How to make a stage plot (with a free template)

What is a stage plot?

A stage plot is a top-down drawing of the stage that shows where everyone and everything goes: musicians, instruments, amps, microphones, monitors, DI boxes and power. It is usually one page, and it is usually the first thing a venue’s sound engineer looks at when you send your details.

A good stage plot means the stage is mostly set before you arrive. A missing or confusing one means a slow changeover, monitors in the wrong place and a stressed engineer at the start of your set.

What to include on a stage plot

Keep it simple. The engineer wants to know where things go, not what brand of guitar strings you use.

• The stage outline, with upstage at the top and the audience at the bottom. Label the audience side so nobody has to guess.
• Every performer, labelled with their name or role: “Vox”, “Gtr”, “Bass”, “Keys”, “Drums”.
• Instruments and backline: drum kit and riser, amps, keyboards, any large gear.
• Microphones and DIs: where each vocal mic and instrument mic or DI goes.
• Monitors: wedges numbered to match your monitor mixes, or in-ear positions. Include side fills if you need them.
• Power drops: where you need AC on stage. This saves a lot of cable runs during changeover.
• Risers and anything fixed: drum risers, keyboard stands, drapes, screens.

Things that usually do not belong on the plot: the full input list (that is a separate page, see how to make an input list), detailed lighting cues, and hospitality requests.

How to lay it out

Draw it from the audience’s point of view

Put the audience at the bottom of the page and upstage at the top. Stage left and stage right are from the performer’s point of view, which confuses everyone, so label “Audience” clearly and the engineer will read it correctly.

Use labels, not just symbols

A mic symbol means nothing on its own. Label it “Vox 1”, “Kick” or “Gtr amp”. The same goes for monitors: number them to match your monitor mixes.

Keep it to scale-ish

You do not need an architect’s drawing, but proportions help. A drum riser drawn the same size as a vocal mic makes it hard to judge spacing.

Use colour sparingly

Colour helps group things, for example blue for backline, orange for monitors and red for mics. Just make sure it still reads if someone prints it in black and white.

Make it one page

If it does not fit on one page, it is trying to do too much. Split the input list and the technical notes into their own pages.

Common stage plot mistakes

• No audience marker. The number one cause of mirrored stages.
• Monitors that do not match the mix numbers. If wedge 3 on the plot is the drummer’s, monitor mix 3 should be the drummer’s too.
• Forgetting power. Keyboard players and pedalboards need AC. Mark it.
• Out of date plots. The bass player left two years ago and the plot still has five people. Update it every time the line-up changes.
• Hard-to-read files. A phone photo of a napkin sketch does not count. Send a clean PDF.

Make a stage plot in H2R Gear

H2R Gear is free to use and its drawing tools are free on every plan. Open a plan and use Add › Drawing tools to lay out your stage:

1. Draw the stage with a Rectangle and add a dashed Line for the upstage drape and the audience edge.
2. Drop in Person, Microphone, Speaker and Power drop symbols. Rotate them to face the right way.
3. Use Trapezoid shapes for wedges and number them to match your mixes.
4. Use Circle and Rectangle shapes for drums, risers, amps and keys, and label each one.
5. Colour backline, monitors and mics differently so the plot reads at a glance.
6. Export as a PDF or PNG and send it with your rider.

Press Shift+D to keep the drawing toolbar open while you work.

Because it is a plan in H2R Gear, the same document can also hold your real gear and the cables between it. Add your mixer, stage box and DIs, connect them, and you have a stage plot, a wiring diagram and a packlist in one place.

Stage plot checklist

Before you send it:

• Audience side is clearly marked
• Every performer is labelled
• Every mic, DI and monitor is labelled and numbered
• Power drops are marked
• It matches your current line-up
• It fits on one page and is exported as a PDF

Then put it in your technical rider alongside your input list, and you are ready to send it to the venue.

Start a free stage plot in H2R Gear.