How can I get tickets to a taping?

Please check the ACL blog for details about ticket giveaways or call 512-475-9077. Notices post a few days before a giveaway. TAPING SCHEDULES ARE NOT ANNOUNCED IN ADVANCE. The blog is the first place where a taping and ticket giveaway will be announced.

The free tickets are distributed by KLRU staff on a first-come, first-served basis. Ticket giveaways are posted on the ACL blog. When you are notified that you have won tickets to a taping, your name will be added to the Space Available list at Will Call. Two tickets per person are allowed. A ticket does NOT guarantee admission to a taping. KLRU will admit as many ticket holders as our capacity limit allows. That limit is set by the State Fire Marshal and is strictly enforced. In order to be assured of a full house for the taping, KLRU distributes tickets in excess of our capacity to account for "no-shows."

If you are in Austin for a visit you are welcome to follow the ticket process detailed here. Unfortunately, KLRU cannot accommodate special out-of town ticket requests. However, another way to get the Austin City Limits experience is to attend the Austin City Limits Music Festival, the dates of which are posted a year in advance.

How can I get in touch with Austin City Limits?

Visit our Contact Page

When will a certain program air in my area?

For your reference, national air dates for Austin City Limits are listed on this Web site. Many PBS stations carry Austin City Limits on these dates, but please check local listings for the exact date and time. Most stations publish their broadcast dates on their Web sites. You may also visit our Station Finder page and enter your zip code to find out when ACL is scheduled to air on your local station.

Every PBS station decides independently which programs it will air. If Austin City Limits is not scheduled on your local PBS affiliate, please contact its Programming Department to let them know you want to see Austin City Limits in your area.

Will you ever repeat the program that includes (insert your favorite artist here)?

After an episode is produced, public television stations have rights to broadcast it four times in three years. The national schedule is available here. Unless the program is still within its three-year window, it is not available for broadcast.

Where and when is Austin City Limits taped?

KLRU typically begins taping new shows in the spring/summer before the season premieres. However, the producers will take advantage of an artist's touring schedule if it brings a desired act into KLRU's vicinity.

According to the mythology, Austin City Limits is taped on an Austin hillside above the city. In reality, the show is recorded in a KLRU television studio located on the University of Texas campus. The studio is located on the 6th floor of the U.T. Communications Building B. The famous skyline set, based on a photograph of the city taken from south Austin, debuted in 1982 for Season 7 and has remained the series' backdrop ever since. Click here for a map to the studio.

The program has occasionally featured shows recorded elsewhere, including at the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

How does an artist or band get booked on Austin City Limits? Who decides?

The series' producer Terry Lickona books the talent with input from the Austin City Limits producing staff.

Austin City Limits was initially created with an eye and ear toward original Texas music, featuring artists that created innovative new sounds in everything from western swing and Texas blues to Tejano music, progressive country and rock & roll. The series went on to feature a wide range of American roots artists, covering a variety of styles and expanding beyond the borders of the Lone Star State. As the program's audience has grown, the music has encompassed regional, national and even international performers, and Terry continues to seek a balance of music genres in every new season. Austin City Limits today focuses on the unique contributions of diverse artists, music and songwriting from around the world.
Managers, publicists, or artists may send samples to Terry Lickona at: Austin City Limits, KLRU-TV, P.O. Box 7158, Austin, Texas 78713-7158 or the shipping address: Austin City Limits, KLRU-TV, 2504-B Whitis Ave., Austin, TX 78712.

Are artists paid to be on Austin City Limits or do they play for free because it's PBS?

Every performer who appears on Austin City Limits receives scale wages as set by the American Federation of Musicians.

Are CDs or DVDs available?

As the programs are produced for public broadcasting and commercial release is not the priority, rights obligations have made issuing the programs on CD or DVD a challenge. Not an insurmountable one, however: KLRU has recently partnered with New West Records to begin releasing selected episodes from the archives as the Live From Austin TX series. Information on the current catalog can be found here. New West is always interested in fans