You can find out about the different levels of cover here.
What is changing?
We have worked for several years with an insurance broker called Marsh Commercial (Marsh) and the insurance underwriter, Royal Sun Alliance (RSA), to offer you insurance.
These partnerships with Marsh Commercial and RSA will soon be ending.
What does this mean for my existing policy?
Nothing changes with your group’s existing policy. The policy you have in place that is due to expire on 31 December 2023 remains in place, with no change to the cover it provides.
Your policy documents will remain available via the Making Music website until 31 December.
While Making Music is normally your first place to go for insurance queries, from 27 September you will need to contact Marsh Commercial directly for any queries. Marsh can be contacted on:
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Marsh Commercial |
If you need to, you can also upgrade your package and/or add a temporary package between 27 September and 31 December. This should be done directly with Marsh, and you will pay Marsh directly instead of via Making Music.
What does this mean for my insurance in 2024?
Right now, there is no replacement policy in place for you to take out for 2024. However, we have appointed a new insurance broker, Finch, who are working to find a new insurer to offer Making Music members an equivalent insurance policy for 2024 to the one you have at the moment. The new offer is not yet finalised, but Finch are making good progress and we will update you with more details as soon as possible.
Why are these changes happening?
The insurer RSA took the decision to no longer offer the policies under the scheme, so that’s why we are looking for a new insurer.
In the case of the broker Marsh Commercial, Making Music decided to find a new broker, as Marsh are changing the way they work with partners, and we were concerned that those changes would not best serve Making Music members.
We know how important comprehensive, tailored cover is for your group, and we are confident that with our new broker we can continue to meet that need.
We will keep you updated on developments as soon as we can, and in the meantime please do get in touch if you have any questions.
Below are all the insurance FAQs we have always had on our site – they can be used to find information about your existing policies. If you cannot find the information you need, please contact Marsh Commercial directly.
About the different packages
What do the Bronze, Silver and Gold insurance packages consist of?
What is the Making Music definition of an amateur/semi-professional/professional group and are they eligible for insurance under the Making Music insurance scheme?
The basic answer is that amateur groups do not pay their members anything at all to perform (apart from travel and sustenance expenses) whereas professional groups do. They are eligible for full membership and the lower insurance premiums. Semi-professional groups can of course also join Making Music, but as Associate members; and pay the appropriate Associate member insurance premium. Professional groups can join Making Music as Associate members, but must contact Making Music Insurance Services direct in order to obtain an insurance quote.
We appreciate that there are some grey areas to this which include:
Scenario 1: a group of amateurs, but which reimburses members' expenses, e.g. for travel and sandwich. Making Music will accept such a group into Full membership and so the group is eligible for insurance at the lower rate (provided that the group meets other Full membership criteria).
Scenario 2: a group of amateurs, but rather than reimbursing on receipts, the group give their members a fixed amount for a gig which roughly corresponds to expenses, e.g. £50.
Making Music will accept such a group into Full membership and so the group is eligible for insurance at the lower rate (provided that the group meets other Full membership criteria).
Scenario 3: the musicians in the group have a day job and don't earn their living by carrying out the activities of the group, but members of the group get paid £100 each for each gig/performance. Making Music will only accept such a group into Associate membership and so the group is only eligible for insurance at the higher rate.
What if I need cover that exceeds the limits of ‘Gold’ or I require a custom policy that includes additional cover, such as buildings?
Simply call or send an email to Making Music Insurance Services who will provide you with a competitive quotation to include the additional cover you need.
What if I require the Bronze cover but with a small amount for property – can I obtain a custom quote?
No – you will need to purchase ‘Silver’ cover if you require property cover.
When can I ask for a custom quote?
You can only ask for a custom quote if:
- Your income exceeds £100,000 a year
- You need cover in excess of the ‘Gold’ level, e.g. £10M instead of £5M public liability; or a higher level of property or abandonment
- You need different insurance, e.g. buildings insurance, travel insurance or anything else
Can we increase our public liability cover?
Yes – just contact Making Music Insurance Services on 0330 8187645 (Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm) or at makingmusic@marshcommercial.co.uk
Are the insurance policies UK wide, Europe wide or Worldwide?
Some but not all sections of the policy include cover for outside of the UK.
Public Liability: All Making Music insurance policies include public liability cover up to £5million; this section of the policy provides worldwide cover for your groups activities.
Employer’s Liability: All Making Music policies also includes Employer’s liability cover up to £10million; this section of the policy provides UK wide cover for the group’s activities. This includes cover in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
Property cover: The silver and gold insurance packages include differing levels of group owned property cover. All property is covered in the UK as well as Europe. This includes cover in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, member countries of the European Union, Norway and Switzerland.
All sections of the policy are governed by the relevant law of the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands depending upon your address as shown in the Schedule. If there is any dispute as to which law applies, then UK law will take precedent.
About the policy - Property
What happens if my insured values increase past my cover limit?
The sum insured will be the most we will pay. If the sum insured is not adequate, any claim will be reduced in proportion to the degree of under-insurance. For example, if your property limit is £20,000 and your insured property increases past this limit, you should let us know and upgrade to ‘Gold’ cover. If you don’t, you will still be insured up to £20,000, but not for any amount above that.
Is property belonging to the society insured?
If you have ‘Silver’ or ‘Gold’ cover this includes cover for a group’s own property and any property hired or loaned to it. There is a single article limit of £5,000 for any single piece of equipment or instrument hired in and the overall amount of cover is subject to the ‘Silver’ and ‘Gold’ cover limits. Cover is provided on a new for old basis and as such the sum to be insured should represent the cost of replacing the item with a modern equivalent.
Is property belonging to individuals covered within the policy?
The policy is intended to cover the society for its liabilities and property owned by the society. Any property belonging to individuals should continue to be insured by the owner.
Is property temporarily hired in covered?
If you have ‘Silver’ or ‘Gold’ cover then any property hired or loaned to you is automatically covered. There is a single article limit of £5,000 for any single piece of equipment or instrument hired in and the overall amount of cover is subject to the ‘Silver’ and ‘Gold’ cover limits.
Our group owns musical property that is stored at the home of one of our members - is it covered?
Yes – as long it is stored safely and securely it will be covered under the terms of the policy.
Our group owns musical property but it is stored at the home of an individual who is not a member of our group - is it covered?
Yes – as long it is stored safely and securely it will be covered under the terms of the policy.
Our group owns musical property that is stored in a shared community building (e.g. village hall). The building is secure but our musical property is not stored in a locked cupboard/room and is accessible to other users – is it covered?
If the building is secure the property would be covered. But you should take all reasonable precautions to prevent damage to, and maintain the condition of, the insured musical property.
Is musical property covered when held in a storage unit?
This depends on the policy of the storage unit. You should ask the storage unit what their insurance requirements are. If you are not sure if you policy covers them then contact us and supply details of the storage unit insurance requirements.
Is our musical property covered whilst in transit?
Yes – as long as it is stored safely and securely it will be covered.
Is our musical property covered in a parked vehicle?
Yes as long as it is concealed out of sight and the vehicle is locked and secured.
Our musical property is too big to be stored in the glove or luggage compartment or boot of the car. Is it covered if on the back seat?
If it can stored in the glove or luggage compartment or boot of the car then it should be. If it is too big it will still be covered as long as it is concealed out of sight and the vehicle is locked and secured.
What counts as a single item?
Anything you can buy individually would count as a single item. For example a violin and a bow would be separate single items. It does not include replacement parts for an instrument – for example a barrel for a clarinet would not be classed as a single item.
What is the excess cost on my property cover?
The excess you will pay is as stated on your Schedule of Insurance.
If my musical property is lost, stolen or damaged will I get the full value of the property?
Yes, assuming the full value is within the policy limits.
If repair is possible, we will pay for the cost of repair.
If repair is not possible then we replace on a new for old basis. This means the cover will provide for the cost of buying a new version of the musical property (up to your policy limits). If the model of the item being replaced is no longer in production, we will replace with an equivalent model or specification.
Note: there is an excess of £100 which means you have to pay the first £100 of each claim.
About the policy - Trustee Indemnity
Is Charity Trustee Indemnity insurance included?
Yes, this is included up to £100,000
Does the Trustees liability only apply to charities?
No the trustee liability applies to not for profit organisations as well as charities. So cover would be in place for directors of not for profit organisations.
What does the Not For Profit Protection Aggregate Insurance cover?
Cover is provided for Trustees, directors or an officer or member of the committee of management of a Not For Profit Organisation for personal liability claims made against them whilst acting in the capacity of their role. This includes well-meaning, but poor decisions or actions that cause loss or damage to the organisation. It does not cover deliberately dishonest or malicious decisions or actions.
About the policy – other
Does Employers’ liability cover our music director?
Making Music Insurance Services covers musical directors who are engaged on a freelance basis as employees for the purpose of liability insurance, since the definition of an employee within the policy includes ‘any person supplied to you or hired or borrowed by you’.
Why do we need Cancellation and Abandonment cover?
Cancellation and Abandonment insurance is a useful cover to safeguard you against situations where you might have to cancel a concert and can’t recoup costs already paid out. Please check your policy documentation to be sure about what's covered, and what is excluded.
Does abandonment insurance cover cases of extreme weather conditions?
Cancellation and Abandonment cover provides some protection against cancellation due to extreme weather conditions, but only in situations where it would be dangerous to proceed.
Can I cover a trailer owned by the Society?
Any trailers should be preferably kept in a locked garage/compound and valuables removed when not in use. However, providing they are secured with a wheel lock then they can be added to the insurance policy. Please note that no cover is provided whilst the trailer is being towed, as this should fall to the motor insurance of the vehicle towing the trailer.
If dance is part of my musical activities, how much dance is acceptable to qualify for insurance cover?
Some Making Music members use dance as part of their musical activities and the question has recently been raised as to how much dance is acceptable to qualify for our insurance cover – since the charitable aims of the organisation are to support those who perform and promote music. Our Insurers have always accepted that dance is a part of some musical activities but what is the golden rule? The rule is that dance should be incidental or complementary to the musical activity and that the dancing element should not be the main focus of your activity. If it is then you would be better served by a policy designed for dance groups.
Is there an age limit on your insurance?
There are no upper or lower age restrictions on our insurance except under the Personal Injury (Robbery) section of the policy.
Under this section no cover is provided where:
bodily Injury is sustained by any person before such person attains the age of sixteen years or after the expiry of the Period of Insurance during which such person attains the age of eighty years.
This refers specifically to when accidental Bodily Injury is sustained solely and directly as a result of robbery or attempt threat while such insured Person is engaged in the Business.
For all other sections of the policy all members of your group and audience will be covered no matter how young or old they are.
Are our members covered for carrying out first aid?
The policy provides cover for activities carried out by First Aiders and ‘Good Samaritan’ acts where an honest and reasonable attempt to help has been made. This includes the use of defibrillators.
Is there cover under my liability insurance policy for claims arising from Covid-19?
There is no disease exclusion under the Liability sections but in the event of any claim a Policyholder must be legally liable for the injury or damage that is being alleged. The Policy includes a Reasonable Precautions clause and therefore an indemnity under the Policy would require a policyholder to follow all relevant Government guidelines and instructions. Please contact Making Music Insurance Services to discuss your enquiry in more detail:
- E: makingmusic@marshcommercial.co.uk
- P: 0330 8187645
Is there cover under my event cancellation insurance policy for claims arising from Covid-19?
There has always been an exclusion under the event cancellation section for ‘communicable diseases’. If you have to cancel an event due to COVID-19 (or any other communicable disease) you cannot make a claim for the event under the event cancellation cover. This includes if the event is cancelled due to a government-enforced lockdown. This is a common industry wide exclusion for event cancellation cover. Please contact Making Music Insurance Services to discuss your enquiry in more detail:
- E: makingmusic@marshcommercial.co.uk
- P: 0330 8187645
Does the Abandonment Insurance cover event cancellation if the country goes into National Mourning?
If the country goes into National Mourning in respect of any person aged 75 or over, the cancellation of an event will not be covered by the Abandonment insurance. This is the case regardless of whether the event is cancelled out of respect or if the event is forced to be cancelled due to the closure of public buildings. Please see the Full Policy Wording for the full list of exclusions for the Abandonment Insurance.
About your policy - admin
Where can I find my policy documents?
You can find your documents by logging in to your account and visiting your dashboard. If you have purchased custom cover, there may be a 24 hour delay before these are posted.
Who are my insurance contacts?
All insurance enquiries are handled by Making Music Insurance Services. You can call them on 0330 8187645 or email makingmusic@marshcommercial.co.uk
What is the Policy Summary?
The Policy Summary gives an overview of the levels of cover provided within the Making Music members’ insurance scheme.
What if I need to cancel my policy?
If you cancel the policy you may be entitled to a refund of premium provided that no claim has been made during the current period of insurance, in accordance with the table below.
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Short Period Cancellation Scale |
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Length of period the policy has been in force: |
One Month |
Two Months |
Three Months |
Over Four Months |
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Amount of premium returned: |
60% |
40% |
20% |
0 |
How do I make a complaint?
We are committed to providing our customers with a high standard of service, but things can go wrong in any business. If for any reason we have not met your expectations, please let us know by calling us on 020 7939 6030 or write to The National Federation of Music Societies, 8 Holyrood Street, London, SE1 2EL.
If we are unable to agree a final resolution with you within 3 working days, or if the complaint is in respect of a claim for redress/compensation, your complaint will be re-directed to MMIS who will immediately activate their own complaints process and in the first instance send you an acknowledgement/first response letter.
Should you remain dissatisfied with the way we resolved a complaint, you may be eligible to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). Full details of their service can be found at www.fos.org.uk or you can call them on 0800 023 4567
How do I make a claim?
Call our claims helpline on 0330 8187645 (Monday - Friday 9 until 5) as soon as possible or 0345 300 4006 outside these hours. You must give us any information or help that we may reasonably ask for. You must not settle, reject, negotiate or agree to pay any claim without our written permission. Full details of how to make a claim can be found in our policy document
What will happen when I make a claim?
Making Music Insurance Services will process your claim which may involve the insurers contacting you directly.
About the insurer
Who is the insurer?
Royal & Sun Alliance (RSA)
Who is Making Music Insurance Services (MMIS)?
Making Music Insurance Services is a trading name of Marsh Ltd. Marsh Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for General Insurance Distribution and Credit Broking (Firm Reference No. 307511). Copyright © 2021 Marsh Ltd. Registered in England and Wales Number: 1507274, Registered office: 1 Tower Place West, Tower Place, London EC3R 5BU. All rights reserved.
You can check this on the FCA’s Register website or by contacting the FCA on 0800 111 6768.
What is the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)?
The FCA is the independent watchdog that regulates insurance. It requires us to give you this information. Use this information to decide if our services are right for you.
Whose products do you offer?
The Making Music Insurance Scheme only offers a single insurance product from Royal & Sun Alliance (RSA). Making Music Insurance Services can offer products from various insurers.
Which service can you provide for us?
The National Federation of Music Societies will not offer any advice and you will need to make your own decision regarding the suitability of any policy of insurance purchased. Making Music Insurance Services is permitted to arrange and assist with the placing and administration of commercial insurance policies and can be contacted on 0330 8187645.
Who regulates this insurance?
The National Federation of Music Societies is an Appointed Representative of Marsh Ltd and Making Music Insurance Services is a trading name of Marsh Ltd. Marsh Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for General Insurance Distribution and Credit Broking (Firm Reference No. 307511). Copyright © 2021 Marsh Ltd. Registered in England and Wales Number: 1507274, Registered office: 1 Tower Place West, Tower Place, London EC3R 5BU. All rights reserved.
You can check this on the FCA’s Register website or by contacting the FCA on 0800 111 6768.
Are we covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)?
We are covered by the FSCS. You may be entitled to compensation from the scheme if we cannot meet our obligations. Further information about compensation scheme arrangements is available from the FSCS website or by calling 0800 678 1100.
What is the relationship between Making Music and Making Music Insurance Services?
Making Music is a trading name for The National Federation of Music Societies, who is an Appointed Representative of Marsh Ltd trading as Making Music Insurance Services (MMIS), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
Marsh Commercial contact details:
Phone: 0330 818 7645
Email: makingMusic@marshcommercial.co.uk
We hope you find this Making Music resource useful. If you have any comments or suggestions about the guidance please contact us. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the content of this guidance is accurate and up to date, Making Music do not warrant, nor accept any liability or responsibility for the completeness or accuracy of the content, or for any loss which may arise from reliance on the information contained in it.
