Unlike the name may suggest, Inland Marine insurance has nothing to do with insuring boats. Instead, Inland Marine is a category of insurance that covers equipment and other property that travels and is not tied to a specific location. Within the music industry this may include musical instruments, sets, costumes, and props. Typical Commercial Property policies do not cover these types of property.

A Certificate of Insurance (COI) is a short document that summarizes your Liability insurance coverages. This would include General Liability, Auto Liability, Umbrella/Excess Liability and Workers’ Comp. It is a standard form used across the insurance industry. Your business partners (landlords, clients, licensing authorities…) may request a COI to confirm that you have appropriate insurance coverages. The entity requesting a COI from you is called the “Certificate Holder” and their name and mailing address are listed on the COI. The COI may also indicate if the Certificate Holder has any special status under your policies, such as Additional Insured or a Waiver of Subrogation in their favor. It is important to note that a COI cannot change the underlying coverages or limits on your policies. The COI is only a summary of what is already included in your policies.

General Liability covers businesses for injury or property damage caused by a business’s operations and products, or injuries that occur on the business’s premises. A memory device is that General Liability covers injuries or damage to the general public for which you are found legally liable. A common General Liability claim in music would be an audience member tripping and falling while dancing along with the beat.

In most states Workers’ Compensation coverage is required for 1099 workers. And in most states, workers cannot waive their right to Workers’ Comp coverage even by contract with the employer.

If you have Inland Marine coverage, the answer is typically yes!

Errors & Omission (E&O) insurance is a form of Professional Liability insurance. It covers the content of your songs against copyright claims. E&O insurance is especially important for composers, songwriters, and publishers.

If this is something you want to do, let us know. Some insurance companies will exclude coverage for ‘tossing of objects’ from their General Liability policies. We’ll work to find a policy that will let you be you on stage.