I'm in Tx and I use USAA. Don't kno if they're up ur way?

i use the one through the adja. its through R.V. Nuccio. Hit me up on PM.

I use R.V.Nuccio too

Do you guys mind sharing the rates you pay and what coverage you get?

i think its $400 and its the generic $1000000 liability policy

That is the price I am getting quoted....

so i think u r getting a deal i guess????? not to make u laugh but knock on wood i never needed it except at one hall so i think u should think if maybe going with an inc or llp may be a better fit like i said hit me up as i am an accounting major and i can show u other ways to protect ur personal assets.

No... not trying to say I am getting a deal... I just mean I think the price I am getting is in line with what you got...

I am doing a X-mas party in mid December and for the first time I was asked for it... like you I have been lucky in the past and was never questioned about it.

dude.. no joke, geico is insuring everything these days.. wouldn't hurt to ask.

Is that $400 a year?

I got my insurance through ADJA. That's the American Disc Jockey Association.

Cost for $1,000,000 worth of liability coverage is $175/year.

I added in $15,000 worth of equipment coverage on top of that and it was still $300 or less.

Admittedly, you'd need to join the ADJA to get those rates, but they do have an 'insurance only' membership which is fairly inexpensive.


In the past I had it through WeDJ. Roughly the same cost for the same 'amount' of insurance, but IIRC the carrier isn't as good.

FYI - The above is for liability coverage.

If you're doing event planning you might want to get Errors and Ommissions insurance as well. This is called 'malpractice' by doctors and lawyers. It's for when you give someone bad advice...

I'm paying a little more than that because I added $50,000 coverage for my equipment.

Usually wedding halls will ask about insurance from my experience. I don't do too many weddings but it's good to have the insurance anyway.

It's kinda funny, I don't wanna pay for health insurance but I don't mind spending the money on insurance for my equipment...LOL

You set up and you're playing. They have an open bar, someone dies on the way home and they're drunk.

You get sued.

Liability insurance will pay for the lawyer to protect you.


Speaker falls over, lands on Grandma, busts her hip.

Liability insurance will cover the medical bills.


You're loading in, a speaker falls of your cart and busts a marble floor.

Again, liability insurance protects you.


Anyone who goes out and does mobile work without liability insurance is a fool or an idiot.


One accident and you spend the rest of your life paying off lawyers and legal judgements. If you don't have it, GET IT.

wait hold up if u have an open bar at a spot ur dj'ing that isn't ur legal problem???? is it?????

so, in addition to the LLC I already have I should get this?

will this cover an "independent contractor" dj that works for me?

depends how many sound systems u purchase insurance for. for example you purchase insurance on one system... this entitles you to be covered for one party. Say u take a chance and two seperate incidences occur simaltaniously u r screwed.

I never heard of DJ Insurance but Per MusicMeisters Definition it sounds like something I might get

I've had insurance for years. I would say I get asked to present it about 30% of the time. Depending on the catering hall of course.
Have both equipment and liability insurance. Worth every penny even though I never had to "use it"

I agree a MUST HAVE for anyoen looking to do professional mobile DJ work in higher end halls and events.

Get it, it's a good thing. Protect your ass and your assets...lol

When I play casino nightclubs they ALWAYS ask for it.

DPR - I'm from NYC and used the insurance through wedj.com. I paid $185 for the year.

+1

Hey guys... thanks for all the input... looks like I am going with ADJA (Nuccio)...

An insurance agent actually got back to my partner and told him flat out that we should just go with ADJA because he could not match thier rates/coverage.

What's nice, is the ADJA is putting some things together in the coming year that will make being a member that much more beneficial.

I had insurance when I was spinning at a small venue weekly and kept almost all of my equipment there. It was liability and equipment coverage. Since that went by the wayside and all I pretty much do now is the occasional mobile gig. I have a contract that is about 5 pages long and is very detailed that puts all and I mean all responsibility on the individuals that hire me for the gig. It has everything from strobe lights causing seizures to idiots fighting and screwing my equipment up to party goers spilling liquid on my gear. Its all in black and white. I get them to read it and initial and date beside each individual section. It seems to be working for me so far, however I dont know how well it would hold up in court if that ever became the case.

oh it would especially if u have them initial after ever section then i would consider it bullet proof

The language has as much to do with it as them singing and initialing.

I have a 2 page contract. But that contract won't protect you if you do something found to be negligent (like dropping a speaker during a load in and busting something) or if they sue everybody and you end up paying just to protect yourself.

The cost to fight a frivilous law suit is SUBSTANTIAL. Even if your contract DOES protect you, are you prepared to spend thousands of dollars fighting a law suit to save $175 a year? I'm not...

my insurance just called me lol...

Lad, you really get asked to present it? That's ill.

I'm looking into this now too.

Anytime I play a venue I provide them a copy of my proof of insurance along with them listed as an additional insured. They get it enough and they'll start expecting it...

Herrera, yeah. I've played a few clubs at some Harrah's across the US and they've all asked for it. I can't even play if I wanted to if I didn't have it.

Hmmm.

So back to basics here, and I apologize for my ignorance, but do you have liability coverage or what exactly is the class of coverage you have?

I have the ADJA coverage - most require 2M worth of coverage just so you know, 1M isn't enough. I think it costs me $200 or something, and that is something I can write off as an expense.

I believe it's liability. Send me a PM if you have some questions.

"i think its $400 and its the generic $1000000 liability policy"

Come on! On: www.theeventhelper.com it is only $136.28 for a 2 mill policy.

Check them out next time, im sure you will like them.

I've been using Nuccio too and Ronnie, correct me if I'm wrong but it seems like that site is a per event policy, and not an annual policy.

If it were an annual one I would definitely consider switching over.

HAS ANYONE HAD TO USE THEIR INSURANCE?

thank god no...

I have an "inland marine" policy..... All my equipment is always covered (storage, transporting, at venue)....... Damage is covered eg. Improper setup, water damage (not a flood).... $1,000,000 liability. Theft, also loss of wages/pay......
Only about 1200 /year for $165,000 coverage

I know someone who's insurance company replaced a $100,000 stolen system

yeah i wanna know about someone thats had this experience.. someone that actually had their insurance company. ive heard about soooo many fraudulent insurance companies... in the end u get screwed.

so anyone? anyone use their insurance? because im looking for an insurance co.

yeah i wanna know about someone thats had this experience.. someone that actually had their insurance company. ive heard about soooo many fraudulent insurance companies... in the end u get screwed.

so anyone? anyone use their insurance? because im looking for an insurance co.

yeah i wanna know about someone thats had this experience.. someone that actually had their insurance company. ive heard about soooo many fraudulent insurance companies... in the end u get screwed.

so anyone? anyone use their insurance? because im looking for an insurance co.

yeah i wanna know about someone thats had this experience.. someone that actually had their insurance company. ive heard about soooo many fraudulent insurance companies... in the end u get screwed.

so anyone? anyone use their insurance? because im looking for an insurance co.

yeah i wanna know about someone thats had this experience.. someone that actually had their insurance company. ive heard about soooo many fraudulent insurance companies... in the end u get screwed.

so anyone? anyone use their insurance? because im looking for an insurance co.

awesome! i love posting 4 times lol

You need posting insurance lol

Hey all,

I run a small agency in Northern NJ as my day job and im considering either checking out a company to represent or coming up with a custom "for dj's only" type product that would tailor specifically for our needs... Ive started the ball rolling but would love to get some feedback from you guys on what you think you would need....

I was thinking on doing some basic per person policies so like me local nyc dj going to the club with laptop, control records etc... Cover the contants that you carry in case of theft or vandalism...
small policy but if you think about it we run into issues all of the time, drinks spilled, god forbid you get mugged etc..

then a more comprehensive package for the mobile/wedding dj, full coverage on all equipment, etc...
thoughts?

i think my insurance would need accidental, fire coverage, theft, damage, and of course anythign to do with weddings, school dances and so on...

When I opened my business account at Wells Fargo they offer Business Insurance thru Travelers, pretty reputible; this includes both $1 mil liability and equipment coverage (about $15,000). I pay about $80/mo. I haven't had any claims yet.

i think 80 bucks is a bit much... thats what i pay for my car. more like 40 :)

i also concur that 80 bucks is a bit much if you have never had a claim. I use to pay 250 a year for better coverage with the insurance that ADJ offers

80 a month is rather high, DJ DAC what kind of coverages are offered by Adj?

it was at least 1 or 2 million liability, and around $12k for gear coverage, and there was an event ruined clause, its been a while since i have read it since i let it lapse a year or so ago since i had a kid and eased up on the gigs. but it was around 250 for the year.

I called a few different companies for general business quotes and even tried USAA(they are usually super cheap) and no one could touch the ADJA coverage and cost. i just looked on thier website and it looks like a different company offering it now. its worth checking out.

www.djinsuranceinminutes.com

i just did a quote and its doubled in price...

I'm gonna talk with one of my underwriting companies that writes custom special type of policies and see what kind of numbers we can come up with... IMO 1 million in liability is high for what we do even weddings etc... When was the last time you walked into a place and said hey I think I could do around a million dollars with of damage here.. I think we should be more concerned with our gear and safety of our equipment in transit.

Thoughts?

I'm not worried about damaging the venue, I'm worried about the drunk bitch who trips over the speakers or lights and they fall on a little kid. its all CYA these days...

Yeah, the million dollars is to cover medical expenses for the hapless idiots who trip over a cord and break their neck. A million is probably the bare minimum these days.

I go through Farm Bureau, and I have both a general business liability policy as well as a policy to cover all of my gear. The liability is $1,000,000 coverage at about $160-170 per year, and the other policy covers all of my gear, laptop, etc. for about $350 per year, although that rate will vary greatly depending on what you have (and it is based on replacement cost, and you can use your own valuations; in order to avoid going out of pocket on any loss, I valued everything at standard retail pricing).

I joined ADJA but never got the insurance now I need it for this weekend. Let me know a good company budget $300

Question: I just got an insurance policy through WeDJ covering a year. I have a gig tomorrow. I sent the policy to the ballroom manager. He's telling me that I need something with their name on it and the name of the people I'm playing for. Is this normal? Or is trying to pull something? On the bottom of the policy it states "All venues and/or clients of the Named Insured are added as additional insureds for the polciy term". Is it normal for a venue to ask for their name to be on the policy or is this guy uninformed. If he's right, how can i rectify the situation?

This is common. You should have an email or somethign from the insurer that states "forward this email to all venues" that covers them. I have that through my carrier.

TO: N.A.M.E. MEMBER,
FROM: DALE WITTICK, CPCU; Vice President Willis Online E-insurance Operations
Save this email. You will need it and the attachments until your policy expires.
Do not print this certificate. Forward this whole email when requested to provide proof of insurance.
The attachment is your certificate of insurance and automatic additional insured form PI-EK-010 (08/10). This form provides additional insured additional insured status for the venue where you perform, your landlord, and/or your client automatically. In the description section of your certificate we include the automatic additional insured form information so those business associates know they have the additional insured status they want without further processing. If you purchased scheduled equipment insurance, your scheduled equipment list must be in our office prior to a loss for that equipment claim to be covered.
TO: VENUE CONTACT,
The Insurance Department approved the attached additional insured form to address your request. Willis NA and our client, the National Association of Mobile Entertainers (N.A.M.E.), utilize it to reduce extra certificate processing. It eliminates the need for an entity name to be specifically listed in the certificate holder box. This form has been accepted in all 50 states since June 2006. If this is the first you have seen this form, it makes your job easier. No more follow up requests. Please forward this email to your insurance broker if you need confirmation this provides you with additional insured status. This program has been overwhelmingly embraced across the United States and currently insures thousands of entertainers and professionals. Many venue contacts refer entertainers needing insurance to this program for their ease of use. Our online insurance app is einsurance.willis.com.
Sincerely,

Willis Einsurance Support Desk
Willis North America, 100 Matsonford Road, Building 5; Suite 200, Radnor, PA 19087
einsurance@willis.com
610-260-4360


The information contained in this email/fax message may be privileged and confidential information and is intended only for the use of the individual and/or entity identified in the address of this message. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately and delete the original message from your system. Thank you for your cooperation.

^^ that is the email I forward along to any of my venue's that ask for it. Granted your insurance company may be different.

im still waiting on anyoen that has ever used their insurance???

thanks CQE... I meant to thank you when a week ago. I ended up emailing the insurance company and they sent me one with the venues name on the certificate.

Hey I am about to do gig for next month at a launch party in new york and the person asked if I had insurance. I said no I don't but I am in process of acquiring insurance in the following days. So I looked at www.djinsuranceinminutes.com and tried googling weddj because I need it. However when trying to get the quote and what the event planner is asking I am like wow where am I going to get insurance covering all those costs anyone below see something like this?? I feel like its over 10 million WTF? or I am reading this wrong.. Because at the djnsurance in minutes the mas is 2million?

I tried calling RVNA but waiting for a call back

This is what my event planner is asking for?
A) Worker’s Compensation - Statutory Amount
B) Employer’s Liability - $1,000,000 minimum
C) Commercial Liability Insurance including Contractual Liability with the following minimum limits:
General Aggregate $2,000,000
Property Damage $1,000,000
Each Occurrence $1,000,000
Personal & Advertising Injury $1,000,000
Medical Payments $5,000 per person
D) Umbrella/Excess Liability (on a following form basis with the following minimum):
General Aggregate $4,000,000
Each Occurrence $4,000,000
E) Automobile Liability insurance is a combined single limit of $1,000,000 covering owned, non-owned, leased, or
hired vehicles for each occurrence for bodily injury or death or persons and/or loss or damage to property.

I'm gonna play the pessimist and say it sounds like a bad idea to me. There would be some unscrupulous DJs out there that are looking for a scheme to supplement their low-paying gig with a high-return insurance scam.

I would agree. You would have to have a lot of other insurance policy types to make it work. Offering DJ only policies is too high risk - If I drop my hard drive, you are paying me thousands to replace my media, someone breaks into my truck at a gig - $20k+, speaker falls on a kid, plan on paying out $2million+...
You need a lot of low-risk homeowner & life insurance policies to cover that and still make a profit...

join N.A.M.E. (National Association of Mobile Entertainers) and get your insurance through them. www.nameentertainers.com

Watch out for another scam places are trying to pull as well. I've had a few facilities ask me to add them as additional insured for events I do there. That is totally unethical and borderline illegal. They have their own insurance, you do NOT have to add them as insured. Your insurance protects YOU from anything damages arising from your own acts, your staff's acts, or damages involving your equipment, NOT the facility. They will try to put you in the first position sport for that day and you can be included in any suit that involves negligence on the part of the facility.
I had one facility tell me that if I did not add them then I could not work there. I asked to speak to the hotel manager and I told him "Ok, no problem, but understand that I will be making 3 phone calls; 1 to the bride who I will inform she will need to find another DJ 2 weeks before her wedding because her reception hall is trying to make me do something that is unethical at the last minute, 2 to the Better Business Bureau, and 3 to the NJ State Board of Banking and Insurance notifying each of those 3 as to what you are trying to pull!" He called me back 10 mins later and said that my insurance would be fine as is. BE CAREFUL! BTW I use N.A.M.E.'s insurance company which is Willis of PA. I know a few people who filed claims and they were honored. My yearly is App. $430 but I do have 30K worth of equipment insurance. You also have to be a N.A.M.E. member which will cost you a little over a $100 per year.

That is insane! I would tell them where to stick that gig.

Is it worth the discount on dj insurance to sign up on ADJA? My quote without a membership was $920 for 1 million with 10k property and 20k media.

Agreed! Certainly worth the $400 or so per year than being sorry later.

You can join N.A.M.E. for a little over $100 per year. My insurance through them is around $430 for up to 2,000,000 in liability and 25,000 in equipment insurance.

Is there anyway i can get a ruff draft of your contract? I'm new to the industry and have been doing gigs in places that didn't require insurance( that i never knew i needed until today). I had a gig for a wedding that was in a big venue and thats how i learned about the insurance and license.

Hi everyone, I think this is a good liability insurance for you. Cover Advantage provides a quick and easy way to buy affordable professional liability insurance online. In just minutes you can apply, pay for and receive a policy that will protect you for liability arising out of the services or advice you provide to clients. You can also easily add commercial general liability and directors’ and officers’ coverage. I would suggest this coveradvantage.ca

I recently found Insurance Canopy. They seem good, but I'm no expert.

www.insurancecanopy.com

So.... No one has had to use their insurance policy or file a claim? I have been researching insurance for about 6 months now. I have come across a lot of comments on individuals who had to file a claim only to be told t wasn't covered. I have read some policies that state your gear is not covered if you perform an event that plays hip hop, rap, metal or rave style music. some policies say you are not covered if you perform at an event that serves alcohol. and one would not cover theft if it happened off your personal business address location, like at an event. so does anyone have a copy of their policy with the details of exactly what is covered and what is not and the circumstances in which its covered?

Hmm... now I actually have to read my policy!

"so does anyone have a copy of their policy with the details of exactly what is covered and what is not and the circumstances in which its covered?"

Every policy is different. You need to read the policy you're going to buy, not someone elses. One thing I can tell you for certain, is that you can't take anyone's word for what a policy covers. If the coverage is not spelled out in black and white, you don't have it. It doesn't matter what an agent tells you.

The first time I went looking for gig insurance I was surprised that almost every insurance agent asked about those things specifically. Some "entertainment insurance companies" didn't even offer insurance for DJ related gigs.

I currently have Traveler's Insurance for general liability and equipment coverage. I've had to file two claims with them. One for equipment being damaged at an event (my sub and top rolled off the edge of a loading dock) and the second for a case containing my wireless mic (handhelds) being taken at an event. Both were covered and paid quickly.

Traveler's is definitely not the cheapest but I prefer to have a company I know will be there for me when needed.

^^ Good to know - a buddy of mine works for Traverler's. ^^

Which DJ insurance are you guys using now? I have an 18th Birthday gig with 200 guests and the venue requires insurance. I only need it for this one time. Any suggestions or tips would be great!

"I have an 18th Birthday gig with 200 guests and the venue requires insurance."

What type of insurance?

Liability and equipment coverage