Musical Gear : Insurance and Protection While on Tour / on the Road

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I’m going to give you some tips to protect your instruments and gear when you are on tour. I will also tell you how to insure your gear.

If you are on the road in a van with a trailer or a bus, you have to expect that thieves will assume you have gear worth stealing. Some thieves specifically target touring musicians during load-in and load-out at particular venues.

Ideas to keep your music gear safe while on tour:

1. Tint or paint your windows. Buy blinds [Amazon Affiliate Link]. Prevent people from seeing what is inside your vehicle.
   
   
2. If there isn't one already built into the vehicle, install an alarm. [Amazon Affiliate Link]
   
   
3. Sounds simple, but develop a protocol to make sure your vehicle is locked at all times.
   
   
4. Park your vehicle back against a wall whenever possible so it’s harder to get in the back doors.
   
   
5. Park in the underground garage rather than the surface lot.
   
   
6. Leave your vehicle at a tow truck yard: they are manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The cost is usually reasonable for the protection provided.
   
   
7. Consider chaining all your gear together in the van so that if the thief does a smash-and-grab, they will not be able to get away quickly.
   
   
8. Finally, make sure your gear is insured.

Insure your gear with an insurance broker that specializes in instrument insurance for music professionals, such as Front Row. Most homeowner policies will not insure instruments and gear used professionally, so source a policy for professionals.

Front Row offers instrument insurance 24/7 online. Music tour insurance (Canada) can also be quoted.

Related:

Musical Instrument Insurance 101: How to Protect Your Instruments
Tips & tricks to guard your gear
Protecting instruments at home
Protecting instruments at airports
Protecting instruments on tour
Musical tour insurance
Band on the run
Tribute bands and liability
Protecting your guitar
Protecting your drums
Protecting your keyboard
Protecting your violin
Protecting your saxophone
How to make a claim
What is my gear worth in event of claim?
You may not be covered under homeowners
Front Row’s musical instrument policy
Insurance for SOCAN members
How to compare musical instrument insurance cos.
Blurring the lines of music infringement law

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