Now is the right time to become an American Federation of Musicians member. From ragtime to rap, from the early phonograph to today's digital recordings, the AFM has been there for its members. And now there are more benefits available to AFM members than ever before, including a multi-million dollar pension fund, excellent contract protection, instrument and travelers insurance, work referral programs and access to licensed booking agents to keep you working.
As an AFM member, you are part of a membership of more than 80,000 musicians. Experience has proven that collective activity on behalf of individuals with similar interests is the most effective way to achieve a goal. The AFM can negotiate agreements and administer contracts, procure valuable benefits and achieve legislative goals. A single musician has no such power.
The AFM has a proud history of managing change rather than being victimized by it. We find strength in adversity, and when the going gets tough, we get creative - all on your behalf.
Like the industry, the AFM is also changing and evolving, and its policies and programs will move in new directions dictated by its members. As a member, you will determine these directions through your interest and involvement. Your membership card will be your key to participation in governing your union, keeping it responsive to your needs and enabling it to serve you better. To become a member now, visit www.afm.org/join.
June 26, 2024
The Music and Musicians Tax Credit and Jobs Act was signed into law on June 5 in the Illinois General Assembly. The legislation is cosponsored by Local 10-208 (Chicago, IL) and will provide $2 million in tax credits to qualifying music companies in the state that record soundtracks and employ local musicians. The bill was advanced by […]
Read MoreJune 1, 2024
President Biden’s administration has empowered the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to advance its mission of protecting the right of workers to organize, making significant progress to restore and fortify this powerful agency that had been hollowed out by the previous administration. Under Biden’s appointees to the NLRB, the agency is wielding its authority to […]
Read MoreJune 1, 2024
On May 7, a webinar was held by the League of American Orchestras in partnership with the AFM and several other organizations to detail the latest rules of travel with musical instruments containing protected species. The webinar, a transcript, and slide presentation are now available for free, on-demand at the website: www.americanorchestras.org/travel-rules-for-protected-species-and-musical-instruments/. The webinar explains […]
Read MoreJune 1, 2024
Romero’s journey toward self-acceptance started with striving for an understanding of who she was, and her place growing up as young boy in the East Texas town of Longview. “I didn’t really know enough back then to question my identity,” she says. “I realized that I didn’t like my assigned gender at birth. I wanted to be a girl from the age of 5. But I didn’t have the basis to even begin to understand what being trans meant.” Nevertheless, she says, people around her knew something was up. “I wasn’t quite ‘normal’ enough for their taste, so I got bullied a lot, ostracized, and experienced social isolation.”
Read MoreJune 1, 2024
CFM Representing at JUNO and ECMA Awards by Liana White, AFM Canadian Office Executive Director The Canadian Federation of Musicians (CFM) was present at two of Canada’s biggest music awards shows, the JUNO Awards and the East Coast Music Awards (ECMA). This year’s JUNO Awards were held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, for the first time […]
Read MoreJune 1, 2024
Sitting for prolonged periods of time, as many musicians do, can be linked to a number of health concerns, chief among them, back issues. Around 80%-90% of people in the US will have back pain at some point in their lives.
Read MoreJune 1, 2024
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and the US Census Bureau, in 2023, creative professionals represented by unions made on average 34% more than their nonunion counterparts. The AFL-CIO’s Department of Professional Employees connects 12 arts unions, including the AFM, in the Arts, Entertainment, and Media Industry Coordinating Committee (AEMI). Union members, working as […]
Read MoreJune 1, 2024
The city of Mississauga, Ontario, approved its first Musician Fair Pay Policy, marking a significant step toward recognizing and valuing the contributions of musicians within the local art scene. The policy is one of the first in Canada to set a minimum payment for musicians that perform at city-produced events. It’s the result of Music Strategy: […]
Read MoreMay 1, 2024
The AFM is pleased to announce a new agreement with singer and songwriter Josh Groban. Signed in March, the agreement stipulates that Groban will sign union contracts for all of his live performances and tours that engage accompanying or background musicians. The contracts will be executed through the AFM local in whose jurisdiction the performance […]
Read MoreMay 1, 2024
Firmly Rooted in the Aloha Spirit Growing up in Hawaii isn’t all sun, surf, and palm trees. Okay, well, maybe it is. But for a budding musician, that can present its own challenges. “Like any other kid learning an instrument, video games and television are a distraction,” says Abe Lagrimas, Jr., a jazz drummer, vibraphonist, […]
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