Your guide to public liability insurance for musicians

If you work in the music industry in the UK, you'll know how important public liability insurance is to protect your livelihood. Whether you're a solo artist, part of a band, a music teacher or composer, your work invariably involves interaction with the public. Accidents can happen at any moment and could lead to unexpected injury or property damage, so it's vital to have a safety net in place, giving you peace of mind should the worst happen.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about public liability insurance for musicians, including what it covers, why it’s essential, and how to find the right insurance policy for you. Let’s get started!

Are you looking for public liability insurance to protect your music career? Get in touch with us! Our team of experts can help you find the right cover, tailored to your business needs.

Get a Quote

What is public liability insurance for musicians?

Public liability insurance (PLI) offers essential protection for professionals and businesses against potential claims of accidental injury or property damage caused by their business activities. These claims could be from clients, contractors, or members of the public (all third parties).

What does public liability insurance cover?

Public liability cover protects musicians by covering legal fees and compensation costs if a claim is made against them. This includes:

• Accidental bodily injury 

• Accidental death 

• Accidental damage to property 

• Total loss of property 

Do musicians need public liability insurance?

If you're a musician, you'll know that performing at venues or public places can be unpredictable. Pleasing the crowd is one thing, but sometimes accidents can happen that are out of your control.

While musicians aren't legally required to have public liability insurance, it is strongly recommended, given their frequent and often intimate interactions with the public, in case a claim is made against them.

Let's take a look at some scenarios for musicians where having public liability cover in place is essential:

• Accidental injury due to a trip hazard: an audience member, staff, or even another band member, trips over a microphone cable near the edge of the stage. If they sustain an injury, they could claim against the musician(s) for negligence.

• Accidental damage to venue's property: While performing on stage, you accidentally smash one of the venue's expensive stage lights in the heat of the moment. Without public liability insurance, the venue owner could demand that you cover the cost of repairs or replacement for their damaged property.

It's also worth noting that most venues, event organisers, local authorities and employers require musicians and bands to have public liability insurance before they can perform.

Find out more here: Public liability insurance for events: what you need to know

How much does public liability insurance for musicians cost?

It's difficult to accurately say how much you'll pay for public liability insurance, as it varies between insurers and depends on you or your band's individual circumstances. Nevertheless, some of the factors influencing cost could include:

• Level of cover required.

• Policy type - the policy you need depends on how often you perform. Whether you decide to take out an annual policy, or only need cover for a single event, policies will have different prices.

• Additional cover - for example, if you also need music equipment insurance.

• Nature of activity - Insurers calculate premiums by assessing the risk level of your work, whether it's live gigs, private music lessons, or other musical endeavours.

• Claims history.

What insurance do I need as a musician?

Without a doubt, the first insurance policy musicians should secure is public liability insurance, to protect them from the various claims that can arise. There are several other key types of insurance that might also benefit musicians.

Many insurance providers offer specific musicians' insurance, which consists of a range of individual cover types (almost always including public liability) combined into one package, tailored to musicians' specific needs.

Musicians' insurance policies may include some or all of these cover options - if they aren't included, you can add them on as extras. Always check with your insurer first to see what's included.

Musical instrument and equipment insurance

As a musician, your gear lies at the heart of your craft. Musical instrument and equipment insurance covers your valuable kit against damage, theft, or loss, whether at home, on the move, or during performances. This could include individual instruments like guitars, violins, and pianos, full drum kits, and essential accompanying gear such as amplifiers, pedals, microphones, mixing consoles, PA systems, and even specialised equipment like DJ setups and stage lighting.

Professional indemnity insurance

Professional indemnity insurance protects musicians against claims of negligence, errors, or omissions in the professional services they provide . This type of cover is particularly useful for those in education such as music teachers and lecturers, as well as for music therapists and consultants.

Legal expenses cover

Legal expenses insurance covers legal costs like solicitor fees and court expenses for business-related legal action taken against you. This is useful for a wide range of musical professions, including educators, composers and performers.

Product liability insurance

This type of insurance covers claims if a product you manufacture or sell causes injury or property damage to a third party. You should consider product liability cover if you, for example, sell merchandise or produce and distribute physical recordings.

Travel insurance

Travel insurance is particularly important for touring musicians, covering a range of risks associated with touring and performing, including lost or stolen luggage, delayed flights, and medical emergencies abroad.

Note: Travel insurance usually does not cover your musical equipment. For this, you'll typically need to take out separate musical instrument and equipment cover.

Personal accident cover

Personal accident cover provides a lump sum payment or regular income if you suffer an injury, disability, or death as a result of an accident. It's designed to provide financial support if an accident prevents you from working or significantly impacts your life.

Employers' liability insurance

Employers' liability insurance is legally required if you employ staff, such as technical crew members or session musicians. It protects you financially should an employee make a claim against you for an incident that causes personal injury or property damage.

Cyber and data insurance

As musicians increasingly operate online (e.g., selling music, merchandise, or online lessons), cyber and data cover can protect against financial losses and legal costs arising from data breaches, cyberattacks, or other online security incidents.