If you're in a band, you may find yourself asking "Do I need insurance?" The answer is yes! Across the industry, we're seeing more and more events/venues requiring proof of Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance from entertainers. By requiring bands to hold their own insurance, the event/venue won't have to submit a claim on their policy, which could have possibly lead to an increase in their premium. Whether you're just starting out or you've been performing for years, holding a CGL policy will help protect you (and your band) should an incident occur.
For example, let's say you have a band that consists of a lead singer, lead guitarist, bass player, and a drummer. During a song, the drummer accidentally loses grip of their drumstick! It flies through the air, and ultimately beams an audience member in the head requiring them seek medical attention. This could be a covered claim with your CGL policy, meaning you're not personally responsible for paying for that person's medical expenses.
Specialty Insurance Agency offers two options for bands to obtain insurance, however, only one option covers the entire band:
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Option 1: Music, Photos, and Event Planners (MPEP).
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MPEP insures your band as a business (you don't need to have a registered business with the state to obtain a policy). When applying for this policy, you will submit the number of events you do in a year as well as how many additional band members you'd like to add to the policy. The number of additional members should be the max number of people who would be on stage at once. Because this is coverage for the business, the specific people performing each gig do not need to be the same. This means if you need a substitute for a gig or if you rotate band members, they are covered with your policy.
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To get an MPEP quote, click here. Your premium is based on the state you live in, how many events you do in a year, and how many members are in your band ($50 for each additional member). While this policy costs more than the individual policy, you're covering an entire band versus one person (such as with the Individual Performer Policy).
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If any of the information (such as number of events or number of members) is greater than what was entered on the application, be sure to contact our MPEP Program Operations Manager, Sheri, by emailing sheri@specialtyinsuranceagency.com.
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Option 2: Individual Performer Policy as a band leader.
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Please note, this is an individual policy, meaning only the named insured is covered. While you're able to list your band name as your dba (or performer name), this leaves other members of your band unprotected should a claim arise out of their actions (if they don't have their own insurance). Only claims arising from the named individual's actions can be considered a covered claim.
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Check out our Individual Performer Policy page for current pricing.
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You can also view our comparison chart for the two policies for more information. If you have any questions between the policies, please give our office a call at 715-246-8908 or send us an email to info@specialtyinsuranceagency.com!
