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.
October 1, 2024
by John O’Connor, Executive Board Member, Local 380-443 (Binghamton, NY) At the 2023 AFM Convention, a resolution was passed designating that the AFM advocate, educate, and organize for health care justice and a single payer system that will make health care a birthright for everyone in the United States. The centerpiece of the resolution, which […]
September 1, 2024
As a lobbyist, Alfonso Pollard had a keen understanding of musicians’ issues because he started out as one. He obtained a Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School and a master’s degree in performance from Catholic University of America. He served as principal timpanist for Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Opera Orchestra, and Filene Center […]
September 1, 2024
Embracing Diversity: A Path to Solidarity in Our Union by Greg Riley, AFM Diversity Committee Member and Member of Locals 77 (Philadelphia, PA) and 802 (New York City) As we reflect on our union’s history, we stand at a pivotal moment. This moment offers us the opportunity to embrace the true essence of solidarity and […]
September 1, 2024
Over the past 25 years, the recording industry’s Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) experienced an extraordinarily long fall from grace due to advances of technology that annihilated physical music products. Conversely, a steady climb from that abyss brought us full circle to the MPTF of today. As in the Rolling Stone’s refrain, “You can’t always […]
May 1, 2024
Life has been good for the recording industry’s Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) since streaming revenues began to arrive in early 2017. The very good news is that, in the last decade, MPTF grant distribution has increased tenfold. We have just concluded our 2023-2024 fiscal year, delivering approximately $5 million for musician performances throughout North […]
April 29, 2024
Applications for 2024 Music Performance Trust Fund scholarships are being accepted through May 31. The MPTF Scholarship initiative supports the children of musicians through Music Family Scholarships, and helps future musicians through Music’s Future Scholarships. A minimum of $150,000 will be awarded to students in the Fall of 2024 through two scholarship programs: ♦Music Family […]
February 1, 2024
by John O’Connor, Executive Board Member of Local 380-443 (Binghamton, NY) In the late 1990s, former Local 802 (New York City) President Bill Moriarity was appointed to lead an AFM task force that explored health insurance options available to musicians, analyzed the health care system in the United States, and delivered a report to the […]
February 1, 2024
Over the past five years, the recording industry’s Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) has enjoyed renewed revenue afforded by the more recent labor agreements between the AFM and the major labels. The MPTF has, in response, greatly ramped up the distribution of grants for admission-free performances across North America. The grant budget has grown from […]
February 1, 2024
by Beth Zare, AFM Diversity Committee Chair and Secretary-Treasurer, Local 6 (San Francisco, CA) I wish to thank AFM International President Tino Gagliardi for his confidence in appointing me chair of the Diversity Committee. During this month dedicated to Black History, I feel called to reflect on the past and future of the AFM’s efforts […]
February 1, 2024
During Black History Month the AFM celebrates Black artists whose music changed the world. From Robert Johnson’s blues to Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s pop-gospel, they are indelibly linked to a cultural framework in American history, rooted in social justice. Yet, it’s impossible to discuss AFM history and its fight for musician rights without examining the segregation […]