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Studio Security Newsletter

Dan Daley, editor

Issue #11 — May, 2001

Tools of the Trade

Depending upon the severity of the punch lines to drummer jokes, musicians do bring a lot of things with them into the studio. Some of the more valuable things they tote are their instruments. If they're smart, they'll have their own insurance to cover their own axes in the event of theft. But what happens if instruments belonging to others are stolen from your studio?

Basic insurance policies only cover the professional property of the studio itself. Extended coverage can be purchased, for what's technically refered to as the "care, custody and control of other people's property." Extended coverage is usually available at a reasonable extra cost to the basic policy premium. However, such policy riders often have dollar limits, and are always subject to the same deductible as the basic policy.

But commercial studios are well-protected legally, as long as they exercise reasonably prudent security. Musicians are responsible for their own professional gear when doing their job. Project studios? "Now that's a really, really gray area," says Joe Montarello of Capital Region Insurance Agency, in Albany, NY. "Most homeowners' policies are not going to cover other people's property. And in a lot of home studio situations, the bands are at a level or an age where they usually haven't thought about instrument insurance."

In other words, project studios have a high degree of potential liability in the event of theft. And worse, a police report could also trigger a zoning codes inspection, jeopardizing the home studio operation itself. So tell visiting musicians it might be best if they took their stuff home with them if the sessions run for a few days in a row.

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