Here are three types of business insurance available to DJs:

• General liability insurance
• Professional liability insurance
• Workers compensation insurance

Each type of policy covers different scenarios, but all insurance offers the benefit that:

• It can protect your business from certain claims.
• It can cover damages caused by your negligence.
• Proof of insurance can help clients feel good about your work.
• It may be required where you’re located.

What Types of DJ Insurance Do I Need?

If your expertise is more in mixers and turntables, not claims and premiums, not to worry. You don’t have to be an expert in DJ liability insurance to reap the benefits. To learn more about the coverage you may need, we have the info on three types of insurance for your business right here.

General Liability Insurance

Do you have a go-to track that’s good for all sorts of situations and audiences? General liability insurance is a little bit like that. This jack-of-all-trades insurance policy covers bodily injury, property damage, and third-party accidents. These “third-party” accidents refer to your clients or vendors. Considering that the average claim for property damage or accidents in small businesses is $30,000, liability insurance is definitely worth considering.

DJ equipment insurance, also known as contents coverage, is another must-have. This type of policy is added to your general liability insurance and protects your equipment. The cost of even a basic DJ setup can add up quickly, and contents coverage can help offset the cost of your gear if it is stolen.

We understand that insurance can feel a bit abstract. Want an example of when DJ insurance could come in handy? Imagine you’re getting set up for your next gig when you step outside to take a phone call. While you’re away from your booth, someone trips over your electric cords, and a speaker goes crashing to the floor. In the commotion, your client also cuts their arm on the falling speakers. They need stitches, and you need a new speaker.

Without general liability insurance, you might have to pay the medical bill and buy a new speaker out of pocket. You’d have to pay the bills one way or another, even if it means tapping into your family’s finances or taking out a loan. However, a general liability policy would typically help cover the costs. Paying a monthly premium for insurance could make or break your business in case of an accident.

So what does general liability insurance usually cover in your DJ business? Here’s a recap:

• Third-party property damage (aka clients or vendors)
• Bodily injury
• Medical expenses
• Personal and advertising injury
• And more

General liability insurance usually does not cover:

• Personal property damage
• Professional services
• Employee injury and workers compensation
• Damage to your work
• Motor vehicles during business use
• Intentional injury or damage
• And more

Professional Liability Insurance

You may have heard of doctors and surgeons carrying professional liability insurance, but did you know it’s useful for other businesses too? When you work an event, you’re offering a professional service. A client can sue you for negligence and damages, even if you don’t agree with the claim. In fact, professional liability insurance covers you in case a client claims that you, your employees, or your business were negligent.

What could “negligence” mean for you, though? Imagine you’re DJing at a wedding reception and everyone is having a great time. The event is a success, and you go on your way thinking everything is fine. Then you get handed a lawsuit by a wedding guest who claims you had the music so loud that it caused permanent hearing loss. Even if you have sufficient proof to claim your actions weren’t negligent, you will still incur legal fees.

Professional liability insurance would cover these costs. An uninsured DJ would have to pay the settlement out of pocket, but your professional liability insurance policy typically would offset legal fees and settlements.

Let’s review the scenarios that professional liability insurance usually covers:

• Legal defense costs
• Omissions or alleged omissions
• Negligence or alleged negligence
• Claims and damages
• And more

Having professional liability insurance does not usually protect you from:

• Property damage
• Intentional acts and omissions
• Bodily injury
• Medical expenses
• And more

Workers Compensation Insurance

Having too much demand to handle by yourself is a great problem to have, and one that may lead to your hiring employees. If you hire a part-time or full-time employee, you’ll probably need workers compensation insurance. Most of the time, workers comp insurance is required if you have employees. This type of insurance covers medical bills, lost wages, and legal costs associated with an employee who gets sick or hurt on the job.

The reality is that every workplace has the potential to lead to employee injuries. Across all businesses, there’s an annual recorded workplace injury rate of 2.8 accidents per 100 full-time employees, and the average cost of workers comp claims is $40,051. While employee injuries will hopefully be few and far between in your business, the price of a single accident is enough to make workers compensation insurance worth it.

Workers compensation insurance for DJs may cover:

• Medical Payments
• Lost Wages
• Rehabilitation expenses
• Death Benefits

Why Should You Get a DJ Insurance Policy?

It doesn’t matter how careful and courteous you are, business-related accidents or negligence claims can happen to anyone at any time. Forty-three percent of small business owners have reported being threatened with or involved in a civil lawsuit. There’s no need to stress about what may or may not happen, though. If you want to gain peace of mind in your business, you should get DJ liability insurance. Investing a little bit each month can mean the difference between an accident being an inconvenience or a potentially business-ending event.

It’s understandable if you’re reluctant to sign up for an additional monthly cost. The good news is that you don’t need to choose a one-size-fits-all insurance policy that goes above your needs and budget. Your policy premiums are based on the types of services you provide, where you’re located, how many employees you have, your annual revenue, and more. You can answer a few questions here to get a tailored estimate.

The average costs small business owners are exposed to without insurance include:

• $30,000 for property damage or accident claims
• $39,000 for work injury claims
• $50,000 for reputational harm claims (e.g., slander or libel)
• $20,000 for a client slip-and-fall case

What’s tough is that you don’t necessarily have to do something wrong to be faced with high costs as an uninsured business owner. You could be the best DJ in town, but if a single dissatisfied client thinks you were negligent, they could sue you. At a minimum, you’ll incur legal fees, even in scenarios where you’re able to prove you weren’t negligent.

Insurance isn’t just for the bad times, either. Having DJ business insurance comes with a lot of potential perks, including being able to:

• Rent out a room or space for your business
• Convince other people to work with you
• Earn a client’s confidence
• And more!

You’ll receive a certificate of insurance (COI) when you buy your policy through Simply Business, which you can use to provide proof of coverage.

DJ Insurance FAQs

Why Choose Simply Business?

Running a DJ business requires hard work and dedication, so any decision that could impact it isn’t made lightly. We know how important your business is to you, so we take protecting it seriously. Simply Business is an online insurance brokerage that allows you to compare quotes from top insurers and choose the best insurance for you. We’re one of the fastest-growing online providers of small business insurance and are trusted by thousands of customers to protect their business.

What sets Simply Business apart? Our customers know that:

We’re fast and affordable. Your time and money are precious, and we don’t want to waste any of it. Our quote process takes only a few minutes, and you’ll be able to review free quotes right away. Choose the affordable policy that fits your needs, and then get back to your busy schedule.

We’re flexible. Choose a policy to get you started, and increase coverage as your business grows.

We recognize you’re unique. No two people are the same, so their policies shouldn’t be the same, either. Our quote process helps find coverage that’s crafted for you.

You’ve worked hard to build your DJ business. Now you can choose the best coverage to protect it.

This content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is not intended to provide legal, tax, accounting, investment, or any other form of professional advice.