LLC for Musicians & Entertainers: Guides for All 50 States
liability protection for live performances and event contracts, professional structure for royalty income and licensing deals, and tax deductions for instruments and travel.
Solo Business Landscape for Musicians & Entertainers
Nationwide, there are 1,737,630 solo arts, entertainment, and recreation businesses with no employees, the U.S. Census sector that includes musicians & entertainers (U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics (NES), 2023).
Top 5 states by solo arts, entertainment, and recreation businesses
| State | Solo Businesses |
|---|---|
| CACalifornia | 235,905 |
| NYNew York | 147,809 |
| TXTexas | 130,718 |
| FLFlorida | 120,692 |
| ILIllinois | 62,805 |
Do you need business insurance?
An LLC’s liability shield protects your personal assets from the business’s debts and lawsuits, but it does not protect the business itself, client injuries, property damage, and lawsuits against the company can still put its income and assets at risk.
Compare business insurance quotes for musicians & entertainers
| Provider | Best for | AM Best rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT) | online small business insurance for the self-employed, freelancers, contractors, sole proprietors, and micro-businesses across 1,300+ professions | A+ | Get a quote |
| Hiscox | small-business and professional liability (errors & omissions) coverage for professional-services freelancers, consultants, and specialty professions across 180+ occupations | A | Get a quote |
| Embroker | digital commercial insurance (D&O, cyber, tech E&O, EPLI, professional liability) for venture-funded startups, tech companies, law firms, VC/PE firms, and other professional-services businesses | N/A | Get a quote |
| Thimble | on-demand, short-term (hourly/daily/monthly) general liability and professional liability insurance for freelancers, gig workers, and small businesses across 129+ industries | N/A | Get a quote |
Disclosure: we earn a commission if you buy a policy through some links on this page. This does not affect our editorial comparisons, and coverage details always come from the insurer’s own documents.
This guide is general information, not insurance, legal, or financial advice. Coverage needs, requirements, and pricing vary by business, location, and carrier underwriting. Confirm policy details directly with a licensed insurance carrier or agent before making a purchasing decision.
Find Your State
50 of 50 state guides published, more coming soon.
| State | Filing Fee | Processing | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALAlabama | $200 | Not published | View guide → |
| AKAlaska | $250 | Instant online; 10-15 business days by mail | View guide → |
| AZArizona | $50 | Live queue - no fixed turnaround | View guide → |
| ARArkansas | $45 | Not published | View guide → |
| CACalifornia | $70 | Live queue - no fixed turnaround | View guide → |
| COColorado | $50 | Instant (online filing only) | View guide → |
| CTConnecticut | $120 | Not published | View guide → |
| DEDelaware | $110 | Not published | View guide → |
| FLFlorida | $125 | Live queue - no fixed turnaround | View guide → |
| GAGeorgia | $110 | 7-10 business days online; 15 paper | View guide → |
| HIHawaii | $50 | Not published | View guide → |
| IDIdaho | $100 | Not published | View guide → |
| ILIllinois | $150 | Not published | View guide → |
| INIndiana | $95 | Not published | View guide → |
| IAIowa | $50 | Not published | View guide → |
| KSKansas | $85 | Within minutes (online) | View guide → |
| KYKentucky | $40 | Not published | View guide → |
| LALouisiana | $100 | Not published | View guide → |
| MEMaine | $175 | 40-55 business days | View guide → |
| MDMaryland | $100 | 6-8 weeks | View guide → |
| MAMassachusetts | $520 | Not published | View guide → |
| MIMichigan | $50 | Not published | View guide → |
| MNMinnesota | $155 | Not published | View guide → |
| MSMississippi | $50 | Same day (online) | View guide → |
| MOMissouri | $50 | Usually instant (online) | View guide → |
| MTMontana | $35 | Not published | View guide → |
| NENebraska | $100 | Not published | View guide → |
| NVNevada | $75 | Not published | View guide → |
| NHNew Hampshire | $100 | Not published | View guide → |
| NJNew Jersey | $125 | Not published | View guide → |
| NMNew Mexico | $50 | Not published | View guide → |
| NYNew York | $200 | Not published | View guide → |
| NCNorth Carolina | $125 | 15-20 business days | View guide → |
| NDNorth Dakota | $135 | Not published | View guide → |
| OHOhio | $99 | Not published | View guide → |
| OKOklahoma | $100 | Not published | View guide → |
| OROregon | $100 | Not published | View guide → |
| PAPennsylvania | $125 | 2-4 days | View guide → |
| RIRhode Island | $150 | Within 2 business days | View guide → |
| SCSouth Carolina | $110 | Not published | View guide → |
| SDSouth Dakota | $150 | Not published | View guide → |
| TNTennessee | $300 | Not published | View guide → |
| TXTexas | $300 | Not published | View guide → |
| UTUtah | $59 | Instant to 4 business days | View guide → |
| VTVermont | $155 | Under 1 business day online; 7-10 by mail | View guide → |
| VAVirginia | $100 | Not published | View guide → |
| WAWashington | $200 | Within 15 business days (paper) | View guide → |
| WVWest Virginia | $100 | Not published | View guide → |
| WIWisconsin | $130 | Instant on receipt (online) | View guide → |
| WYWyoming | $100 | Instant online; up to 15 business days paper | View guide → |
Guides for Other Professions
Free Tools for Musicians & Entertainers
Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC
Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.