A rider (from English rider — literally “horseman”, but in this sense — “an addendum to the contract”) is a list of requirements or conditions set by an artist, band, speaker, or other event participant to the organizers before a performance or participation in the event.
When people talk about “riders”, they may refer to all these requirements that need to be met to satisfy the needs of the performer. To simplify, imagine you are organizing a party and ask a friend to bring speakers, chips, and Pepsi — this is a kind of rider for your event.
Main types of riders: Technical rider Includes everything needed for the performance from a technical point of view:
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equipment (microphones, lighting, stage, sound, projectors, etc.),
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stage requirements (dimensions, connections, schematics),
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sound engineer, technicians, etc.
Hospitality rider Contains wishes regarding living conditions:
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food, drinks, dressing room, security,
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transportation, hotel, room temperature,
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sometimes — very specific items (for example, only green M&M’s 😄 — this is not a myth, but a test of the organizers' attentiveness).