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.

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’ opinions on which artists should be released as part of the LFAT line; to register yours, go here.

Also available are CDs and DVDs recorded at the Austin City Limits Music Festival, released by Warner Bros./Rhino Records and Image Entertainment.
The following are also still available:
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble: Live From Austin, Texas DVD
A combination of the Vaughan shows broadcast in 1984 and 1990.
A Tribute To Stevie Ray Vaughan DVD & CD
First released in 1996.
Roy Orbison: Live at Austin City Limits DVD & CD
Originally broadcast in 1983.
Steve Goodman: Live From Austin City Limits and More DVD
A combination of Goodman's ACL show broadcast in 1978 and portions of his performance on the 1982 fundraising program Down Home Country Music.

Gary P. Nunn: Home With the Armadillo CD - Originally broadcast and released in 1983.

What is the theme song for Austin City Limits?

Since 2007, ACL has not used a theme song. However, the most recent theme song is an original composition by Austin musician Charlie Sexton, who has played with Bob Dylan and the Arc Angels and appeared on the show with Double Trouble in 2001.

The original theme was Gary P. Nunn's "London Homesick Blues." The version used was recorded live on the show and appeared on Nunn's album Live From Austin City Limits in 1983. The song was rearranged over the years, most recently by the Austin-based music production studio Tequila Mockingbird. After over two decades of venerable service, the song was retired after the 29th season. Various versions of "London Homesick Blues" are available on both iTunes and Amazon.com.

Can I visit the studio?

KLRU-TV, Austin PBS home of Austin City Limits, conducts a tour of the studio each Friday at 10:30 a.m.   The free tour lasts 30 minutes to an hour based on the number of questions and attendees. Bring a camera and take photos of the legendary soundstage. Occasionally, tours are cancelled because of studio events or holidays. Please call the Austin City Limits hotline at 512.475.9077 for cancellation dates.  KLRU is located on the University of Texas campus at the southeast corner of the intersection of Dean Keeton and Guadalupe, click here for a map.

Is Austin City Limits moving?

As part of a downtown Austin development called Block 21, a new theater is being built which double as a performance venue and a studio for taping episodes of Austin City Limits. The larger capacity will allow us to have bigger audiences and larger acts, though we will still use the original studio for tapings as well. We will tentatively begin recording at the new venue in 2010/2011.

Are internships available?

Each spring, summer and fall semester, Austin City Limits selects interns to assist the producers and act as production assistants during tapings. We prefer interns who are receiving credit for the program. For more information or to apply, please contact Leslie Nichols at lnichols(at)klru(dot)org

Where can I see live music in Austin?

The impetus for Austin City Limits came from Austin's own thriving live music scene. We encourage visitors to experience the creativity that got the ball rolling. There are many venues throughout the city that regularly host Austin City Limits artists and other similar acts - visit the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau or sample the Austin Chronicle's music listings for ideas. The annual Austin City Limits Music Festival also includes plenty of local as well as international acts.