Thursday 31 May 2018

How to Choose a Good Performance Insurance Online?



Ever since we started turning online for everything, we have suddenly become spoilt for choices. The large numbers of companies sponsoring different products are our haven. When it comes to music insurance, the online world treats it no different. You have a gamut of providers online and a wide variety of insurance types. Choosing from these different insurance types can be quite a difficult task. That’s why we are here! We will help you through this process, making sure you have the right provider on-board.

What do you need?
The answer to this question will get you to the right providers. However, it is not really easy to know what you need from insurance. For long people took the off-the-shelf solution, thinking it was the best bet for them. However, things changed with providers competing against each other to provide something interesting, unique and personal. With the option to get customized performance insurance, you may want to think through the whole insurance and state your needs. This will take sometime, considering you are new to the insurance world. You should first consider the different issues that occur with the instrument, the studio or other aspects related to performance. When you have these points noted on a paper, you might know what the insurance should include.

Do they have it all?
Next start researching into the market of providers to figure out if they have all your requirements added to their insurance. This will require a thorough research of all the performance insurance providers and the inclusions they have. There might be a list, which you need to study. Match the list with what you have made of all the inclusions you need. There would be few who would have everything or at least have most of it. You may find comparison tools online; try spending some time with them.

What you need to customize?
With the shortlisted providers ready, you might want to check which ones will allow you to customize the solution. You need to further check the requirements that you might want to customize for the solution to meet all your requirements. Once the customization part is done, sit with the provider to check if it is possible and feasible.

What budget to expect?
When you are down to the requirements and the customization, you might want to ask the providers what the premium budget is likely to be. You would have already finalized a budget for the performance insurance; however, you need to know if the money claimed by the providers is within the budget you have set aside or is it going overboard. You might also want to tackle the question- how far are you ready to stretch the budget?

Recommendations, if any
Now with the list in your hand, you should ideally do a background check of these providers. Check their ratings and reviews online and even seek recommendations from people who have worked with them. This final check will decide who is going to be your next performance insurance provider.

Tuesday 29 May 2018

Start and Protect Your Studio with Music Studio Insurance



Planning to start your home studio. There are some considerations that you will need to make in order to get the right kind of studio on the floor. There is of course the finances you need to consider along with the technical infrastructure you should be building for the same. Remember, the musicians need high-tech infrastructure combined with excellent facilities. If your studio doesn't provide that, you may not be able to convert the necessary clientele.

Here we will take you through the steps that will help you build your home studio.
  • When we say recording studio, you could be a one-man army at the start. You may have to work through sound design, proper recording, operating the different audio equipment etc. The best way to deal with this scenario would be to opt for a formal training, one that will introduce you to the different ways of operating and augmenting a home studio
  • Why should you operate a home studio and how would yours be different from the others in your area? The market research will help you derive the exact USP for your studio, and you would be able to justify your presence in the market
  • Nothing works if you don't have a good business plan. That's why you need to start with a good business plan. This would even help you when you go out for investments
  • A good studio needs a good premise. Are you operating it out of your home or, are you planning to rent some place for the same? This is a must plan scenario
  • The place that you are planning to convert into a music studio should be planned accordingly. You need to furnish the requisite furniture along with the necessary instruments to make sure the music studio is equipped and has the necessary infrastructure
  • You should invest in the audio equipment gear that will help transform the music in to high fidelity sound. This will include the mixing console, the recording devices, the microphones etc. You should ideally plan the level of the studio, and the equipment you need before you set out to purchase. You may want to identify the budget before planning the instrument purchase
Once this is done, you will need to plan the next phase of your music studio, the music studio insurance. This is the most important part, as it helps protect all your assets and keep your liability to the minimum.
  • Choosing a good provider online is a great way to start your music studio insurance purchase. You can start with noting your requirements. There would be a long list of requirements that you want to mention. Keep the list to basic minimum that you simply cannot ignore. Once this list is ready go to the next step
  • Start looking out for providers with the right experience and expertise. Ask for quotations for the list you have made. Compare the quotations and shortlist your people
  • If you believe you still have money in hand and can add a few requirements that are not basic, you should see the providers that offer them in affordable rates
  • Finalize the ones with the best rating and review. Once everything is done, place a reminder in your phone for the music studio insurance premium payment.

Thursday 24 May 2018

How Music Studios in New York Have Changed With Time



Music has always been progressive. Every decade saw music changing and revolutionizing the human world. Sometimes, what plain words could not convey, the music did. The land of all kinds of revolutionary acts, the United States of America, saw a huge difference in the kind of music that was created during the 90s and today. There is more pop to the otherwise metal culture that the states had adopted for a long time. The music studios in New York have specifically undergone a change to adapt to this new music need stated by the youngsters.

Along with music, the way it is consumed has also changed. For instance, you no longer use the cassettes to jam through your favorite song while on the road. Remember the instances when those tapes would get stuck to your recorder, and you would hear fitting rewinds of the same line till you actually ejected them out? Moving on, the gear changed and the medium became the CDs. This was an interesting era. Digital music was ripe and you could say people loved the high definition, high fidelity version of the sound they had recorded. The sound designer became a huge hit with music studios at this time. The sound gear were refined to meet the new sound consumption methods.

The iPod revolutionized the music industry completely. Now, you were talking about making music for the portable devices that could be heard from anywhere. You needed to store the music in these small, hand-held devices that were fed with rich quality. The recording had to be perfect, and the background noise reduced. New formats of playback were introduced to meet this new era.

With the Internet age dawning upon us, there was no escape for the music industry either. They had to reign in music for the live streaming with the same quality, matching the sound acceptance levels. You would be able to hear these musicians without actually paying for it. Some of the popular applications including the latest Amazon Music have made music through streaming incredibly easy for the listeners.

From music recording to actual music composition, everything changed in the eye of this new era. The way musicians created their music and the type of music that worked with the audience changed too. The music studios in New York implemented new gear that rocked the scene. But, what was important at this time was studio insurance. Why? The gear cost more than the music itself in some cases. The sound design has become important and your studio needs to invest in audio equipment. This simply means they have to invest a lot of money in making sure the gear is up to the mark.

If something goes wrong with the gear, they will need to spend a lot of money getting it repaired. Their chances of huge investment in replacing or repairing the gear go if they have insurance. The insurance will take care of the money and the places to get it repaired from, while you concentrate on making good music.

Monday 21 May 2018

Here's Everything You Need to Know About Viola Insurance



Viola, bow-string instrument that can also be played with different techniques, is definitely delicate and impressive. The sound, though deeper and lower, resonates a lot with violin. There are typically four strings, and was popular as part of the five-part harmony. It is again an important part of the orchestra, and helps create deep bass sounds. It is part of the chamber music and owns the classical version.

There could be pages written on viola; however, the most important thing that a viola player needs to remember is that the instrument is highly delicate, and being a string instrument, the strings are prone to damage.

Investing viola insurance makes sense for all the right reasons. Let's go through the reasons why you should own viola insurance
  • Let's say you have bought a viola. This is our first consideration when we are talking about the insurance. You would have gone through immense efforts before deciding the instrument that suits your needs perfectly. What will happen when the viola breaks down when you are to play in a concert? This could be a huge blow to your career, one that you have been nurturing for such a long time. The best way to deal with it would be send the viola you own to repair, and rent a new one. Let's take each case
    • Who should you send the viola for repair? In case, you are not in your own city, this is a major question for you. You would waste time asking questions, and this way your instrument would neither get repaired nor would you be able to rent a new one. The best way is to own the insurance. The provider will help you hunt for places to get your viola repaired
    • When you are going for rent, you obviously don't want to spend a lot of money. The best part is, when you own insurance, you don't have to pay. The provider will not only help you get an instrument on rent, they will also help you pay for the rent
  • What if your instrument is stolen or worse still damaged while you are performing? The insurance will take care of all the worse situations.
  • There will be times when you would not be able to attend the concert you have been signed up for. This could be a blow to your pockets as concert no-show means giving out money. Your insurance could help you at such a moment, if you had a genuine reason to not attend the concert
  • What if you met with an accident or you are sick and unable to move? The viola insurance covers your medical bills too. So, if you have lost a payday, you don't need to worry about your medical costs. The insurance is your perfect bail
  • In case you opt for renting an instrument, the insurance will make sure you don't have to pay more than the rental costs. Anything that happens to the instrument is taken care of by the insurance.

Tuesday 15 May 2018

Why Buying a Cello Insurance is a Must for Every Cello Player?



When buying a cello, there are quite a few things that you tend to consider. The whole design, the way it is made, and even the material used to craft it is considered.
  • The quality of the craftsmanship is something that you simply cannot ignore when buying a cello. Does the cello have a carved wood or is it made of some cheap cello tables? Is the saddle cut neatly? Are there ridges around the cello? These questions answered will give you the quality of the work done in crafting the cello
  • The cello should neither be too heavy not too light. The material used should be considered in order to check the weight of the instrument
  • The state of the cello is an important aspect. If there are damages present in the instrument when you opt to buy it, you might want to reconsider the decision. It is always a good idea to check the instrument thoroughly before completing the purchase
  • The ease of tuning the cello should be considered when picking up the instrument
  • The four strings in cello should be carefully considered before making the purchase. Evenness in the string is a must for completion of the purchase. The strings, if not perfectly aligned, can cause musical errors, which will disturb your entire craft.
When you are looking into every aspect of the cello before you make the choice, isn't it important for you to keep it protected and secure? A good instrument stays for as long as you can actually maintain it and keep it safe.

It is a good idea for you to invest some time in taking care of the instrument.
  • Start with regularly dusting the instrument. We will not be able to maintain a dust free environment for the cello but, we can always keep it dust free
  • How about keeping it enclosed in a box? You should be able to maintain it in a box that would help you keep it away from dust and other pollution sources
  • Even a small scratch should be taken care of at the early stage.
Under these circumstances, when the scratch is present, it is important for you to take care of the instrument. You might want to get it repaired too. This is why you need cello insurance. It will not only help you protect the instrument but also keep it safe and sound, and ensure no spending from your pockets. Let's see how.
  • When you see a small scratch or a huge dent in the instrument, you need to get it repaired. But the real question is who would repair it for you? That's where the cello insurance helps. They will not just tell you who will repair it but also take care of the repairs. Now, that's interesting!
  • If you want to get your payday insured, the cello insurance offers musician coverage too. This way whether you are sick or you have a no-show moment at a concert, you are safe. The insurance will get the deal covered
The cello insurance helps you in many ways. The deal is to find a good provider with good amount of experience.

Thursday 10 May 2018

Are You a Sound Designer in Your Music Team? Here's a List of The Gear You Need Along with The Audio Equipment Insurance



Are you the geek that creates the right sound for the band? Are you the behind-the-scenes magician for your band? If yes, then you need these five things that will help you create the apt sound for your band. Make sure you invest in them first.

Audio Interface: We believe this is the most important part of designing good sound for the music you have composed. It is basically an interface that includes analog and digital converters. With this by your side, you can convert the audio you have recorded into a digital version that comes with full HD quality. The sound that you have recorded is definitely good but, if you want to make sure it is heard and makes the difference, you need to invest in a good audio interface.

When it comes to buying a good audio interface, you need to make sure you have a good budget, and have researched the top models and their differences. Focusrite is one of the best known audio interfaces. It comes with preamps and AD/DA convertors that are known for quality.

Microphones: Recording is an important part of creating good music. You should invest in a tough gear that helps you record the sound perfectly. That's why investing in a good pair of microphones is essential. They will not just make recording fun but also ensure the output is really good. sE microphones are really good, if you want to buy quality and reliable stuff for your band.

If you are at an intermediary level, you would have realized that there are tons of microphones available in the market. Each one differs in the quality and level of sound it produces. You need to choose one that fits your needs, experience level and budget perfectly.

Field Recorders: If you want to capture the sound around you, this is the thing you should add to your armoury. Zoom's field recorder is notably one of the best. They come with a XY stereo microphone, which allows you to record while on the go, while capturing the best sounds around you. If you want, you can invest in device specific microphone.

Studio Monitors with Headphones: it is not enough to create sound; you need to be able to hear it properly too. This is why you need to invest in studio monitors with headphones for your business. You should choose the ones that have near flat frequency response for the best audio results. When you go out to purchase them, make sure you invest some time, in hearing them out before going ahead with the purchase. The main thing is to buy one that fits your budget perfectly.

Finally, you should have an iPad that helps you create new sounds, and identify sounds that you can use with your music.

When you have all the five gear with you, you should invest in audio equipment insurance that will take care of this gear. This will save you from taking care of the damages, identifying places where you can get it repaired, and worrying about the costs. You can create good sound while staying carefree.

Monday 7 May 2018

Why Orchestra with Orchestra Insurance is Important for Your Kids?



Orchestra is often the most misunderstood aspect of music. You will never find someone who knows how an Orchestra works or, why it works the way it does, completely. The questions that most people have include- why an orchestra is seated a particular way, and why the conductor is an important element of the orchestra. We won't really be covering any of those questions here; however, we will definitely touch base on some. The conductor is an important part of creating the music. The sign they give out when the musicians start playing their instrument, helps in creating an aesthetic and pleasant experience.

Now that we have discussed the importance of conductor in orchestra, let's touch base on the topic of the hour. It is why should students be a part of the orchestra in their early stages of music.
Let's just say, the competition is as hard in the music industry as it is anywhere else, in any other segment. It is very important to be able to play like a pro if you want to be taken seriously in your field. That's why you should be part of the orchestra.

It helps you grow
Not many people believe this but, the truth is when you are part of something big, you tend to learn more about music than you would when playing individually. You will be playing alongside other musicians who are topping their craft, and you would know how to play in sync with others. When you play in tandem, you learn more about the craft.

Builds team spirit
When you are as young as in school, you ought to build the ability to work in a team. This comes with time and great levels of bonding as a team. The orchestra helps you work as a team. As we said earlier, you would be playing alongside other instruments and musicians. This means you need to know and understand their rhythm to build yours. You cannot be individual in this. The whole music is pleasant when you all play it together and in sync. When you learn to be a team player, you can adapt it to any condition.

Helps with your career
Any internship is good for the career they say. Same is the case with music. If you are part of the orchestra, you tend to meet more people, and it builds your resume. You have more experience in the field than you would have otherwise, which is again important if you want to grow your career in music.

When you play as a team, you would know your strengths and weaknesses too, which would help you build your career, and answer tough interview questions.

Stay disciplined
Music itself is a great way to gain discipline. When you start working in a team as orchestra, you tend to improve your discipline, and stay more organized. Multi tasking becomes a regular thing for you.
Whether you are participating during school or when you grow up, don't forget to get orchestra insurance. It will not just keep your safe within the team but also insure your assets. This is a great way to save your payday from getting used in tragic situations.

Wednesday 2 May 2018

How to Choose a Musicians Coverage Online



As a musician, the one thing that matters the most to you is creating good music. You don't want to be troubled with securing your assets and protecting your instruments, when creating music. That's precisely why you need musicians coverage. It allows you to concentrate on your craft, while helping you manage your assets and keep them secure.

It is important though, to choose the right insurance solution for your needs. This comes with choosing the right provider and knowing your needs. Going online for your musicians coverage seems to be the most viable choice. Here are reasons why we believe hunting for coverage online works well.
  • The online world is spoilt for choices. You will find a wide range of solutions, providers and coverages available online. You just need to make the right choice knowing what you need
  • The pricing structure online is way more organized and affordable when compared to the offline counterpart. You get more discounts, and deals to work around
  • The time you get to make the choice online is higher when compared to offline. A few solutions allow you to sit down, use the solution and than make the choice. There's nothing better than that.
Choosing online is the difficult task though! You need to be aware of all that you need before making the final choice. You should stay away from scams and frauds, which is prominent online. So, here's a way that would help you make the right choice while not getting tempted by scam schemes.
  • Sit down for a while, and start making a note of your requirements. Till you are fully sure of what you need, you cannot complete your purchase. Do you want a personal cover as a musician or do you want your studio time included in the cover? Do you want your musical assets included in the cover? Do you want insurance during travel and other inclusions? You may want to state down all the requirements
  • Once the requirements are stated, you may want to start looking for the insurance providers online. Check for the insurance solutions they offer. Do their off-the-shelf solutions include all that you want? If not, then do they have provisions for custom solutions? This might take a while, which is why we suggest a thorough research. The choice is dependent on all these factors
  • Once this is done, you may want to make a list of all the providers you believe are good to go. Next, work out on the budget you are ready to spend for the insurance solution. This needs to be compared with the quote offered to you. Once the comparison is done, a few of them would be removed from the list
  • Check out the experience and expertise offered by these providers. Have they offered solutions that match your needs in the past? If yes, what was the success rate? The answer to these questions would help you acknowledge the right choice
Make sure you have studied the entire contract that you are about to sign with the provider of your musicians coverage before enlisting them.