A Year of Progress and Purpose: Inside the Electronic Media Services Division

September 1, 2025

John Painting  -  AFM Electronic Media Services Division Assistant Director

As always, it is an honor to welcome you to this year’s issue of the International Musician focused on electronic media and the Electronic Media Services Division (EMSD). This division serves and protects the interests of nonsymphonic recording musicians. (The AFM Symphonic Services Division represents symphony, opera, ballet, and chamber orchestra electronic media projects.)

While it may sound like our work is just straight contract administration, it is important to be able to see the forest for the trees. The primary guiding principle of the division’s strategy in doing its work is to ensure that musicians can make a living working under AFM contracts.

We are sitting at an interesting time in the music business, as the encroachment of artificial intelligence (AI) technology strongly threatens the viability of music as a career. A future in which the human element is extracted from the arts for the sake of industry profits is bleak indeed. The AFM is committed to focusing on consent, credit, and compensation when it comes to AI bargaining and legislative initiatives.

As for the world of bargaining, in 2025 we have already achieved several major gains in television, building nicely on the gains we achieved in 2024 in the motion picture industry. On page 11, EMSD Assistant Director Rebecca Gurnee has a recap of our recently concluded Television Videotape Agreement negotiations, which concluded in winter, with a new agreement ratified in late May. Her article goes into great detail describing what was gained.

The same can be said north of the border as well. On page 15, Canadian Office Executive Director Liana White outlines gains made there, including the rollout of the Independent Production Agreement and a successor General Production Agreement, which is pending ratification.

On the front burner now is our upcoming negotiations with the major record labels, as the Sound Recording Labor Agreement (SRLA) will expire at the end of January. As we approach these negotiations, this division is working closely with the Organizing Services department. You are greatly encouraged to get involved in the process.

This issue includes two articles that explain contract nuances that might be poorly understood. On page 12, Sound Recording Supervisor Mary Contini-Migliore has an article about musician services that are covered by the agreement and how the work of DJs may fall under its scope. I included an article on another issue of contract scope—the dovetailing of the SRLA and the Motion Picture Agreements, when it comes to recording songs for use in films.

As for our other agreements, to make sure you are up to speed with what questions to ask a potential producer to find the correct agreement (as well as what the agreements are), check out our annual EMSD 101 feature on page 16.

As a reminder, up-to-date information regarding all our EMSD agreements is available on the AFM.org website in the EMSD Resource Center. Designed to help producers, musicians, and local officers understand the often complex process of recording contracts, the Resource Center guides users directly to the information they need. You can find it at AFM.org by clicking on “Our Musicians” and then “Recording & Digital Media.”

I would like to thank the Recording Musicians Association (RMA) for their continued assistance and guidance through organizing, contract negotiations, administration, and enforcement. Thank you to RMA International President Marc Sazer, as well, for his piece about the role of labor research in organizing on page 13.

I also thank my hardworking colleagues in EMSD on both coasts for their dedication in administering our agreements. An updated list of our staff and their functions is available on page 14. We would not be able to accomplish the high level of work that this division does without the input of each of them.

I am also proud of the work of the electronic media staff in our Canadian Office under the direction of Vice President from Canada Allistair Elliott and White. We are thrilled to welcome Recording and Licensing Manager Anna Ruddick to the Canadian EMSD team.

Finally, I would like to thank in-house counsels Jennifer Garner and Russ Naymark for their ongoing efforts assisting in negotiations, contract enforcement, resolving outstanding claims, and offering their wealth of knowledge to the countless agreements that this division covers for the benefit of our working musicians. Their assistance is invaluable when we deal with challenging or controversial situations.

I hope you find this issue to be full of useful information. Do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

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