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.
December 30, 2023
Contract negotiations for AFM’s Basic Theatrical Motion Picture and Basic Television Motion Picture Agreements with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) will begin January 22 in Los Angeles, California. Planning for the upcoming negotiations began in 2021 with the steering committee and rank-and-file musicians collaborating with the AFM director of organizing to […]
Read MoreDecember 30, 2023
The International Labor Communications Association (ILCA) announced its annual labor communications contest winners for 2022 entries. The largest competition exclusively for labor journalists and communicators, the awards recognize excellence among union publications, websites, video, and other media from across North America. The AFM/International Musician received two Saul Miller awards for excellent writing connected to the […]
Read MoreDecember 12, 2023
On December 12, the Department for Professional Employees (DPE) of the AFL-CIO hosted a meeting of the arts, entertainment, and media industry unions with the administrator of the Wages and Hours Division of the US Department of Labor (DOL) to discuss enforcement of the prevailing wage requirement in connection with direct and indirect grants from […]
Read MoreDecember 8, 2023
Struggling to find the perfect gift for the musician in your life? Or for yourself!Check out the great suggestions below: Luis & Clark Instruments Contrary to the beliefs of many, Luis & Clark carbon fiber instruments are not “machine made.” They are individually made, by hand. They are fabricated, using molds and each is made […]
Read MoreDecember 1, 2023
In 2023, union leaders were buoyed by a robust National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that empowered organizing nationwide. Though less than the surge of actions in 2022, filing of petitions for union representation in FY 2023 ticked up 3% (after a 53% spike in FY 2022). Union representation petitions for elections were up 3% over […]
Read MoreDecember 1, 2023
Venezuelan trumpet player Raul Agraz, member of Local 802 (New York City), says decades ago, when he was growing up, his home country had many similarities to the United States. “It was a fairly prosperous country, and it was a melting pot much like the US. Musicians from all around the world lived and worked […]
Read MoreNovember 28, 2023
The actors’ strike is over, with the union approving an agreement with Hollywood studios in November. Leaders of the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) characterized the deal as a big win, with the contract achieving significant breakthroughs on actors’ pay and putting guardrails on the industry’s use of generative artificial intelligence […]
Read MoreNovember 28, 2023
A new Beatles song and video, released 50 years after the band broke up, is just one note in a crescendo of AI and music. The newly released recording that’s being called The Beatles’ last song now has a music video, and both elements used technology that wasn’t available during those heady days of Beatlemania. The song “Now […]
Read MoreNovember 1, 2023
by Arden R. Ryshpan, Canadian Actors’ Equity Association Executive Director No one could have expected the extraordinary events of March 2020, when most of Canada found itself under mandatory lockdown orders due to the COVID pandemic. Within days, every single live performance activity in the country was shut down, tossing thousands of artists out of […]
Read MoreNovember 1, 2023
Born and raised in Las Vegas by musical parents, a life in music was never not an option for drummer and percussionist Paul Hannah of Local 500 (Raleigh, NC). “My dad, Don Hannah, was in the house band at the Dunes Hotel, and made a living as an arranger for everyone who came through town. […]
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