The Top Band & Musician Insurance Providers Compared: Coverage, Cost, & How to Choose
Figuring out what insurance you or your band needs can feel more intimidating than sight-reading a new song in front of a live audience. To help relieve that pressure, we’ve reviewed, compared, and summarized the best musician liability insurance options below.
- Best overall: Insurance Canopy — based on customization options and overall value
- Customizable short-term coverage options (hour/day/month): Thimble
- Coverage for large bands and musical groups: K&K Insurance
- Versatile business coverage bundling: NEXT
- Covers large audience sizes: Specialty Insurance Agency
Note: Transparency is one of Insurance Canopy’s core brand values. This guide was created with the most recent and verifiable information available to help our readers identify which provider is best for their business (even if it’s not us).
Band and Musician Liability Insurance Companies Compared
| Provider | Starting Monthly Cost for General Liability* | Same Day COI / Buy 100% Online | Unlimited Additional Insureds | General Liability (Base Policy) | Base Coverage Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Insurance Canopy |
$18.50 per month or $199/year |
|
|
|
$2,000,000 |
|
Thimble |
$24.83 per month or $315/year |
|
|
|
$2,000,000 |
|
K&K Insurance |
$540/year |
❌ 24-48 hours |
|
|
$1,000,000 per occurrence general liability limit, $5,000,000 total limit |
|
NEXT |
$18.34/month or $220/year |
|
|
|
$2,000,000 |
|
Specialty Insurance Agency
|
$175/year |
$175/year |
|
|
$2,000,000 |
Insurance Canopy
| Starting Monthly Cost for General Liability* | Same Day COI / Buy 100% Online | General Liability (Base Policy) | Unlimited Additional Insureds Included?** | Base Coverage Limit Compared |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
$18.50 per month or $199/year |
|
|
|
$2,000,000 |
Thimble
| Starting Monthly Cost for General Liability* | Same Day COI / Buy 100% Online | Unlimited Additional Insureds | General Liability (Base Policy) | Base Coverage Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
$24.83 per month or $315/year |
|
|
|
$2,000,000 |
K&K Insurance
| Starting Monthly Cost for General Liability* | Same Day COI / Buy 100% Online | Unlimited Additional Insureds | General Liability (Base Policy) | Base Coverage Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
$540/year
|
❌ 24-48 hours |
|
|
$1,000,000 per occurrence general liability limit, $5,000,000 total limit |
NEXT
| Starting Cost for General Liability* | Same Day COI / Buy 100% Online | Unlimited Additional Insureds | General Liability (Base Policy) | Base Coverage Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
$18.34/month or $220/year |
|
|
|
$2,000,000 |
Specialty Insurance Agency
| Starting Cost for General Liability* | Same Day COI / Buy 100% Online | Unlimited Additional Insureds | General Liability (Base Policy) | Base Coverage Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
$175/year |
|
|
|
$2,000,000 |
*Starting monthly cost was obtained by completing applications for those providers who offer an online quote process, and whenever possible, for a policy with the same limits as our base policy (e.g., $1M per claim / $2M per policy term). With some providers, your actual starting cost could change based on your location, annual revenue, etc. To provide an honest comparison, our buyer is a solo musician (no employees) based in Ohio, earning less than $50,000 per year.
Insurance Canopy: Best Overall DJ Insurance
Cost:
- $18.50/month or $199/year (save by paying upfront)
- $59/event
Key Coverages Included With an Annual Plan
- General liability
- Products – completed operations
- Personal and advertising injury
- Damage to premises rented to you
- Medical expense
- Free unlimited additional insureds
Add-ons
- For event policies, unlimited additional insureds only cost $5
- Equipment coverage
- Cyber liability
Standout Features
- Policy tailored to the unique needs and risks of DJs
- Fast, same-day Certificate of Insurance (COI)
- Easy to customize as your business grows
- User-friendly online dashboard
- No cost to add additional insureds (common venue requirement)
- Licensed, non-commissioned agent support if you need it
- Most affordable musician insurance for $2M in general liability coverage
- 100% online, quick, easy application
- Free unlimited additional insureds
- Ability to add equipment and gear insurance, cyber liability, and other coverages to your plan
- Online dashboard for 24/7 access to manage your COI, additional insureds, etc.
- Customer service from licensed, non-commissioned agents available in English and Spanish
- You won’t pay more based on your state
- Easy to file a claim online
- A-rated carrier
- No general liability deductible
- Doesn’t cover some genres or touring groups
- Event policies don’t come with the same add-on options
Based on our research, Insurance Canopy is the best liability insurance for most bands and independent musicians, due to competitive pricing, an A+ rating, and optional coverage add-ons. It’s affordable, customizable, and easy to manage, with 4.8/5 stars on Google.
Prices start at $18.50 a month for $2 million in general liability coverage, making Insurance Canopy the best bang for your buck on the market. And for musicians with less than three gigs a year, event policies cost just $59 for any one to three-day event.
Some providers may match the 100% online experience, but lack the same level of customer service. At Insurance Canopy, you can speak to real, licensed, and non-commissioned agents — in English or Spanish for help with claims, coverage, or other questions.
Pro tip: Learn more about how much band and musician liability insurance costs and what it covers.
Thimble: Flexible Short-Term Policies
Cost:
- $24.83/month or $315/year (before fees)
Key Coverages Included
- General liability
- Personal and advertising injury
- Products and completed operations
- Terrorism coverage
- Damage to rented premises
- Medical expenses
Add-ons
- Professional liability
- Cyber liability
- Customer property protection
- Business equipment protection
- Business owners package (BOP)
Standout Features
- Versatile event or short-term policy options
- Option to add professional liability
- Multiple add-ons available to bulk up coverage (though the same add-ons may be cheaper with other providers)
- Has a free mobile app
- Customizable short-term policies
- Quick application process
- Convenient mobile app
- Annual and monthly plans cost more for $2 million in general liability vs Insurance Canopy
- Price may increase based on your state, unlike Insurance Canopy
- Higher equipment coverage deductible ($500) than Insurance Canopy’s ($250)
- $50+ transaction fee on plans longer than one month
- Limited support; online customer support only
Thimble offers flexible, very short-term insurance options ranging from several hours to a full month. Unique to Thimble is the ability to choose the exact day and hour your coverage starts and ends on policies that are under a month long.
Thimble’s actual starting costs vary widely based on your zip code. Depending on your region, you could have no transaction fee at checkout, or a $100 transaction fee. This can make it difficult to predict your real costs without going through the entire checkout process first.
K&K Insurance: Coverage for Large Bands and Musical Groups
Cost:
- $540/year
Key Coverages Included
- General liability
- Products-completed operations
- Damage to premises rented to you
- Bodily injury to participants
- Medical payments
Add-ons
- Sexual Abuse/Sexual Molestation
Standout Features
- Includes a commercial general liability broadening endorsement that expands the policy to include things like Key Individual Replacement Cost ($50,000), Identity Theft Exposure ($25,000), Emergency Real Estate Consultant Fee ($25,000), and more
- Event policies cover a 10-day period
- Event insurance covers 10 days
- Covers groups up to 30 people
- Offers limits up to $5,000,000
- Outdated application
- No instant same-day coverage
- Higher premiums than Insurance Canopy
- Unclear if equipment coverage is available
- Excludes “electronic, techno, hip hop, rap or metal, or screamo”
- Excludes personal and advertising injury coverage
K&K Insurance provides 70+ years of experience and coverage for large musical groups like orchestras or big bands, with coverage for groups up to 30 members. The online application, however, has a more dated format and offers minimal customization.
K&K’s total coverage limit ($5 million) is higher than most companies. While you can choose your per-occurrence limit, you can’t adjust that total limit, which means you could end up paying for more coverage than you actually need.
NEXT Insurance: Bundling and Business Insurance Packages (BOPs)
Cost:
- $18.34/month or $220.00/year (before fees)
Key Coverages Included
- General liability
- Damage to rented premises coverage – fire legal liability
- Medical expense
Add-ons
- Commercial auto and property
- Commercial umbrella
- Workers’ compensation
- Professional liability
- Excess liability
- Employment-related practices liability (EPLI)
- Tools and equipment coverage (we were unable to verify availability or cost, as it was not offered as an add-on during the application process)
Standout Features
- Offers a wide range of coverage types
- Offers multiple coverage limit options
- Multiple limit options for their primary coverage types
- Instant Certificate of Insurance (COI)
- No single event coverage options, unlike Insurance Canopy
- No specific coverage for musicians and bands
- Online/AI customer service only; must go through the AI chatbot to be connected with live service reps
NEXT offers “music entertainer” insurance instead of specific band or musician policies. It also offers several business-operation coverages, including commercial auto and workers comp, if your band has additional business insurance needs beyond general liability coverage.
Like Insurance Canopy, NEXT provides instant certificates of insurance (COIs) should you need to show proof of insurance at the last minute. Unlike Insurance Canopy, NEXT requires you to use its AI customer service chatbot before allowing you to speak to a human representative.
Specialty Insurance Agency: Niche Performers and Large Audiences
Cost:
- $175/year (before fees)
Key Coverages Included
- General liability
Add-ons
- Business personal property (inland marine)
- Terrorism risk coverage
- Cold spark machine coverage
Standout Features
- Covers groups performing for up to 10,000 people
- Completely paperless program
- Optional coverage for the use of cold spark machines
- No apparent limit on number of band members
- Higher audience size limit
- Three liability limit options to choose from
- Premiums increase with every additional band member
- Excluded music genres: electronic music festival, gothic, hard core, heavy metal, hip hop, rap, or rave concert performers
- Equipment (inland marine) coverage includes a $750 deductible for theft claims compared to Insurance Canopy’s $250 deductible
- Fees, taxes, and credit card processing fees add $50 or more to your purchase price
Specialty Insurance Agency (SIA) started as an insurer for circus acts and now insures a variety of non-traditional performers. SIA also offers add-on coverage for the use of cold spark machines (special effect devices that produce firework-like sparks without the heat, flames, or explosives).
Most insurance providers limit audience sizes to approximately 1,000 people, but SIA’s stated limit is much higher, at 10,000 people. While SIA doesn’t put a limit on the number of musicians it’ll cover in one group either, it does raise premium rates for each added person.
What to Look for When Buying Band or Musician Insurance
First, you need to know what is most important to you or your band. For example, do you need insurance for a one-time gig or ongoing performances throughout the year? Or, do you need insurance for your instruments and sound equipment, too?
Key factors to look for when buying band and musician insurance in general:
- Policy periods: Do you need coverage for a 365-day (annual) time period or shorter? If you only need insurance for a few days, look for single-event options.
- Exclusions: Check the insurance carrier’s list of excluded genres or activities before purchasing to ensure your band will actually be covered.
- Coverage limits: Do state laws or your performance venues require a minimum amount of coverage? Look for policies that have coverage limits that meet these minimums.
Coverage types to look for:
| Coverage | What it covers | Who needs it / When | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Third-party injury or property damage caused by your performance
|
All performers; most venues require it |
Fan slip-and-fall; accidental stage damage
|
|
|
Harm caused by your products/services after delivery or completion |
If you sell merch or provide services that could cause harm later |
Defective merchandise injures a fan |
|
|
Accidental damage to rented spaces |
If you rent studios, rehearsal rooms, or short-term venues |
You damage a recording studio you rented |
|
|
Non-physical harms like libel, slander, and invasion of privacy |
Bands/musicians doing public promo |
Defamation claim from promo materials |
|
|
Theft or damage to instruments and other gear (not covered by general liability) |
If you own/transport gear to gigs or storage |
Guitar stolen from van; mixer damaged |
If you get no other type of insurance, buy musician general liability insurance to protect your performances now, and your finances forever.
Musician and Band Insurance Isn’t Just Paperwork, It’s Peace of Mind
Choosing the right insurance provider helps you avoid last-minute scrambling and stress. While all the providers listed are reputable, Insurance Canopy is our top pick for most musicians and bands thanks to our affordability, flexible coverage, and ease of use.
Wait! What about companies like MusicPro Insurance, Heritage Insurance Services, and Huntington T. Block? These music insurance companies specialize in insuring physical property, aka musical instruments. They don’t cover liability claims related to your performances or business operations, so they were not included in this comparison!
Get a free quote today to start booking gigs with confidence.
Top Questions About the Best Band and Musician Insurance Options
Can I Get Musician and Band Liability Insurance for Just One Day?
Yes. Insurance Canopy offers single-event band or musician insurance that covers three consecutive days for just $59.
Thimble also provides event coverage for one day or less. Policy time periods are chosen during the application and checkout process.
Do I Need “Damage to Premises Rented to You” Coverage?
Yes. If you rent rehearsal spaces or studio spaces on a short-term basis, this insurance covers accidental damage you cause to those spaces, like denting a wall or breaking a permanently-installed piece of equipment. If you rent spaces for more than seven days, then this covers damage caused by fire.
Do Musicians Need Personal & Advertising Injury Coverage?
Yes. This coverage is strongly recommended for bands and musicians because it covers things like libel, slander, and invasion of privacy claims.
For example, a bar owner accuses you of defamation, stating you made negative comments about their business online and at other shows. They state your claims were false or inaccurate and have caused them financial loss, so now they’re suing. This insurance helps you pay those court costs.
When Do I Need Cyber Liability?
If you conduct business online, like selling tickets or merch through your band’s website. Data breaches and cyberattacks can result in your fans’ personal data being stolen. This coverage helps pay for the services you need to handle cybercrime.
Do I Need Products-Completed Operations if I Sell Merch?
This coverage is highly recommended if you sell merch, in case your merch contributes to an injury or other damage after you sell it. For example, say you sell branded guitar straps, and after purchasing one at a show a fan uses it for their guitar, but it snaps and makes them drop the guitar, which damages it.
Can I Get a COI From Insurance Canopy Online?
Yes! Getting a certificate of insurance (COI) is easy with Insurance Canopy. Instantly access your COI any time by following these steps:
- Log in to your online dashboard
- Locate the “Download Documents” section
- Click on “Proof of Insurance” to download your COI
Once you click “proof of insurance,” your COI will download in seconds. You can print it or save a copy to an electronic device to share.