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.

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Health, Music Business, Resources, Traveling Musician

Take the Stage with Confidence: Strategies to Overcome Stage Fright 

It’s a musician’s dream to play to a packed house. Yet for many, it comes with a cost. Paralyzing anxiety, often called stage fright, can derail concentration and sabotage your ability to play well. The autonomic nervous system emits a rush of adrenaline to prepare your body for a perceived threat, called a fight or […]


Taking Care of Business

The reality of our chosen career path as professional musicians is that our creative vocation is a business. While we musicians spend a lot of time and effort constantly improving our musical abilities, talent and musical prowess alone are no guarantee of success in the music business. A little savvy with all the nonmusical aspects […]


AFM Will Stay the Course Against NBC’s Intransigence

by Jennifer Garner, AFM In-House Counsel The AFM is suing NBCUniversal on behalf of scores, or potentially hundreds, of individual musicians for NBC’s habitual breaches of more than a dozen of its obligations under the Television Videotape Agreement. NBC is holding wages and allied benefits hostage, even those that are undisputed, in retaliation for the […]


Revamped Freelance Resources Support Independent Musicians

by Wages Argott, AFM Director of Freelance Services and Membership Development As we reach the close of 2022, my first full calendar year at the helm of our Freelance Services Department, I can’t help but find encouragement and sense a large measure of hope for our freelance musician community. Rather than waiting for the industry […]


AFM’s GoPro Hosting Provides an Affordable Home for Your Website

An exclusive benefit of AFM membership, GoPro Hosting offers members space for websites, domain name registration, and unlimited email addresses. With more than 400 clients, GoPro Hostinghas helped many members establish their web presence—a necessity for indie and freelance musicians, in particular. The AFM is uniquely suited to serve the web hosting needs of musicians—at […]


So You Made a Recording …

Make Sure You Talk with Your Local About AFM Recording Agreements to Protect Your Work! AFM member recordings are covered under a variety of sound recording agreements, all designed to protect your work and the work of the musicians you hire. Taking into consideration the scope of your work and its intended use is key. […]


Tools to Help You Succeed in the Business of Music

As musicians, we spend a lot of time and effort constantly improving our musical chops and performance skills. Even with perfection, however, there’s no guarantee of success in the music business. The reality of our chosen career path as professional musicians is that our creative vocation is still a business. As a member of the […]


Closing a Year of Change to Open a Year of Opportunity

The Film Musicians Secondary Markets Fund’s 50th year was one of transformation to better position it to meet the opportunities and challenges of an evolving industry. In 1972, the only known secondary markets were free TV, pay TV, and cassettes. No one could have predicted how radically the industry’s business models would change nor imagine […]


Touring/Theatre/Booking Division

On the Road Again: 2021-2022 Season Saw 22 Pamphlet B Shows Touring by George Fiddler, AFM Director of Touring/Theatre/Booking Division and Assistant to the President This month’s Theater issue features a cover story about Julie Ferrara of Local 802 (New York City), reed player on the current Frozen tour and steward for its 11-member orchestra. […]


RMA: Musicians Continue to Fight for Fair Share

by Christopher Anderson-Bazzoli, President of RMA Los Angeles and Sidney Hopson, RMALA Executive Board Member In the three years since we ratified our last film and TV contracts, studio streaming platforms have continued to ramp up, while musicians’ livelihoods have ramped down. In 2019, “new media” made up 14% of the film and tv contracts […]








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