5 Best DJ Insurance Companies in 2022
Nathan Weller is an Insurance Expert focusing on insurance for small business. He has 15 years experience in insurance operations, FNOL, and claims handling.
Finding the right DJ insurance can be challenging because it’s a niche industry, and the coverage you’ll need depends largely on how your business is set up. When finding the best DJ insurance companies, you must consider their financial stability, customer satisfaction, convenience, and available policies.
After evaluating some of the most popular options, here are our five best insurance providers for DJ insurance:
- NEXT Insurance: Best overall
- Thimble Insurance: Best for side hustle DJs
- Philadelphia Insurance Companies: Best for N.A.M.E. members
- CoverWallet: Best for quick comparison quotes
- Insurance Canopy: Best for affordable DJ insurance
Company | Quote Process | Accessibility | Instant Certificate of Insurance (COI) | Financial Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Instant online quote | Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time | ✓ | A- (Excellent) |
Instant online quote | 24/7 call center | ✓ | A- (Excellent) | |
 | Fill out an online application and an agent will follow up | 24/7 call center | Within 24 hours of request | A++ (Superior) |
 | Instant online quote | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Eastern time | ✓ | A (Excellent) |
 | Insurance canopy | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET | ✓ | A+ (Superior) |
NEXT Insurance: Best Overall DJ Insurance Provider
NEXT Insurance
Overall Score: 4.00
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- In-house claims services
- Customer complaints below national average
- Quick online quotes
What's Missing
- No dedicated 24/7 line
Deciding Factors
- App: Dedicated app provides 24/7 accessibility
- Quote process: Quick, easy quotes available with the option to buy online
- Policy options: Ability to purchase multiple policies from same provider
- Claims: Commitment to fast turnaround on claims
NEXT Insurance scored 4 out of 5 in our rubric, making it the best overall provider for DJ Insurance. Its high score reflects its commitment to mobile-friendly technology, giving great convenience for business owners and the quick quoting and binding process.
While it has the same score as Thimble, what sets NEXT apart is that it handles claims in-house rather than through a third-party administrator. From quoting to the resolution of a claim, everything is handled directly through it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer 24/7 call center services and is only available Monday–Friday, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT.
Cost & Coverage
Offering insurance for more than 900 professions, NEXT has established itself as a provider for businesses in niche industries. It offers general liability and commercial property for your DJ business and, if you have employees working for you, you can also get its workers’ compensation insurance.
We got a DJ insurance quote of $42.17 monthly for a liability policy with a limit of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. This policy also provided $10,000 in property coverage for your equipment.
Customer Satisfaction & Convenience
NEXT’s online interface is very convenient. You can receive a quote with the option to purchase in minutes. If you want to speak with an advisor, the company is open on weekdays.
It also has an app where you can get a quote and purchase a policy. Once you become a customer, you can use the app to manage your policy, file a claim, and get an instant COI.
Financial Rating
Founded in 2015, NEXT is relatively new. It has a financial rating of A- (Excellent) from AM Best.
Thimble Insurance: Best Insurance for Side Hustle DJs
Thimble Insurance
Overall Score: 4.00
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Short-term liability
- Fast quote process
- Nationwide availability
What's Missing
- Claims handled by third-party
Deciding Factors
- Independent agents: Help you with your policy
- Hourly coverage: Available
- App: For managing your policy and filing claims
- Unlimited COIs: Available
Thimble Insurance, scoring 4 out of 5 in our system, is the best provider for DJs who have a full-time job because it offers short-term coverage, including hourly coverage. If you have a job once or twice a month and don’t need 24/7 coverage, this is your best option. The score reflects the convenience of getting, purchasing, and managing a policy and customer satisfaction.
However, Thimble doesn’t handle its claims. Instead, a third-party administrator handles them. While this doesn’t always mean problems, if a claim goes sideways, this could become problematic.
Cost & Coverage
There are multiple policy options with Thimble: professional liability, general liability, or a business owner’s policy (BOP). We were quoted $32.92 monthly for a BOP policy that carries a liability limit of $1 million and $100,000 for property coverage, with the property policy having a $500 deductible.
Customer Satisfaction & Convenience
Thimble’s complaints are lower than the national average, and its user interface is convenient for customers.
The Thimble app is also very intuitive. If your venue changes or a job suddenly becomes available, then you can obtain an instant COI on the app. You can also use it to get a quote, buy a policy, manage it, and file a claim.
Financial Rating
Thimble’s policies are provided through several different carriers. The DJ policies, in particular, are through National Specialty Insurance Company, rated A (Excellent) by AM Best.
Philadelphia Insurance Companies: Best for N.A.M.E. Members
Philadelphia Insurance Companies
Overall Score: 3.75
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Instant policy documents
- Higher limits
- In-house claims
What's Missing
- No online quotes
Deciding Factors
- Online services: For claims and premiums
- Accessibility: 24/7 line for catastrophic losses
- Independent agents: To help you get the best coverage
- Financial stability: Superior financial rating
Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY) scored 3.75 out of 5 in our evaluation and is the best provider for DJs who are members of the National Association of Mobile Entertainers (N.A.M.E.). N.A.M.E. has partnered with PHLY to design a policy tailored to the needs of DJs. Its score reflects its strong financial stability, customer satisfaction, and available policies.
PHLY doesn’t offer its DJ insurance quotes online. You have to fill out a form requesting contact from an agent. Take note that this policy is only available for N.A.M.E. members. While PJLY does offer a 24/7 line for catastrophic losses, which is essential, it’s only available during weekdays for other needs.
Cost & Coverage
We were unable to obtain a quote from PHLY. However, the policy has higher limits than the others offered in this guide. Per N.A.M.E., the higher limits reflect members’ requests, as some venues require a higher limit to work on their premises.
The policy offered by PHLY has liability coverage with limits of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, and $2 million in product liability and completed operations. It also offers a $2 million per occurrence limit that costs 50% more.
It even provides equipment coverage for your sound equipment, accessories, and music libraries. Minimum coverage is $15,000, with higher limits available.
Customer Satisfaction & Convenience
Per the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, PHLY’s complaints are lower than the national average.
It offers an online policy management system where your policy documents are available instantly. You can manage and pay your policy online and request COIs—these will then be available within 24 hours. You can call to file a claim or do so online if something goes wrong, and PHLY’s in-house claims team will respond.
Financial Rating
Tokio Marine Holdings, a global company with a credit rating of A++ (Superior) by AM Best, owns PHLY.
CoverWallet: Best for Quick Comparison Quotes
CoverWallet
Overall Score: 3.75
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Quick comparison quotes
- Policy financing plan
- Instant COI
What's Missing
- Not available seven days a week
Deciding Factors
- Dedicated agent: To help you manage your policy
- Support services: Available for your policy needs
- One-stop shop: For insurance from multiple providers
- Policy advice: Available online to assist in finding the right coverage
With a score of 3.75 out of 5 in our evaluation, CoverWallet is the best provider for DJs looking for quick comparison quotes. It’s an online brokerage that can provide quotes from multiple providers, allowing you to compare coverages and premiums and decide which is best. Its high score is a reflection of its convenient online shopping experience, policy management, and financing options. Unfortunately, CoverWallet isn’t open 24/7 and while it does have some availability on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET, it’s closed on Sundays.
Cost & Coverage
After answering some industry-specific questions, CoverWallet retrieves quotes from its partners. One quote we received was for a BOP for $103.25 monthly. As a BOP, the policy provided liability and coverage for your sound equipment.
Customer Satisfaction & Convenience
It provides a financing plan for policies purchased annually. Besides that, it has an insurance advice section, where it can suggest what coverage is best suited for your business by answering a few simple questions.
You gain access to the Self Service Wallet if you purchase a policy. This is the provider’s online policy tool where you can manage your policy and create and download a COI.
Financial Rating
CoverWallet is owned by Aon, which has a financial rating of A (Excellent) by AM Best.
Insurance Canopy: Best for Affordable DJ Insurance
Insurance Canopy
Overall Score: 3.50
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Nationwide availability
- Short-term coverage
- Ease of use
What's Missing
- Only weekday service available
- Low property limits
Deciding Factors
- Financial strength: Excellent financial rating
- COI: Available instantly
- Fast: Quote and policy available within 10 minutes
- Online portal: For managing policy and claims
Insurance Canopy, an online insurance brokerage, scored 3.5 out of 5 in our system and is our recommendation for the best provider of affordable DJ insurance. Its score reflects the convenient quoting and purchase experience, and the company offers an easy-to-navigate experience when buying DJ event insurance and provides highly affordable quotes for businesses. However, it isn’t open 24/7, and the limits on its property policy are low.
Cost & Coverage
It offers insurance for DJs, karaoke jockeys (KJs), and video jockeys (VJs). The policies provided are highly affordable; we were quoted $19.33 monthly with an additional one-time payment of $7.50, which is the lowest quote provided by any company in this guide.
This is a liability policy with a $1 million occurrence limit. It also has equipment coverage of $2,000 per occurrence and $4,000 aggregate. Helpfully, it lists the exclusions before purchasing, giving you a good idea of what is and isn’t covered.
If you’re only looking for short-term coverage for an event, Insurance Canopy has event liability for 1–3 days, which starts at $59.
Customer Satisfaction & Convenience
There isn’t much online information about Insurance Canopy’s services. After speaking with one of its reps, we learned that you get an online account when purchasing a policy. This account will allow you to manage your policy, access necessary documents, and file a claim. You can also create and download a COI instantly.
Financial Rating
Insurance Canopy is a brokerage, and The Great American Insurance Group underwrites this specific policy. It has an A+ (Superior) rating by AM Best.
Methodology
To determine which insurance companies would be the best for your needs as a DJ, we utilized a proprietary evaluation system developed in-house. We examined multiple providers and presented the five with the highest scores.
In evaluating insurance companies, we focused on the customer’s needs. We paid particular interest to convenience, financial ratings (AM Best), customer service, types of policies offered, and the overall experience as a policyholder for a specific provider.
Most people only care about insurance when they need it, and we wanted to ensure that what we’re recommending is something that, should that moment come, you’ll feel comfortable with your purchase.
Bottom Line
As a DJ, you understand that sometimes people want to just dance—and you want to know that your business is going to be fully prepared to provide that experience without worry. As such, we’ve researched providers to find the best insurance for your business to protect your equipment and reputation. NEXT Insurance is the best overall provider for DJs. Visit its website today and get an affordable quote in just a few minutes.
