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.
September 1, 2024
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Labor Studies Center sponsored a research conference over two and a half days, August 2-4. There were over 100 attendees, and another 200 on a waitlist. I felt privileged to have been accepted into the program. Attendees included professional researchers, organizers, students, union leaders, worker center and other […]
Read MoreSeptember 1, 2023
According to the Cornell Law School Legal Information Center, “Yellow dog contracts are agreements between an employer and employee in which, often as a precondition to being hired, the employee agrees not to become a labor union member or act in collaboration with other employees. There are both federal and state statutes outlawing yellow dog […]
Read MoreMay 1, 2022
In November, we will be going back to the table with the major film and TV studios, negotiating on behalf of the thousands of musicians whose livelihoods depend on preparing and performing music for motion pictures, broadcast TV, and streaming shows. This multi-billion-dollar corporate industry has been shifting steadily to streaming. Just this year, Amazon […]
Read MoreSeptember 1, 2021
by Marc Sazer, Recording Musicians Association President and Member of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) and Local 802 (New York City) Research. Organizing. Contract compliance. Collective bargaining. These are all inextricably intertwined, and fundamental to our union—any labor union. The AFL-CIO, UCLA Labor Studies Center, and Labor Studies School at Cornell all focus on research […]
Read MoreMay 1, 2021
The one thing we can be confident of is that we will need to remember our common needs and goals. We will survive COVID-19, as we have survived all along: by banding together.
Read MoreAugust 31, 2020
Streaming is front and center for all of us: Porch concerts posted to Facebook, Broadway shows like Hamilton playing online, symphony orchestras recording new streaming content, and the release of the new big-budget live-action Mulan on Disney Plus … whew! It seems as if we’re all recording musicians now! Even in the middle of this […]
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