Illinois DJ Insurance – IL – cost and types of policies

This is the ultimate presentation for existing or start-up DJs in Illinois – (IL) that contains everything you will need to know about DJ insurance for your business.

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We will also explain many of the different steps you need to take to turn your dream of making money from DJing into a reality.

So you’ve selected to become a DJ in Illinois.

Maybe you came to this decision after you listened to someone talk about a dynamic DJ they saw last night, or you watched the DJ at the favorite club in Illinois, and now you really want to give it a go.

But, the question is – do you really know how to turn a dream into a real business?

If you were starting up fifteen years ago, all you would have needed was a couple of turntables and a basic mixer.

But DJing in Illinois has changed since then. You may still choose to use a turntable, but in a whole different way.

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On top of turntables, DJs in Illinois now want CD players, multichannel controllers and digital software.

This means you need special equipment like effects units, drum machines, and other hardware.

Your starting investment in the gear may be heavy, but have you also given any attention to what will happen if the gear is vandalized?

For this possibility, you should seriously be thinking about taking out adequate insurance.

What kind of DJ are you?

The answer to this question will determine what kind of, and how much, insurance you need.

In the entertainment world in IL, many of the dives employ full-time disk jockeys.

If you get such a job, you will have a fixed workplace, like a nightclub or dance hall, where you are the feature.

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Often, having a well known DJ at a club is what is drawing in it’s customers, so you are very valuable to them.

In Illinois, there is also a lot of demand for mobile DJs who move their services to temporary premises for a single or short-term gig.

It is important to remember that whether you are a club DJ or mobile DJ, you are running your DJ services as a business, and need to carry all of the types of mobile DJinsurance we talk about below.

DJing is a huge learning curve and you should still be learning new tricks like crowd interaction, leading you on to better things.

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Once you have good DJ skills, try producing your own genre of music. Once people in Illinois get to know you for your music you should show off your work and you’ll end up getting gigs.

Learn about crowd interaction so that you are seen as a stage performer who gets the people to enjoy watching you put on a show.

It is all about presentation. People in Illinois go out to see their favorite DJ’s because of what they are doing, not because of their gear.

What does a mobile DJ do?

A mobile DJ in Illinois is often called a house party DJ, because mostly the venues are private parties.

Whatever, you need to choose the right gear, because mobility and easy storage are key factors.

Instead of individual components like turntables, mixers, records, CDs and all the other gear that a club DJ has stored safely in his room, a mobile DJ has to move it onsite, and back to base, for every gig.

Most mobile DJs in Illinois choose a slightly more expensive option which is an all-in-one DJ system that operates off a tablet computer.

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Such a system is a new component that makes sense for house party DJ’s because it means you’ll have less equipment to carry.

You may pay a little more but you could save big in the end. There’s less gear to get damaged, so your insurance can cover you when someone spills their drink on your workbench!

What does a mobile DJ need?

The traditional route in Illinois said you needed only some turntables with a mixer, plus speakers. Nowadays, you maybe want to keep the traditional feel but get yourself some up-to-date CD players or CD decks.

If you prefer to mix tracks directly from your laptop or computer using this traditional set-up, try mixing tracks directly from your laptop or your iPhone using an all-in-one DJ controller.

Or else you decide to go purely digital, because records are super expensive source and you won’t need to be lugging around heavy bags to your shows.

If you are comfortable, you can try mixing digitally on your tablet using commercial software. You could become a top-notch DJ today after you download the right program to your laptop!

There are even services available for free that could get you mixing immediately!

While you already have a laptop, this is the cheapest way to become a DJ in IL especially for mobile DJs that must travel a lot and can’t take hardware with them.

How do you get DJ gigs?

Most of the well known DJs in Illinois start by making some mixtapes and distribute them to friends and club owners.

The mixes can be heard by others on Facebook and elsewhere online. Get feedback, because it’s important and will let you decide if you’re ready for professional work.

Promoters in Illinois will usually ask you to preview before they risk letting you play live. Be ready for this by preparing your stuff at its best.

Use Twitter to upload mixes, do live DJ shows, post photos of your gigs, and promote yourself all around Illinois.

Have you though about trying out as Illinois radio DJ, or internet radio is another route.

You will have the option to mix and present from home even in the form of a podcast that people can download and listen to whenever suits them.

It’s a powerful way of getting your name in front of the public, and so building a following. You could promote this over a Facebook page, a YouTube channel, or a website.

What kind of insurance does a DJ need in Illinois?

Every business in Illinois carries risks of unplanned things, and so needs several basic kinds of insurance, to protect you in case something unexpected happens while you are working.

The most important kinds of basic DJ business insurance in Illinois are:

General liability insurance / Public liability insurance

Public liability insurance for DJs is necessary in case some accident causes injury to a person, or damage to their property, while they are in the place where you are working, you will be sued for damages and illinois court can rule that you are liable.

For DJs, some of the most usual examples are trips and falls because you have many cables as well as boxes in the venue where the event is happening, and people are moving all around the floor.

If anyone before, during or after an event of which you are the DJ has such a fall, they may claim that your cables or boxes were placed dangerously, and sue for the damage or injury.

You could be held responsible for the damage and you could have to cough-up large amounts.

One problem for mobile DJs in Illinois is the likelihood of fires caused by hot lighting positioned around the venue. It can fall or start a fire if something inflammable comes into contact.

As well there is the chance of improper electrical wiring starting a fire.

DJ General liability insurance in Illinois can cover your for all these possible claims. Normally, small DJs take around $1 million protection in mobile DJ public liability insurance for a single claim, and $2 million for the full year.

Professional Liability insurance / Error & Omission insurance for DJs in illinois

Imagine where you are contracted as the DJ for a dance night for a large employer, and a mishap stops you from showing up, or your gear malfunctions and the whole event has to be cancelled.

Now the customer could claim the expected revenue from the event, and damages for loss of reputation and other such losses.

When a court decides against you, you will have to find the money from your own bank.

Equipment insurance

Illinois disk jockey’s most essential asset is the equipment is the highly specialized gear for music selection, speakers, lights, cameras and a whole basket of other paraphernalia that can cost tens of thousands of dollars, DJ equipment insurance in Illinois is important.

It is a big liability if you are renting or hiring the equipment, and so you must insure it against the inherent risks, such as theft, malicious damage, fire, water damage etc.

Your Illinois DJ business could stop without the right equipment, so you are not only losing the value of the assets, but also future earning.

Commercial Vehicle insurance

Most mobile DJs in Illinois need to take their work gear to where it is needed, like function halls, sports clubs and other places.

Although it fits into your private car, it’s vital to know that in Illinois your private vehicle insurance will not cover the DJ equipment in the event of an accident, fire, theft or any other loss.

At least you need to add commercial cover to private vehicle insurance, but you are much safer when you take out a commercial vehicle insurance policy in Illinois so that you are fully covered in case of a claim.

Can DJs get temporary insurance if they are not working full-time?

Many insurance companies in Illinois have begun to sell special kinds of DJ event insurance cover where a DJ can nominate a specific period when he or she wants to cover, when they are not working full-time.

You will save DJ insurance in IL cost by having lower premiums while still having the same risk cover.

You purchase the cover for a specific period, like a day, or for a fortnight starting on the stated date.

If you are a casual start-up DJ who works in illinois on anniversaries in homes, then you will have a schedule of bookings, so you can take out the cover for those dates only with temporary DJ insurance or DJ insurance for one day or DJ liability insurance monthly basis.

You need to take out all of the same types of general liability insurance to protect yourself from the possible claims.

The good effect for you is that you do not end up wasting money paying yearly premiums covering times when you are not needing full-time DJ equipment insurance cover.