by Evan Nachimson
As an independent musician who’s spent the better half of the past eight years riding the grit-filled subways of New York City from gig to gig, guitar in hand, I’ve become all too familiar with the risks of hauling valuable music equipment all around town.
Whether it’s performing for kids’ music classes – then handing my guitar off to the kids to play with – or dashing off to a gig across town, I’m always on the go with my gear. And, like many artists, I can’t afford to buy it twice. That’s why the peace of mind AKKO has given me is so invaluable – it lets me do my thing without worrying about life’s little accidents, all for just $15 a month.
I host a series of underground concerts called The Candle Room, and I’ll never forget one of the very first shows I put on. We were in a low, narrow, winding basement in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood, with an enthusiastic crowd dancing and mucking around. As so often happens, it all went down in the blink of an eye. One moment, everything was going great; the next, I watched in what felt like slow motion as a friend of a friend spilled his beer all over my MacBook Pro – completely ruining it.
This was before AKKO existed, so I was forced to scramble my meager savings to buy a whole new (used) laptop – and so $2,500 I couldn’t afford to spend went down the drain.
It’s hard not to think about how much easier my life would’ve been if I’d had AKKO then. I could have whipped out my phone and submitted a claim right at that moment, and I could have had the cash for a new laptop by the very next day.
Now that I have AKKO, it’s become clear that it’s an invaluable part of the toolkit for any musician or band. From musical instruments to speakers, amps, mics, and so much more, AKKO protects all the things I rely on – all in one place, and without breaking the bank.
Here are five of the most important things my AKKO Plan protects every day:
Shure SM7B Microphone ($359): There was an SM7B shortage in NYC last year – not just because of the supply chain, but because of how insanely versatile this microphone is. It’s great for podcasts, records, instruments – the possibilities are endless for this mighty piece of equipment, and I just can’t go without it.
Martin DC-Aura ($1,998): My acoustic guitar is precious to me not just because it’s expensive, but also because it’s allowed me to make a living playing music for children. After each class I teach, I let the kids crawl all over my prized possession, which would be truly unnerving if not for the knowledge that AKKO has me covered.
Used Macbook Pro ($2,500): When you’re producing music, your computer is every bit as important as your instruments – and since it needs to be powerful and portable with good battery life, there’s no getting off cheap. I’m not taking my chances with another beer being spilled on it or, heavens forbid, a tragic drop.
Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S88 Smart Keyboard Controller ($1,149): Without my MIDI controller, I wouldn’t be able to create demos. How else could I generate a fully produced track – drums, bass, keys, etc. – as a solo artist? With this baby, I’ve got a full band at my fingertips, which means I’ve got a lot to lose if it ever breaks.
iPhone 12 Pro ($999): Voice memos, lyric writing, video recording, promotion, marketing, and on and on – for independent musicians, smartphones are indispensable Swiss Army Knives, just as important to our livelihoods as to our everyday lives.
For me, there’s only one reasonable choice for protecting my music equipment. Buying an extended warranty or insurance plan individually for every piece of gear I own would be wildly expensive, not to mention how annoying it’d be to track a bunch of different policies with different companies and different terms. That’s why I feel lucky to have found a plan that gives me exactly the coverage and simplicity I need, at a price I can afford.
In fact, I love being an AKKO customer so much, I even wrote a song about it!
