The Touring Pro's Platform
An open database, peer-to-peer network, and community built by touring professionals, for touring professionals.
Our Mission
Production intel, democratized. We believe critical industry knowledge shouldn't be locked behind paywalls, scattered across forums, or hoarded by a few. RiderReady exists to make professional-grade equipment data, honest peer reviews, and community resources freely accessible to every touring professional.
The Problem We're Solving
The touring industry runs on tribal knowledge. Need to know if that new moving head actually performs to spec? Good luck finding honest reviews from working LDs—not sponsored influencers. Looking for a rehearsal space in a new city? Hope you know someone who knows someone.
BEFORE RIDERREADY
- Spec sheets that don't match reality
- Reviews from people who've never toured
- Gear rentals through word-of-mouth only
- Studio space hunting via Facebook groups
- Paying for basic industry data
WITH RIDERREADY
- Community-verified specifications
- Reviews from verified touring pros
- SoftPatch gear marketplace (Turo for lights)
- Studio/space network (Airbnb for rehearsals)
- Open access, free tier forever
SoftPatch
We're building more than a database. RiderReady is becoming the peer-to-peer marketplace for the touring community:
Gear Rentals
Think Turo, but for production equipment. List your lighting rigs, audio gear, backline, and cases. Find what you need from fellow pros, not faceless rental houses.
- Lighting fixtures & consoles
- Audio systems & backline
- Video & LED walls
- Cases & rigging
Spaces
Think Airbnb, but for production spaces. List your studio, rehearsal room, or previs suite. Find spaces wherever tour takes you.
- Rehearsal studios
- Previs & programming suites
- Production offices
- Storage & shop space
Showcase-first approach: No pressure to set rates or calendars. Just show what you have, connect with fellow pros, and work out the details directly. The way touring has always worked—now with a platform to find each other.
The Open Database
Our foundation is a community-maintained equipment database with real specifications, honest reviews, and professional-grade comparison tools:
Moving heads, washes, profiles, effects—searchable by actual specs like weight, wattage, and throw distance.
Lighting desks with real-world workflow reviews from touring programmers.
Find rental houses, shops, and service providers worldwide with verified inventory.
Touring Pro Verification
RiderReady prioritizes voices from the road. Touring Pro status is earned by professionals with 3+ years of touring experience—the people who actually use this gear under real show conditions.
TOURING PRO BENEFITS
- ✓Verified badge on profile
- ✓Reviews carry more weight
- ✓Instant SoftPatch listing approval
- ✓Priority in search results
REQUIREMENTS
- 3+ years touring experience
- Verifiable production credits
- Professional references
- Active industry involvement
Our Values
TRANSPARENCY
No hidden agendas. Open data. Honest reviews. What you see is what the community has verified.
ACCESSIBILITY
Free tier forever. Core data isn't paywalled. Premium features exist to sustain the platform, not gatekeep knowledge.
COMMUNITY-DRIVEN
Contributors earn XP. Editors curate quality. The platform evolves based on what touring pros actually need.
ROAD-TESTED
Built by people who've loaded trucks at 4am. Every feature exists because someone on tour needed it.
Who's Behind This
RiderReady was started by touring lighting professionals tired of the status quo. We've loaded the trucks, programmed the shows, and dealt with gear that didn't match the spec sheet. This platform exists because we needed it ourselves—and figured others did too.
We're currently in public beta, actively building features and growing the database with help from our contributor community. The platform is evolving based on real feedback from real touring pros.
Join the Community
Whether you're a touring LD, production manager, or weekend warrior—if you care about production, there's a place for you here.