Working solo on site · borrowed backline · your own injury
Liability insurance for a self-employed DJ
As a self-employed DJ you set up on your own, in a venue you do not know and with power you did not install. That is exactly the moment when a claim arises.
- Several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Aansprakelijkheidsverzekering voor een dj als zzp'er.
The calculator and the quote form below are in Dutch. Prefer to do this in English? Email info@finassverzekert. nl or call 072 - 509 24 56 and we will take it from there.
Work out for yourself what it would cost.
Enter your details; you will receive a proposal within one working day.
- We compare the offerings of several insurers
- An adviser checks whether the cover suits your activities
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
Without staff, the largest block of an ordinary AVB falls away: the employers' liability section. What remains is damage to property and injury to third parties, and for a solo DJ that is far from a theoretical risk. A speaker stand toppling onto a guest, spilt haze fluid on a wooden floor, a weighted cable dragging a bar stool with it: all cases in which the injured party holds you liable under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code.
With a sole trader, pay particular attention to what the policy does not do for you. If you are injured yourself carrying a subwoofer, the AVB pays nothing: you are not a third party in relation to yourself. Your income while you are off work is arranged through disability insurance. Also make sure the description of business activity is right: if you also give workshops, occasionally hire out a rig or provide the complete event set-up, those are activities other than simply playing records.
Personal liability insurance offers no solution here: it excludes damage arising in the course of a profession or business. If you work as a self-employed person more generally, see the page on liability as a self-employed professional (zzp'er). The structure of the cover itself is set out on the hub page on the AVB.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare public and employers' liability insurance (AVB).
What to look out for
Four situations in which the policy conditions work out differently than a self-employed DJ expects.
Backline you borrow or hire
If you play on the venue's rig, on equipment borrowed from a colleague or on a hired set, that property is entrusted to you. The care, custody and control exclusion takes damage to it off cover, even where you could do nothing about it. Agree in writing in advance who bears the risk, and ask your adviser whether a care, custody and control clause is possible.
The van and the journey there
Damage caused with a motor vehicle falls outside the AVB. The compulsory insurance requirement of Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM)applies to that. If a flight case slides into the wall of a hired van under braking, or you damage a garage door while reversing, the motor policy applies and not this one. When checking the conditions, look at how loading and unloading is treated as well.
Intent and recklessness
A DJ who climbs on a table for a laugh, or carries on with a defective structure against his better judgement, comes within the scope of Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code: damage caused by intent or wilful recklessness is not insured. Alcohol and drugs clauses also occur in this sector. Read that provision through, because in nightlife this is no marginal case.
Booked through an agency or directly
Agencies and venues often require valid liability insurance with a minimum level of cover. Make sure your policy schedule states that business activity and the territorial scope correctly, so that you can produce it without needing assurances. Liability accepted by contract that goes beyond your liability in law is often excluded.
What does your premium depend on?
- Annual turnover: the usual basis for a sole trader
- Described activities: playing only, or hiring out and rigging as well
- Type of assignments: weddings, bars or large-scale events
- Sum insured and excess: per claim and per insurance year
- Care, custody and control cover: whether or not equipment belonging to others is included
- Area of cover: the Netherlands, Europe or worldwide
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
What is covered
| Situation | AVB | BAV |
|---|---|---|
| You spill a beer over the mixing desk of the venue's rig you are playing on | No | No |
| While unrolling your cable drum you pull over a standard lamp belonging to the venue | Yes | No |
| A guest cuts himself on a light fitting you had hung yourself | Yes | No |
| Your sack truck damages the door frame of the venue while loading in | Yes | No |
| You break down on the way and fail to arrive, and the organiser hires a more expensive replacement at short notice | No | Yes |
| You play tracks for which the rights have not been arranged and an additional charge follows | No | No |
Equipment you play on but do not own counts as property in your care; ask about this separately when you apply.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
I work alone. Do I still need an AVB?
The section for staff falls away, but the liability risk towards guests, venues and clients remains in full. One stand toppling over in a crowded room can lead to an injury claim well in excess of your annual turnover. The policy also covers the cost of defending a claim you consider unfounded, and that is often the part you use first.
I was injured myself while setting up. What now?
Your own injury is not loss suffered by a third party and therefore does not fall under public and employers' liability insurance. If someone else was liable, the venue for instance because of an unsound stage, you take action against that party. For your own loss of income, disability insurance or a broodfonds scheme is the route to take, together with personal accident cover.
Does my personal liability insurance not cover this?
No. Almost every AVP excludes damage arising in the course of a profession or business. If you play for payment, even occasionally, that is carrying on a business and the personal policy refers you elsewhere. Business liability insurance with the right business activity is the only way to close that gap.
A client asks for evidence of insurance. What do I supply?
You supply the policy schedule showing the insured business activity, the sum insured, the territorial scope and the period of cover. Check that the description covers all the work you are doing for that booking, including rigging and hiring out your own equipment. If the booking differs, report it in advance; circumstances reported after the event can have consequences for payment under Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Read more
Within Bedrijfsaansprakelijkheidsverzekering
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