Gig contracts and riders, signed before you load the van
A gig contract decides what happens when the night goes long, the power's wrong or the client cancels a month out. The rider decides whether there's a stage, a meal and a place to plug in. Without signatures, both are just emails. SignMaster gets the contract and rider signed by the client, the planner or the venue, and gets the wedding planning form back before the first dance.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read
On this page
What a performer gets signed
- Performance contractDate, venue, load-in and sound check, set times and breaks, the fee and deposit, overtime rate, travel, and cancellation on both sides.
- Technical riderStage size, power, input list and stage plot, and cover for outdoor gigs. See rider for how it attaches to the contract.
- Hospitality riderMeals, water, a green room or a quiet place to change, and parking for the gear.
- Wedding planning formFirst dance, entrances, announcements, the must-play and do-not-play lists, and how to say every name.
- Recording and streamingWhether the client or venue may record or stream the set, and what they can do with it.
- Band and sub agreementsHow the fee is split, and the terms for a sub who covers a member's chair.
Booking a gig
- 1
Fill the contract
Start from your template and fill in the date, venue, hours and fee. A calculated field adds lighting, a ceremony setup or an extra hour the client ticks.
- 2
Attach the rider
Send the contract and the riders together in one envelope, with initials on the rider pages, so the client can't say they never saw them.
- 3
Sign in the right order
When a planner or booking agent is in the middle, put them first, then the client, then you. Each signs from their own link, no account.
- 4
Hold the date
Give the contract a sign-by date and an expiry. If it isn't signed by then, the link stops working and the date is open again.
Overtime, in writing
The party's going great and the client asks for another hour. Put your overtime rate in the contract and an initials field beside it, so the extra hour is already agreed when they ask for it at 11 p.m.
The wedding planning form
A month before the wedding, send your planning form as its own envelope. Text fields take the first dance, the parent dances, the grand entrance order and the do-not-play list, and a text field for name pronunciations saves the toast. An attachment field lets the couple upload their timeline from the planner. Set a sign-by date two weeks out, and reminders do the asking. On paid plans, the template's Responses tab lines up every couple's answers in one table.
Venues often ask performers to sign their vendor rules and send an insurance certificate. When a venue sends its rules through SignMaster, you sign on your phone in a minute. See how event venues and wedding planners work with their vendors.
Pricing for performers
A working DJ or a band leader who handles bookings is covered by Solo: $15 a month for unlimited envelopes and templates. A multi-op DJ company or an entertainment agency with several people booking shares Crew, $49 a month for 5 people, with your logo on signing pages. Free includes 3 envelopes a month, and new workspaces get 14 days of Crew free. Compare plans.
What SignMaster doesn't do
- It doesn't take deposits or pay band members.
- It isn't a booking calendar or a song request app.
- It doesn't write your contract terms; a lawyer can tune your template.
- It emails signing links; copy a link to text it to a client.
Questions? Answers.
What should a DJ or band contract include?
Date and venue, load-in and set times, the fee, deposit and overtime rate, equipment and power needs, cancellation terms on both sides, and recording rights. Attach your riders.
Can the couple fill in the do-not-play list when they sign?
Yes. Send a planning form with text fields for must-plays, do-not-plays and name pronunciations. Their answers come back in the signed PDF.
Does every band member have to sign the gig contract?
Usually the band leader signs for the band. Keep a separate band agreement, signed by each member, that says who can sign gigs and how the fee is split.
Can a booking agent sign before the client?
Yes. Set the signing order with the agent first, then the client, then you. Nobody's turn comes until the person before them has signed.