour moving mic stands around.
Before you arrive, the engineer uses your plot to prepare the patch, pick mics, count monitor mixes, run power and check that your setup fits on their stage.
On show day, it's their reference during load-in. The easier it is to read, the less they need to track you down backstage with questions.
Stage plot, input list, rider, tech pack: don't mix them up
A lot of bands send one catch-all document, or four separate files nobody opens. Here's what each term actually covers.
The stage plot. A top-down diagram: who stands where, with what, and where monitors and power go.
The input list. The numbered list of every console channel: which source, which mic, which stand.
The tech rider. The detailed requirements: PA, monitors, backline, lighting, setup time, technical contact.
The tech pack. Everything together: plot + input list + rider, often in a single PDF.
For most independent bands, a two-page PDF is enough: page 1 the stage plot, page 2 the input list and monitor mixes. That's the format the rest of this guide helps you build.
The mistakes that eat into soundcheck time
None of these will stop you from playing. But each one adds ten minutes of setup, and on a bill shared with two other bands, those are your ten minutes of soundcheck that disappear.
- A plot that no longer matches the lineup. A replaced musician, an added keyboard, a moved drum kit: the engineer sets up what's on the page.
- No one can tell where the audience is. Without a marker, a stage drawn "from the drummer's seat" gets read backwards.
- Inputs aren't numbered. The engineer has to guess how many channels you need and in what order to patch them.
- Power is forgotten. The guitarist finds out while plugging in their pedalboard that there's no power strip at their spot.
- The plot is unreadable on a phone. It'll often be checked on stage on a 6-inch screen, not printed on a large sheet.
- Requests aren't prioritized. Eight monitor mixes demanded in a bar with two wedges, with no indication of what's essential and what's nice to have.
What your stage plot needs to show
Every position, with a name and an instrument
For each musician: their first name, their instrument, and whether they sing. "Lea — guitar + backing vocals" is more useful than "Guitar 2". On show day, the engineer calls people by name, not by channel number.
Stage orientation
Put the front of the stage at the bottom of the page and write AUDIENCE below the line. It's the most common convention and it removes any doubt. If you use stage left and stage right, remember those are read from the performer's point of view, facing the audience.
The real footprint
Show what takes up space: drum kit, riser if you need one, keyboard on a stand, bass rig. Say whether a riser is essential or just preferred. A venue without risers will still book you if you can play on the floor, but they need to know.
Monitors
Draw each monitor where it should sit, with a mix number. If someone uses in-ears (IEM), mark it on their position rather than drawing a wedge nobody needs.
Power
An icon or a simple "power" mark everywhere you need an outlet: amps, pedalboards, keyboards, gear. It's the most often forgotten detail, and the most annoying to fix once the stage is set.
The info that saves a phone call
At the top of the page: project name, lineup (e.g. "4-piece lineup"), last updated date, and the band's technical contact number. The date matters: it tells the engineer whether they have the right version.
The input list that goes with the plot
The plot says where. The input list says what. Here's a realistic example for a four-piece rock band (vocals/guitar, guitar/backing vocals, bass, drums):
- Kick — dynamic mic, Beta 52 type — short stand
- Snare — SM57 — short stand
- Hi-hat — condenser — short stand
- Rack tom — clip-on mic
- Floor tom — clip-on mic
- Overhead left — condenser — tall stand
- Overhead right — condenser — tall stand
- Bass — DI (amp output)
- Tom's guitar — SM57 on amp — short stand
- Lea's guitar — SM57 on amp — short stand
- Tom lead vocal — SM58 (band's own mic) — tall boom stand
- Lea backing vocal — SM58 — tall boom stand
And the monitor mixes, in order of priority:
- Mix 1 — Tom (lead vocal): lots of vocal, a bit of Lea's guitar
- Mix 2 — Lea (backing vocals): her vocal, lead vocal, snare
- Mix 3 — drums: bass, lead vocal, a bit of guitar
- Mix 4 — bass: kick, lead vocal
Mic models are suggestions, not demands. Write "SM57 type" or "or equivalent": the engineer works with their own inventory. What matters is the number of channels, the type of source and what you bring yourself.
Build your plot in an hour
- Write down the exact lineup playing this date, not the one from your best show.
- Draw the stage from above, front of stage at the bottom, labeled AUDIENCE.
- Place each position with first name, instrument and vocals if any.
- Add monitors (numbered), power points and a riser if needed.
- Write the numbered input list and the monitor mixes by priority.
- Add at the top: project name, lineup, version date, technical contact.
- Export a lightweight PDF with a clear name:
BandName_StagePlot_4piece_2026-10.pdf. - Open it on your phone. If you have to zoom to read a name, simplify.
You don't need drawing software. A free diagram tool, a presentation app or even a clean scanned sketch will do, as long as the result is readable and up to date.
Plan for several versions if your lineup changes
If you sometimes play as a four-piece and sometimes as an acoustic duo, those aren't two variants of the same plot: they're two different documents. An engineer who gets a four-piece plot for a duo show will prepare a drum kit, channels and monitors that won't be used.
- One version per lineup, each with its own input list
- The lineup spelled out in the file name and at the top of the page
- Only one version sent per date, the one matching who's actually playing
In Yelinka, each concert has its own lineup. When you prepare a date, you know exactly who's playing, and which stage plot to send the venue.
Before you send your plot
- The lineup on the plot is the one playing that day
- The audience is marked at the bottom of the stage
- Every position has a first name and an instrument
- Monitors are numbered and match the mixes on the input list
- Power points are marked
- The input list is numbered and shows what the band brings
- The last updated date and technical contact are visible
- The PDF is lightweight and readable on a phone
To go further, two guides pick up where this one leaves off: prepare your gear for a concert and steps for a successful soundcheck. And to understand how to work with the crew on site: manage venue sound.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
As soon as the date is confirmed, then again one to two weeks before the show if anything has changed. Send it to the venue's technical contact, not just the booker: the sound engineer is the one who uses it. If your lineup changes after you've sent it, send the new dated version right away.
The stage plot is a diagram: it shows where musicians, monitors and power outlets go. The tech rider is a written document that details every requirement: PA, backline, lighting, setup time, contact. The stage plot is usually part of the rider, or of the tech pack that groups the plot, input list and rider together.
Yes, but a short version. Bars often have few monitors and few inputs available: a simple plot showing positions, the number of inputs and what you bring yourself (PA, mics, cables) helps the organizer know whether you can play there. Make it clear what's essential and what you can do without.
Ready to launch your press kit?