Why Do Musicians Need Specialist Insurance

At Hireaband, helping musicians regularly play live is one of our top priorities. However, if something happens to you or your equipment or you don’t have the right insurance, you might not be able to play live for a long time.

Take the theft of your instruments, for example. Our very own director Irving Walker recently had his musical equipment from his car. Not only was the car locked, the instruments were completely hidden from view in the boot and the incident took place in broad daylight – proving that equipment thefts can happen anywhere, at any time.

Thankfully, Irving had specialist music insurance and so wasn’t off the stage for long. We spoke to Insure4Music, one of the UK’s leading providers of specialist music insurance which provide Irving’s cover, to find out why all musicians need specialist insurance.

Injury to another person and property damage

If you’ve spent ages practising for a gig, the last thing you want is to turn up at the venue only to be told you can’t perform there.

However, most venues won’t allow you on stage unless you can prove to them that you have Public Liability insurance.

This covers you if you injure someone else, or cause damage to property when performing. For instance, if an amp explodes on stage or a speaker you’re using falls onto an audience member and injures them.

If either of these things happen and a compensation claim is made against you, you need Public Liability insurance.

Insure4Music provide up to £5 million of Public Liability insurance, so that if a claim is made against you for the above circumstances, you’re suitably covered.

 The theft, loss or damage of your instrument(s)

As previously touched on, there’s always the risk of your instrument(s) being stolen, whether they’re in a vehicle or a locked room at a live venue.

Just a few months ago, thieves stole £10,000 worth of instruments belonging to the indie-pop band Indoor Pets from a van outside a music venue, after they performed live in Manchester.

Another common risk faced by musicians is the potential damage to their instruments. Just look at what happened to the vintage 1978 guitar belonging to musician Remi Claude Arsenault when he flew with Air Canada.

Add to the equation that you could lose your instruments when transporting equipment to and from a venue, and you’ll appreciate why you need Equipment Cover.

Unlike most home insurance policies, Equipment Cover offers the right level of protection against loss, theft and damage – before, during and after a gig.

Insure4Music’s Equipment Cover helps you avoid paying for repairs or replacements out of your own pocket if your instruments are lost, damaged or stolen.

This cover even protects your instrument(s) against theft if you leave them in an unattended vehicle overnight.

The breakdown of your equipment

If you get paid to play live and something happens to one of your instruments – for example, if an amplifier fails – you want to make sure you’ll get back to performing as soon as possible.

This means having the right insurance in place so that you can quickly hire a replacement while waiting for your instrument to be repaired or replaced.

Performance Cover allows you to do just that. If your musical equipment fails and you have Performance Cover, you can hire alternative equipment from a recognised reputable dealer, whilst awaiting the repair or replacement of the instrument which has failed.

Insure4Music’s Performance cover also includes cover for loss of earnings, meaning that if you’re unable to work following an accident involving your use of a musical instrument, we will cover you for up to 52 weeks.

These are the main reasons all live musicians need specialist music performance. However, to find out more about why it’s so essential, visit Insure4Music’s website or get an instant online quote with them today.