Everything You Must Know About Musical Instrument and Audio Equipment Insurance

When it comes to producing wonderful music, we need much more than just natural talent and artistic vibe. Even the most euphonious melody sounds incomplete without the presence of appropriate musical gear. It does not matter whether you are a simple hobbyist with a small recording setup at home or the owner of an entire studio being used for professional recording. Investing in premium-quality musical instruments and state of the art audio recording equipment is essential for all scales of production to take the creation to the next level. So why not make an effort to keep them protect-ed? Here comes the importance of musical instruments and audio equipment insurance. With the coverage provided by such insurance policies, you can always stay assured about the safety of your musical gear. Want to know more? Keep reading.

What is Insurance for Musical Instruments and Audio Equipment?

It is a type of musician’s insurance, which is specifically designed for people associated with the music industry. It makes sure that you do not need to pay out for expensive repairs or replacements during unexpected yet unavoidable circumstances. Depending on your exclusive insurance needs, this cover can insure all your beloved musical instruments as well as audio recording equipment against a myriad of different aspects. While an ordinary household policy ensures the protection of your gear inside the home, a specialized policy can safeguard your financial investment in your musical instruments and recording gear even off-premises. It also keeps your prized items well-protected instead of covering a limited percentage of their values.

What Does the Insurance Policy Coverage Include?

An all-inclusive musician’s instrument can cover any risks that may threaten the lives of your instruments and equipment. These include:

•    Theft from your insured location or home through forced and violent entry or exit
•    Theft away from the insured location or home, especially during transit
•    Theft from a securely locked motor vehicle when left unattended in it
•    The loss happened during the transition of the instrument or equipment
•    Accidental damage resulted from sudden, unintentional actions of you or others
•    Malicious damage caused by deliberate harm or vandalizing
•    Damage and loss due to fire, smoke, water, moisture, lightning, explosion, and natural disasters (flood, wind, earthquake, etc.)

Which Instruments and Equipment are covered under Policy?

Your musician’s insurance can shield your favorite musical gear always – in storage, on the move, and during the performance. But before purchasing one, you must know about the insurable items.  Such policies usually cover all types of musical instruments along with their accessories (bags, holders, straps, cases, stands, sheet music), audiovisual equipment (lights, microphones, speakers, transmitters, amplifiers, mixing desks, PA systems), cameras and their accessories (lenses, tripods), editing and projection equipment (monitors, desktops, laptops, software), and so on. This applies to both owned and rented instruments and equipment.

How to Find the Best Insurance Company for Your Policy?

Now, as you have gained enough knowledge about the musician’s insurance and its coverage, it is time to invest in it for ensuring the optimal safety and security of your musical gear. Make sure that you find the most reliable company offering the most affordable policy. Following are the points you need to remember while finding the right insurance company for yourself:

1.    A company with many years of industry experience can understand your needs better than others and hence, can customize a unique policy for you.
2.    The best coverage provided by the company should reimburse the full insured value of the lost item as well as the full repair costs of the damaged item.
3.    Your company must offer worldwide coverage for your musical instruments and recording equipment so that you can take your policy with you wherever you will go.
4.    Though the annual premium of your policy will depend on your overall insurance needs, make sure that you do not need to pay hefty amounts for that.

If music is your passion and recording is your profession, you should consider the idea of buying musical instruments and audio equipment insurance seriously. So, are you ready for it?

Gibson Les Paul Guitar Insurance – The Best Choice for Your Most Treasured Instrument

Every musician shares a very unique bond with his beloved instrument. The attachment becomes even more special when it is something as iconic as a Gibson Les Paul guitar. And why not? After all, it is the pivotal collaboration between the brand Gibson and the brilliant guitarist Les Paul that helped shape the sound across popular music genres like rock, blues, metal, and their modern offshoots.

Since 1952, the solid-body electric guitar won the hearts of some of the world's greatest guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Marc Bolan, Slash, etc. with its rich, midrange-focused tone. During its Golden Era (the ‘50s and early ‘60s), the brand came up with dozens of variations, which gradually fell out of favor for weight and cost issues.

After that, Gibson-LP experienced resurgence in its production in 1968 and a modern collection was also built on its legacy of innovation paying tribute to the original collection. However, it is still that classic ‘old-fashioned’ instrument, which is considered as the ‘most desired guitar ever made’.

So, if you are one of those fortunate who has an original Gibson Les Paul guitar in his collection, you just cannot afford to neglect it. Can you? Here comes the importance of investing your time and money in finding the right insurance for it.  

Why Insure Your Gibson Les Paul Guitar?

....Because it is a treasure rather than a keepsake!

Just have a look at the beautifully carved maple-top instrument with the signature set-neck construction and trapeze tailpiece. The enchanting appearance is even coupled with the extreme sonic versatility along with an amazing ability to sustain notes. Each Gibson-LP instrument truly reflects quality, authenticity, and precision, which make it the most coveted guitar on the planet.

The iconic status of the guitar combined with its wonderful playability and perfect retro vibe earns it the title ‘vintage’. And when it comes to the world of music, the V-word carries a lot of stature. Musical instruments that are considered highly collectible items have a huge market. These days, even sparkling-new instruments from lesser-known brands are getting aging treatments to command greater values and bigger price tags.

Hence, it is needless to say that investing in a Gibson Les Paul guitar insurance will help you take the maximum care of your instrument and enjoy its ‘vintage value’ at the same time.

Tips To Pick the Right Policy Coverage

Your Gibson Les Paul guitar is one of your valuable possessions. Make sure that you find the most suitable coverage for it. The following tips will arm you with proper knowledge so that you can stay prepared for the worst:

1.    Choose stand-alone musical instrument insurance over a commercial insurance floater for comprehensive protection.
2.    Opt for a specific guitar insurance plan that will be tailored for the unique needs of your elderly instrument.
3.    Check if the policy covers a wide range of circumstances or not as this will make your experience smooth and hassle-free.
4.    Verify whether the premiums you are supposed to pay are well-worth the benefits you are about to receive.

How to Maintain Your Gibson Les Paul Guitar?

While purchasing Gibson Les Paul guitar insurance will offer you peace of mind, it is still highly recommended that you preserve your instrument well. Any kind of repair or modification will reduce its value. Therefore, look after your vintage guitar and act with consideration. Take note of the following maintenance tricks to get the best results:

•    Whether you are an amateur guitarist with the classic guitar in your collection or a performer who travels with it, spend for a high-quality case. This will protect the instrument from all sorts of damage.
•    Poor storage can harm your instrument badly. It is crucial to store it the right way for keeping its charm and elegance intact.
•    Be as much care as possible while handling your guitar. It will not only lessen the risk of accidental damage but also minimize regular wear and tear.
•    Take care of your vintage guitar in public places. Never leave it unlocked or unattended.
•    Increase your home security by choosing visible deterrents like closed-circuit television cameras, burglar alarms, fences, etc.

The more you will care, the safer your Gibson Les Paul guitar will be. So, pick your way to a better insurance plan and ensure its optimal safety.

Flute Insurance - An Integral Part of Flute Maintenance

A euphonious instrument known for its enunciated and deep notes, a flute produces music that’s refined, comforting, and rich. And, a flutist weaves magic with this melodic woodwind instrument. If you are a trained flutist or an aficionado, your tool is perhaps the most cherished and treasured thing to you.

Always remember that the way to take care of your musical instruments shows directly on the sound quality and clarity of the same. Plus, it also affects the longevity of the gear. Therefore, it is necessary to take proper care of your flute and make sure that you clean and maintain it from time to time.

Even a new flute needs routine care to give its best and keep in good working condition. So, if you have purchased one lately and think that it can do without cleaning for at least a week or two, you are wrong, dear reader.

We’ve rounded up some tips to help you keep your woodwind instrument clean and protected from possible damages. Also, besides cleaning and maintaining, there’s one more aspect, probably the must-not-forget one that we'll discuss below. And, that’s getting your gear the protection of the best Flute Insurance. So, let’s get started!

Moisture removal from the body

As flutes are mostly crafted using metals like silver and gold, needless to mention, these instruments are likely to be expensive. Any moisture sitting on the body of these musical gears can damage them. Therefore, keeping the body dry and clean is most important. Here is how you can keep it clean -

● Take polishing gauze and put it through the slot on the cleaning rod’s tip.

● Now clothe the cleaning road with the gauze. Make sure that the metallic part of the rod isn’t open. Or else, it can get scratches on the body of the fluid.

● Turn the cleaning rod in the direction in which you have wrapped the gauze. It will help you get the moisture removed from the flute’s main tube.

● Unlike other instruments of the woodwind family, you cannot clean the flute’s head joint with swabs. However, clarinet swabs can be used to clean the foot joints and body.

Moisture Removal from the pads

Pads usually get damp after you play the flute. You can remove the moisture by doing the following -

● Insert a cleaning paper in the vacant spaces between the flute’s tone holes and pads.

● Thereafter, press the key gently for a couple of times and repeat this process 2 to 3 times. Make sure to insert the paper into different spots.

● In case the pads of your flute have become sticky, try applying powder paper.

Dirt removal from the body and overall cleaning

Silver-made flutes get oxidized easily due to oxygen build-up. Therefore, it’s important to keep your gear dirt-free -

● Use a polishing cloth and wipe through the body length of the flute gently.

● To prevent your flute from discoloration, make sure to play it every day.

● If you see dark spots on the body of the flute, only a polishing cloth would not help. You can try using silver polish or silver cloth.

● Screws in your gear might loosen often naturally. Do see to this once in a while and tighten those, as and when needed.

● Oiling the moving parts of the flute once in a while is important. However, avoid over-oiling.

Now, let’s move on to one of the most important, yet overlooked part of having a musical instrument. Yes, it’s insurance for musical instruments.

Flute Insurance - An overview

While your homeowners’ insurance plan does cover your musical instruments, a standalone insurance plan is the safest bet. The reason - a household insurance policy covering your music instruments and accessories has certain limitations.

For example - if you practice outside your home, say at a studio or a concert hall, or if you perform at various places across your state, your homeowners’ insurance is less likely to protect your flute if it’s damaged or stolen. So, it will take you to pay out of pocket for the replacement instrument. Plus, you won’t be eligible for a no-claim bonus either.

Wait! Your standalone Flute Insurance will not only protect your instrument against damages but also cover it against theft in and outside your home.

If you often perform for a live audience, public liability insurance is something you should not avoid. First of all, most of the venues these days need you to have this cover to allow your perform. Secondly, with comprehensive insurance for musical instruments, you are protected against possible mishaps.

So, find a reliable insurance service provider and get the right cover, right away!

Do Comparative Analysis Beforehand and Get the Right Musicians Insurance Plan

Whether you are an expert musician or simply a hobbyist, you put in your time and effort keeping your instruments spick and span. You clean your violin under its bridges, replace the strings of your guitar, and pamper your gear, as much as possible.

However, is that enough? Will it protect your instrument against theft, fire, and elements of nature like storm, earthquake, etc.?

Well, taking proper care of your musical instrument also means protecting it from every possible damage and peril. And, you can do it by investing in Musicians Insurance. It will not only protect your instrument but you, as well from the associated liabilities.

Certain home insurance plans do cover your musical instruments. However, with most of these, you’re not likely to get a comprehensive cover. Therefore, a standalone policy is the safest bet.

What’s covered under musical instrument insurance?

A customer-centric insurance provider generally covers most types of musical gears and accessories. It includes -

●    Traditional musical instruments like guitars (acoustic and electric), clarinet, pianos, piccolo, drums, and others

●    Stage equipment such as microphones, speakers, PA systems, smoke machines, lights, etc.

●    Studio equipment such as records, CDs, computers, mixing gears, turntables and all.

●    Associated accessories like amplifiers, bows, drumsticks, cases, adaptors, and pedals.

What instrument coverage will protect against?

Most instrument coverage plans protect you against the following -
●    Theft, loss, and accidental damage - This policy inclusion covers your musical instrument if, unfortunately, they are lost, damaged, or stolen. This feature is more or less standard with most musical instrument plans. However, you should always compare various policies before buying one.

●    Public liability - This policy gets you covered if you have injured someone or damaged his/her property which your on-stage performance or training sessions. This aspect of musicians insurance is crucial for you. So, check with your insurance provider beforehand.

●    Personal accident cover - What if you got injured during a stage show? What if the accident made you bed-ridden or you lost your eyesight or limbs? A personal accident policy will cover you against all such unforeseen situations. It is highly advisable to get this cover included in your musician cover.

●    Coverage across the globe - As you are a musician, you might have to travel a lot, even abroad. What if your instrument is damaged or you are injured in a foreign country? What if someone else sustained any kind of bodily injury or property damage because of you? An insurance plan you choose should offer worldwide coverage. Make sure to clarify the same with your insurer before buying a policy.

So these are some of the standard features that you can avail with an insurance company on purchasing a musical instrument insurance policy. However, you can always customize if or not you want a particular cover. For example - if you love playing guitar, but don’t perform in public, getting public liability cover is not necessary. Just having your guitar covered for accidental damage, theft and loss would be enough. So, be informed, know your needs, and then decide on the extent of coverage you need.

How much does a comprehensive insurance coverage cost?

Well, the amount of money you need to shell out on a comprehensive insurance cover depends on certain factors including the extent of coverage, policy inclusions, policy exclusions, the sum insured, premium, deductibles, cancellation charges, etc. So, it is more likely to vary from one service provider to the other. So, make sure to confirm everything with your insurance service provider before going into the agreement. With a reliable and customer-oriented service provider, you will always get upfront price quotes without any hidden games.

Is it important to compare various policies?

Yes, policy comparison is important because it allows you to choose a suitable policy after analyzing several policies. It helps you understand which insurance plan offers what. Once you have a clear idea about the inclusions, exclusions, and other relevant aspects of multiple insurance plans, it will become easier for you to choose the most suitable plan according to your needs.

How can insurance plans help you burning holes in your pocket?

Let’s consider that you don’t have any insurance coverage and your musical instrument gets stolen or lost or damaged. How will you pay for buying a new one or repairing the damaged one? From your pocket, right? Needless to mention that buying and repairing musical instruments can be expensive. However, if you had insurance coverage, you could have saved a lot of money because your insurance provider will be taking care of the finances. Plus, it also saves you the mental hassles you are most likely to go through.

We know that nothing can take the place of your beloved musical instrument. However, with a reliable Musicians Insurance service provider by your side, you can at least shoo away the financials issues.

Shed your worries to Violin Insurance

Music isn’t always about relaxing or enjoying but it’s also about the various instruments which are being used to make it more melodious. For a singer, voice is precious and how a sore throat can bring stress to the performer. Similarly, for those musicians who have expertise in playing instruments have a lot more presence in their instruments. The major concern is for the safety, damage or what if someone drops it then the entire instrument and it might go for a toss. For a musician, his every breath connects to their instrument and how the inevitable fear of losing it at any point in time might be a thing to worry about.  It matters the most if a musician’s instrument is totally different in all terms, rare or it might be customized in a manner as per their need.

Also, as they practice regularly on these instruments, they know how to tune them and what’s best they can live with it. Not to mention, for a musician, instruments are like their baby and the love and attachment to it cannot be ignored. This is the reason why insuring music instruments are important. Like many other instruments Violin insurance can bring down your worries to none and you can pay attention to your learning and performance.

For a violinist, keeping his violin safe is the utmost priority. It doesn’t matter if you are the beginner, running a music school, a violin teacher, or a well-known professional, the violin insurance is for all. There is always a concern in the back of mind that what if the violin is stolen or damaged during travel and you have a performance to give.

Things might go critical on stage or even much before. And imagine if something unexpected happens then how much would be replacement cost at that moment when it's most needed. The most important which is about expenses and who will bear the cost? These kinds of questions might pop-up regularly for musicians and bring unnecessary stress which is beyond control.

Insurance for music instruments is different from the homebuyer’s insurance and so the benefits. Homebuyer’s insurance doesn’t cover any musical instrument if damaged. But instruments are as expensive as any other thing and if you’re an expert musician then instruments become more customized and precious.  Violin Insurance protects you against the risk associated with it. There could be multiple risks like damage due to fire, travel, theft, if it’s lost during travel or what if someone drops it, damaging the valuable violin.

Violin Insurance also offers temporary replacement or reimbursement while you search for the new instrument in case of emergency. And making sure that your violin is insured with the right value, keeping it safe and helping you to concentrate only on your performance rather worrying about the safety of the instrument.

For a musician, the biggest concern is keeping his instrument safe as this is the only asset he is recognized with and a part of his life. One can imagine the mental load while they travel for their performances and how important is to keep their instruments in the safest place to avoid any contingency which might create havoc for a musician. Musicians are creators, artists and so their instruments. They spend their whole life learning through them or creating soulful music. Considering these aspects insurance for music instruments becomes vital which can only give them peace of mind while they can only concentrate on their performance!