Knowledge Centre

If you work as a musician then the chances are, if anybody asked you what your most precious possession was, you'd answer "my instrument".

It doesn't matter whether you do solo gigs, are part of a band or orchestra or purely do session work. Without your instrument you simply can't play. So, are you taking measures to protect yourself - do you have a good musician insurance policy in place or not?

Many musicians don't look at a specialist policy when considering their insurance - or maybe they simply feel it is too cost-prohibitive. They think that maybe their standard household possessions cover will do the trick but this won't always work. What you get with a specialist musician insurance policy is cover that is tailored for you, your instrument and how/when you use it - you may simply find that this suits you better. And, competitive cover can be found, meaning that it doesn't have to break the bank to be properly covered. So, what kind of benefits will this kind of policy typically bring?

• Theft/loss/accident cover -- if your instrument gets stolen, damaged or you lose it then a specialist policy could help you replace it or repair it quickly and simply. It may even give you additional benefits like hire cover so you can hire a replacement for as long as you need to;
• Public liability cover - while this is not a legal requirement, this cover comes as standard with all our musician's insurance policies as we believe it is a very important part of your insurance planning. Having public liability insurance in place means that you are protected financially against any claims made against you by a third party for loss, damage or injury;
• Employers' liability insurance - legally, if you employ people in any capacity then you have to have employers' liability cover. This will help you out in the event of a claim if someone who works for you has an accident or gets hurt as a result of something that happens at a gig, for example.

In summary, it may be worthwhile thinking about what would happen to your playing career/income if something happened to you or your equipment. It may not take you long to realise that this could be extremely costly for you if you don't have the right kind of musician insurance in place.