JoAnne Hammer | Program Manager
JoAnne Hammer is the Program Manager for Insurance Canopy. She has held the prestigious Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation since July 2004.
JoAnne understands that starting and operating a business takes a tremendous amount of time, dedication, and financial resources. She believes that insurance is the single best way to protect your investment, business, and personal assets.
JoAnne Hammer is the Program Manager for Insurance Canopy. She has held the prestigious Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation since July 2004.
JoAnne understands that starting and operating a business takes a tremendous amount of time, dedication, and financial resources. She believes that insurance is the single best way to protect your investment, business, and personal assets.
Picture this: you’re performing a gig at a festival. When you arrive, the event coordinator asks for your certificate of insurance (COI).
You say, “But I don’t have one.” The event planner says you can’t perform with it. Now what?
If you’ve ever been in this situation, you’re not alone. Let’s explore what a COI is and how to get one quickly.
What Is a COI?
A certificate of insurance (COI) is a document that serves as your proof of insurance for your business.
It proves you have protection against costly accidents that can occur at any gig, such as someone spraining their ankle when they trip over your speaker, or if your music stand scuffs the venue’s floor.
A COI typically lists:
- Your name and contact info
- The insurance company’s name and contact info
- The type of policy you have and the coverages
- Policy limits
- Policy effective and expiration dates
- Any additional insured names and contact info (if applicable)
Why You Need a Certificate of Insurance
A musician COI reassures your clients, like event or venue organizers, that you’re covered if something goes wrong during your performance.
It serves as proof that you have insurance to protect the venue (and your business) from expensive claims — so you don’t have to pay for an accident out-of-pocket.
Venues Need COIs to Hire You
Event planners or venue owners won’t let you perform without a COI. They want to limit their risk, so they offload the liability to the performer by requiring you to have proof of insurance.
This document shows you have protection in case something goes wrong during your performance. Musician insurance is designed to cover some or all of the costs of third-party claims, such as:
- Medical injuries: A concertgoer breaks their wrist after tripping over one of your loose cords = $8,000
- Property damage: While moving your gear to the stage, you trip and your music stand leaves a noticeable hole in the venue’s drywall = $2,000
- Libel, slander, and advertising lawsuits: Your cover band’s marketing manager uses a famous artist’s photo in your show advertisement to draw a crowd = $15,000
Without insurance, you’re paying out-of-pocket for claims like these.
A COI Proves You Have Protection
A COI is like your VIP backstage pass — you can sweet-talk security all you want, but without proof, you’ll never make it inside.
Your COI also shows venues, clients, and event planners that you operate a legitimate business and how proactive and responsible you are. You show it to the venue owners before they even ask for it, which wows their socks off!
Pro Tip
A venue or event coordinator may ask that you add them to your COI as an additional insured, so they’re protected if something goes wrong while you perform. When you add them, their names will appear on your COI, and they will receive a copy of it.
How to Get a COI
Getting a COI is as easy as tuning your guitar. Follow these three easy steps:
- Log in to your user dashboard
- Click “Download Certificate”
- View and send your certificate to event coordinators or venue owners
If you add an additional insured to your policy, also send a copy to them so they have one for their records.
No stress or headaches — you can rock out at your gigs worry-free!
If you’re not yet insured and need a COI, you can apply for a musician’s insurance policy. Annual coverage starts at $18.50 a month, and an event policy is $59 per gig.
FAQs About Musician Certificate of Insurance (COI)
How Much Does a Musician COI Cost?
Your certificate of insurance is included with your insurance policy. You can access it via your onine dashboard at any time. We’ll also generate a new one with updated information if you need to add additional insureds.
Can I Use the Same COI for Different Venues or Events?
If you have an annual policy, your COI applies to any gig or event you book during the policy period. However, if you buy an event policy, your COI only applies to one gig.
Can I Get a Musician COI for a Single Event?
Yes, you can get a COI for a single event. Keep in mind, the COI is only good for a single three-day gig, whereas your COI for an annual policy is acceptable for all performances during your policy period.
