Protect your Assets- Dj Insurance

[Buck_Choi]

-Will Freeman

Picture this: Your playing at a local club when everything starts to go very wrong. A patron trips over a loose speaker cable knocking over the entire speaker cabinet that injures several people in its fall. Adding to the melee, those same speakers knock over several tables with candles on them and now the place is on fire. Your gear is destroyed, the club is destroyed, people are injured and your not getting paid. What now? Well under normal circumstances you would be screwed. However if you had dj insurance many of these problems would be covered and you would still be in business. Today we take closer look at insurance policies for djs that will protect your investments from extreme scenarios like the one above to the more common place dj mishaps.

CONFUSED? DON’T BE.

Trying to pick the right insurance for a mobile/club dj can be time consuming and confusing, so we are going to show you what to look for in a policy and breakdown some of the jargon used by insurance companies. These companies would prefer you be confused so the settlements fall in their favor but we like our readers nice and educated!

Here are some of the key features you need to look for:

General or public liability: You will be required by most private events to have this (night clubs have their own). It covers damage to the venue and patrons in the case of an accident or emergency. This usually is around $1,000,000-2,000,000 in coverage.

Inland marine coverage: This covers the cost of your damaged or stolen club gear whether from the club or the van (provided there are signs of forced entry, the car was locked and there is am alarm on the vehicle). However this does not cover your equipment if it is seized and/or damaged by the police or any other government agency.

Commercial crime coverage: This covers if a club decides not to pay you or if an employee of either you or the club steals your gear.

Friendly Tips

Proof read your policy: Make sure you claim the correct number of (DJ) setups, and the true value of your equipment because if you under estimate you will only be covered up to the amount you applied for.

Save some $$$: Insurance companies recommend that you join one of the many global or national DJ associations for a discount on your coverage. Short-cutters beware- If all your seeking is the discount then the numbers dont work out. Most dj assosiations charge around $200 a year and you only receive $100 discount from the insurance companies.

The following information only relates to US Law, so please do more research and do not go by the below, if any handy information is found please post in this thread!

Thank You!

POLICY BREAKDOWN

We used a sample single dj setup with a value of $5000-7000 to asses these figures. Here are a few of the more popular policy options and their prices.

NASEP (National Association of Special Event Planners) offers insurance through RV Nuccio:

Commercial Crime Coverage : $50 (up to $5000 in coverage, more coverage is available for purchase as needed)

General/Auto liability: $150

Administration charge: $100

Inland marine coverage: $100

All this is added put your total cost at $300 per year.

Wedj.com offers insurance through G.A. Mavon:

Administration charge: $44.95 (You have to become a member of the site to use their insurance and this is the lowest membership you can purchase at the bronze level)

General liability: $195

Inland marine coverage: $150 (and will cover up $15,000 dollars in damage)

Bringing you to around $389.95 per year.

GMEA (Global Mobile Entertainers Association) offers insurance through Mang Insurance:

Administration charge: $125 (You have to become a member of the Global Mobile Entertainers association in order to qualify for this insurance)

General Liability, inland marine coverage: $500

Bringing you to around $625 per year.

CONCLUSION

(Conclusion by Ean Golden)

While Dj insurance is clearly a must for mobile djs who have significantly increased liability- its actually a very good idea for club djs as well. Many friends of mine, including myself , have had laptops ruined in nightclub environments due to theft, drinks and fighting patrons crashing into booths. All of us assumed, incorrectly, that the club would cover these losses (they wont) so a $300 a year policy that protects your most important $2500 investment from being stolen or damaged is almost a no-brainer. The fact that it also protects you from an increasingly litigious general public, is the icing on top.

http://www.djtechtools.com/2009/12/29/dj_insurance_mobile_club/

[DjDennis]

Sorry but the Dj association thats in America can only be used with insurance from America not Australia

you cant use American Insurance in Australia because of the different laws they have..

you need to contact a local insurance company for this....

plus most insurance companies located in Australia, dont have anything setup for Aussie Djs what so ever - that will be a hit and miss affair on what you really need

if you do go via GMEA then good luck trying to claim..

[Buck_Choi]

Good thanks Dj dennis. ^.^ ill put a note above that its only related to US laws

[DjDennis]

Buck - if we could get all this here

I would have gotten it years ago

but in Oz we are always the last ones to get this sort of thing

because no one has money or the capacity in getting enough people to get cheap insurance a dj needs

[Buck_Choi]

yeah.. that would be good.. Thanks for the post, if you do have any information or anything we as Australians can do to insure or try to avoid these situations it would be much appreciated if you post up Thanks.

[Jaz]

have been told you can put your gear under your house and contents insurance and pay an extra premium and your covered at privately owned places

weather its true im not sure? i hope so

[Cupe]

my gear is covered in my contents insurance, as long as i break it at home

and there's also some travelling coverage up to a certain amount if you break shit when you're somewhere. might have to lie about the party bit

[Jaz]

so if your speaker gets kicked in you did it at home right?

[DjDennis]

Buck thats why I dont - no matter what I do say no one listens so thats where I dont care anymore...

[Cupe]

no matter what I do say no one listens so thats where I dont care anymore...

they stop listening when you make threats about copyright over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over

[FabDJ]

As you can see I like to go out in style

My home contents does not cover my jewellery when I am not at home.

I have to pay an additional fee of 280.00 p.a to be mugged and robbed in a public place.

I envisage me and my equipment will be at the bottom of someones swimming pool at some stage due to my sense of humour at gigs.

I would like to take out P.L insurance or the sake of my customers but if this is not available I have made arrangements to mitigate my liability should the need arise.

[FabDJ]

no matter what I do say no one listens so thats where I dont care anymore...[/

I listen to you Dennis

Your'e my number one since telling me how to get a full page screen on Explorer.

[Buck_Choi]

i listen too

[DjDennis]

well some just dont listen as stated above, but who cares not me then

[pill]

well, contrary to the above, both equipment insurance and public liability is available (and affordable) for mobile DJs.

I get mine through Action entertainment insurance, pm me if you want the email of the lady that organises mine.

Approx $500pa for $10,802 of gear equipment insurance - covers at home, in transit, and at the event, for stealings, damage, crashings, etc (and covers the hire until they find/pay you out for your gear)

Approx $800pa for $5mil public liability

If mobile DJ'ing is something you're serious about then being covered is probably a good idea; i know i'd be fucked if my house was robbed.

Also, some venues will ask if you have public liability before they let you play there.

[Jaz]

hit me up with that link id like to check it out as ive got party's up n coming

cheers

[pill]

http://www.actioninsurance.com.au/main/ ... urance.htm

[pill]

The lady that organised mine was katie I think, she was very thorough, you may wish to ask for her.

[Jaz]

cheers will give them a ring monday n see what i can get +Rep

[DjDennis]

Pill

in my 33+ years and over 1200 venues, I been at, in Perth, not one has asked me for liability insurance....

and even new ones I still go to none have asked me

(maybe its my face, thats why they dont ask me!!)

[Jaz]

maybe u just look so rich u could buy new speakers the next day dennis?

[pill]

1200 venues? are there that many venues in Perth?

I figure it's just a matter of time until some kid passes out from a strobe light and his lawyer mummy and daddy crack shits at me. better to be safe than sorry.

[Jaz]

ok so as ive said i thought you could add your gear to your house and contents insurance and ive done some research and have today got all my gear quoted under my Racq insurance

it covers all my gear in my house, outside my house, in my car, and basically anywhere....i quoted $2500-$3000 worth of gear to be covered so that i have some room to breath....all for $90 a year

i was happy with that bit but i then found out my excess was....$500

would easily be worth it if i had some good CDJ's or something but my Controller and amp are worth $500ea so im gonna have to think if its worth it i guess.......probly is

[DjDennis]

Pill there are a lot more - pubs, venues, halls, sporting clubs,

basicly you can have functions anywhere that is licenced to have more than 20 people in the location

I tried to go to as many as I can over my long djing Career - I have a big list on where it is how to get in, what the dance floor is like, etc etc

and not one has asked me for insurance

oh and now I dont use Strobes, fog machines or bubble machines

all of them can be dangerous to clients and most venues dont allow them as it is... thats what happens

[Jaz]

so as i had mention you can put you gear under RACQ house and contents insurance and well i finally followed up with it and am now covered

not bad actually, around $200 per year with $200 excess

and thats for $4000 worth of cover, i mainly got it for my DJ gear obviously but cause im still living with my old girl (shut up im only 18) its under her house insurance so that cost is also covering all our TV's etc in the house

i suggest if your looking at getting covered you check it out