Videographers work hard to capture their client’s precious memories digitally or on film. The job can be physically and mentally demanding, but it can also be quite rewarding. The physicality of the job leads to several risks.
Injuries, dissatisfied clients, and damage to equipment are some of the risks videographers face every day. It’s essential to protect yourself and your business by purchasing the appropriate liability insurance coverage.
- 5 best videographer insurance companies
- What is videographer liability insurance?
- Who needs videographer insurance?
- Why do you need videographer insurance?
- What insurance coverage does a videographer need?
- General liability insurance for videographers
- Professional liability insurance for videographers
- How much does videographer insurance cost?
- Freelance videographer insurance
- Wedding videographer insurance
5 best videographer insurance companies
Multiple companies provide videographer insurance. Business insurance companies like the Hartford, Progressive, and Insureon offer coverage for videographers. Additionally, companies like Full Frame specifically insure photographers and videographers.
If you already have a business insurance policy, check with your agent or broker to determine whether your videography business is covered. If you’re just starting in the videography business, shop for different quotes, and discuss your needs with an insurance agent to determine where to buy your policy.
You can choose to use an online broker, like CoverWallet or Simply Business, to obtain multiple quotes at once. Alternatively, you can narrow the field to the companies you are interested in and request quotes from each company on your own. Either way, it’s wise to research the different coverages to determine precisely what you need and then compare notes with the insurance agent you choose.
Below are our recommendations of the best companies providing coverage for videographers:
- Simply Business: Best for comparing several quotes to find the cheapest coverage
- NEXT: Best for reasonable rates, excellent digital experience, and fast coverage
- InsurPro: Best for short-term coverage, like just one day
- CoverWallet: Best for comparing several quotes from top-rated carriers
- Full Frame: Best for specializing in photographers and videographers
What is videographer liability insurance?
General liability coverage protects your business against third party claims of bodily injury or property damage. This insurance also includes a personal and advertising injury component that protects your business from such claims as libel, slander, and copyright infringement. Videographer liability insurance is general liability insurance that covers the risks associated with being a professional videographer.
Who needs videographer insurance?
Are you wondering if you need videographer insurance? If you use your talent as a videographer as an income-earning venture, even as a side gig, you need videographer insurance. When you use your equipment and your skills to take videos for someone else, you are also assuming some risks, and those risks are the catalyst for the need for videographer liability insurance. This applies to wedding videographers, event videographers, and freelance videographers.
Why do you need videographer insurance?
Videography businesses have unique challenges. The work is specialized, and so are the risks. Your business isn’t the typical brick-and-mortar small business. Instead, you are in the field more than you are in the office.
You use expensive equipment while you work with clients to produce their dream videos. Working with people means you need to have appropriate liability insurance to protect you against any claims they may make regarding injuries or even your integrity. For example, if someone trips over one of your light stands, they could decide to blame and even sue you.
Videographer insurance can help to pay for attorney’s fees, medical treatments, or other costs resulting from an accident at a shoot. It can also help you if something happens and a memory card gets lost, causing someone to claim a breach of contract.
What insurance coverage does a videographer need?
Depending on the company you choose for your insurance coverage, you could be advised to purchase several different kinds of insurance coverage. The primary coverage that every company suggests is general liability insurance. Other recommended policies include inland marine, professional liability, workers’ compensation, commercial auto, commercial property, and business owner’s policies.
General liability insurance for videographers
A videographer needs general liability insurance because it covers any potential accidents or injuries that may occur while they are shooting video. For example, if a videographer is filming a wedding and someone falls down the stairs, general liability insurance would cover any medical bills or lawsuits that may arise as a result.
Learn more at the best general liability insurance for videographers (and photographers)
Commercial property insurance for videographers
There are many reasons why a videographer might need commercial property insurance. One of the main reasons is that a videographer’s equipment is often very expensive and could be damaged or stolen. Commercial property insurance can help protect the videographer’s equipment in the event that something happens to it.
Commercial property insurance can also help protect the videographer’s business in the event of a fire or other natural disaster. It can help cover the cost of repairing or replacing any damage that is done to the business’ property such as their studio.
Learn more at the best camera and videography (and photography) equipment insurance companies
Professional liability insurance for videographers
Professional liability insurance is protection against lawsuits that stem from negligence, mistakes, or a perceived failure in your work. An unsatisfied client could decide to sue you simply because they had an issue with your performance. Additionally, lost footage, accidental deletions, or failure to arrive at a shoot due to miscommunication can lead to lawsuits. Professional liability coverage can cover your legal fees as well as the costs of damages.
Learn more at the best professional liability insurance for videographers (and photographers)
Inland marine insurance for videographers
Inland marine insurance is an essential policy for videographers because it protects your equipment no matter where you are using that equipment. If your equipment becomes damaged in transit or while filming, your inland marine policy will help to cover repairs or replacement. The same is true if your equipment becomes lost or stolen.
Business Owners Policy (BOP) insurance for videographers
A business owner’s policy (BOP) combines property and liability coverages that many small businesses purchase into one convenient insurance policy. Opting for a business owner’s policy can save money because bundled policies are often less expensive than buying separate policies. In many cases, it is easier to add other coverages to a BOP. For example, you can add professional liability and inland marine coverages to a BOP policy. So, for a videographer, you can just get a BOP policy with all coverage that you would need to protect your videography business.
How much does videographer insurance cost?
The average cost of a general liability insurance policy for videographers is $32 per month, and of a professional liability insurance policy is $35 per month. Most videographers pay between $18 to $120 for their liability policies.
Obviously, these are just the averages. Your rates will be different. Be sure to shop around with a few companies or work with a broker like Simply Business or InsurePro or CoverWallet to compare several quotes to find the cheapest one for you.
Factors that impact videographer insurance costs
Videographer insurance is like many other insurance products. The cost of the policies depends on several factors. For example, do you work alone, or do you have a team working with you? Here are some other factors that affect the cost of your videographer insurance:
- What type of videography business do you have—do you work producing media for a public entity, or are you strictly a wedding videographer?
- How much are your equipment and other business assets worth?
- How big is your business, and how much do you earn?
- What type of insurance do you plan to purchase?
- What limits have you set for your policy, and what is your deductible?
These are just a few of the factors that can affect your premiums. Speaking to an insurance agent or advisor is the best way to determine what might affect your premiums.
Freelance videographer insurance
There are a few types of insurance that freelance videographers should consider having. These include general liability insurance, equipment insurance, and production insurance.
General liability insurance protects videographers from any legal claims made against them for accidental damages or injuries that occur during the course of their work. This could include someone getting injured while on set, or property being damaged.
Equipment insurance covers any damage or loss to photography and video equipment. This is important for freelance videographers who often rely on expensive equipment to do their job.
Production insurance helps protect videographers in the event that a project goes over budget or is cancelled. This can help cover lost revenue if something unexpected happens.
The other thing freelance videographers need to keep in mind is that since they don’t usually work full time, which means that they may not need a long-term insurance plan. A short-term insurance plan or a one-day coverage policy may be more suitable for them and that can also help them save money as well.
Wedding videographer insurance
Wedding videographers need insurance to protect themselves from potential legal issues. Coverage that they need can include general liability insurance and video production insurance. This will protect them in case something goes wrong during the wedding, such as someone getting injured or property getting damaged.
In some cases if a wedding videographer works with high-profile clients such as celebrities, they may need to have professional liability coverage too. This will protect them if the clients aren’t happy with the videos that they shoot and sue them believing that the poor quality of the videos was caused due to the cameraman’s negligence or mistakes.
Final thoughts
Videography is a physically demanding yet creative pursuit. Those who have a videography business or who choose to freelance as a way of earning a little extra should purchase appropriate videographer liability insurance. At the least, that is a general liability policy. Other coverages, such as professional liability or commercial property insurance, can also be beneficial.
Consult your insurance agent or broker to learn if your current company offers the coverage you need for a videography business. If not, shop for other quotes, either through a broker or with individual agents, before determining which policy to purchase. This will help you find the appropriate videographer liability insurance coverage at a price that fits your personal budget.
