Performing as a DJ can be a fulfilling enterprise, but it’s essential that you prepare yourself for any negative events that may occur, including the possibility that you may unintentionally cause someone else to be injured, damage property, or find that your equipment has been broken in transit. Purchasing business insurance can ensure that you are financially protected from unexpected incidents, and events, festivals, and venues will often require you to have liability insurance coverage before you will be allowed to perform.

What insurance coverage do I need as a DJ?

There are many types of insurance coverage to consider, but these policies are particularly relevant to DJs:

General Liability Insurance

General liability insurance covers accidental injury to third parties and damage to property belonging to third parties. Because DJs work at a wide variety of locations, it’s wise to prepare yourself for the possibility that you may be held liable for accidentally injuring someone or damaging someone’s property. In these situations, general liability insurance can step in to cover legal defense, damages, medical costs, and settlements. 

General liability insurance can also include a personal and advertising injury component, which provides coverage for a number of non-physical injuries, including libel, slander, and copyright infringement.

Examples:

• Bodily injury: You’re DJing at a large birthday party when a guest trips over a misplaced microphone cord and falls, breaking her ankle. Your general liability policy would cover any medical expenses, as well as any legal fees if the guest sues.
• Property damage: You drop a heavy amplifier while setting up equipment at a wedding venue. The venue’s expensive flooring is damaged. General liability insurance would cover repairs. 
• Personal and advertising injury: You design a brand new logo for your DJing business, but unfortunately, it bears a strong resemblance to another company’s logo. They sue you for copyright infringement. Your general liability insurance would cover the lawsuit. 

Commercial Auto Insurance

Professional DJs rely on their vehicles to transport them to venues, private events, and more. It’s essential to be aware that personal auto insurance policies may not be sufficient if an accident happens while you are driving for work purposes.

If you are at fault in an accident while driving for work purposes, your commercial auto insurance will pay for any resulting third-party bodily injury, property damage, or pollution cleanup. Commercial auto insurance also covers the value of the vehicle itself if it’s damaged by a collision or another peril.

Example:

• When you arrive at a wedding venue, you accidentally back your van into a fence, damaging both the fence and the van. Your commercial auto insurance would cover the damages. 

Inland Marine Insurance

Inland marine insurance is a key coverage for DJs that is designed to protect the property that you transport to various locations that may not be covered by a standard commercial property policy. Since DJs often use expensive equipment that travels with them to gigs, you’ll need an inland marine insurance policy to protect its value.

Items may be stolen, damaged in transit, or damaged by attendees or employees at a club, event, or other venue. If this happens, inland marine coverage will provide funds for repairs or replacements. 

Example:

• When you’re leaving a gig, your van runs over a deep pothole and careens into a ditch. Much of your expensive DJing equipment is damaged, some of it beyond repair. Your inland marine insurance would pay for you to repair and replace the damaged equipment. 

Professional Liability Insurance

Professional liability insurance will provide financial protection if clients sue you for any perceived failures or negligence in your professional services. As a DJ, clients may feel that you have acted negligently if you fail to show up as contracted, play music they feel is inappropriate, or act unprofessionally.

Even if you have done nothing wrong, you could find yourself dealing with a costly lawsuit. Professional liability insurance will pay for your legal costs and any settlements in these situations. 

Example:

• Your van breaks down right before you were contracted to play an event and you aren’t able to make it to the venue. The client claims that your failure to show up dramatically reduced their revenue. They sue for damages. Your professional liability insurance would cover the lawsuit and any resulting settlement.

Business Owner’s Policy

A business owner’s policy could be a wise choice for many DJs. A business owner’s policy combines general liability, commercial property, business income, and extra expense coverage in one convenient bundle. Additional coverages such as professional liability may also be added by endorsement. This type of package can help you save on costs, as purchasing a BOP is typically less expensive than purchasing each insurance coverage separately. 

Additional Coverages

• Workers’ compensation insurance is legally required for companies with employees in most states. It covers employees’ medical expenses and lost income if they are injured or fall ill on the job, as well as funeral expenses and death benefits for an employee’s dependents in the case of a work-related employee death. If you employ others, it’s crucial to make sure you are complying with state regulations. 
• Business income coverage will reimburse you for lost income and operating expenses if your business is forced to close due to a covered peril, such as fire, storm damage, or other property damage.
• Commercial crime insurance provides funds to reimburse you for losses caused by theft, robbery, fraud, forgery, burglary, and other crimes. This coverage applies both to crimes committed by outside parties and crimes committed by your own employees. Your DJ business may deal heavily in cash transactions, so you may be at a higher risk for theft.

Pricing and Quotes

Pricing for business insurance will vary based on the type of insurance coverage and the risk profile of your business. Insurers consider factors such as:

• Business size
• Industry
• Location
• Number of employees
• Claims history

Businesses with higher risks will have higher premiums than those deemed lower risk. For example, a DJ business with a history of frequent claims will face higher premiums. Premiums also rise as you increase the limits of insurance. Different insurance companies have different models for rating risks, so it is worth comparing pricing across different insurers.

In order to get an accurate estimate on pricing, it’s best to get a quote from a reputable insurance company. Below we’ve highlighted a few of our trusted partners who offer coverage for DJs:

Provider	General Liability	Professional Liability	Business Owner's Policy
Embroker	??	??	??
CoverageSmith	??	??	??
CoverWallet	??	??	??
Hiscox	??	??	??
Thimble	??	??	??

Business Insurance and Coronavirus

COVID-19 has caused many event cancelations, which has had a major effect on DJs. DJs may be unsure about how their business insurance will handle this situation.

In the majority of cases, business interruption insurance policies you have in effect will not cover losses caused by coronavirus. These policies typically only cover losses caused by a direct physical loss or damage, like a fire or theft. Some business interruption policies will include coverage for losses caused by “communicable or infectious diseases,” but this is rare.

How workers’ compensation insurance handles coronavirus cases varies widely depending on the state. If you have employees who catch coronavirus as a result of their work, they may be eligible for workers’ compensation payments in some states.

If your business continues operating and a client or other third party sues you claiming that they contracted coronavirus after visiting your business, some commercial general liability policies will provide coverage, depending on your individual policy and the laws of your state.

You cannot purchase a new policy to cover coronavirus-related losses because insurance policies will not cover losses that have already been discovered.  

Consult our FAQ on coronavirus and business insurance for more information.

Final Word

Working as a DJ can be fun and rewarding, but it’s important to be aware of the risks that you could face. Business insurance can help you cope with unexpected disasters such as guest injuries, accidental damage to a client’s property, or theft of your equipment, among other possible hazards. Ensuring that you have the right insurance coverage can help you feel confident, knowing that if a catastrophe occurs, you will be financially protected.