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.
November 23, 2020
Do you know an extraordinary union member, someone who’s always looking out for everyone else but never for themselves? Union Plus can help you give back to those amazing people with its Holiday Giveback Campaign, through which the nonprofit will be giving away $1,000 “thank you” awards to 100 deserving union members. Union Plus is […]
November 1, 2020
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has issued a nationwide preliminary injunction that at least paused, for now, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) plan to implement fee increases and new forms, which were originally scheduled to go into effect on October 2, 2020. USCIS has acknowledged the injunction, although […]
November 1, 2020
Early Music America, an advocacy organization that supports the performance and study of early music, has raised more than $100,000 and distributed more than 300 grants to early musicians struggling financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds were raised by 348 donors through the EMA Relief Fund, which the organization established in March of […]
November 1, 2020
The Film Musicians Secondary Markets Fund (FMSMF) has added two key positions in response to the rapidly evolving industry environment and its impact on musicians working in film, television, and emerging media. Frances Arricale has been named FMSMF’s general counsel. Arricale joins the Fund with career legal and executive experience in the public, private, and […]
November 1, 2020
More than 75 musicians joined together in front of the Ed Sullivan Theater on October 6 to call out CBS and the other television networks as musicians escalated efforts to secure a fair contract, gain wage increases and broader healthcare coverage, and secure residuals for streaming usage.The rally was supported by New Yorkers from a […]
October 1, 2020
California’s music community received a major victory in early September when Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2257 (AB2257) into law. The law, which is an amendment of California’s “Gig Economy” Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) from last year, provides protections for workers against misclassification. Enactment of AB2257 allows music professionals to follow the Borello test […]
October 1, 2020
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has issued a ruling ordering European Union countries to treat music creators equally regardless of their nationality, recognizing this as an important milestone in the fight to ensure music fairness. The ECJ ruling stemmed from a case in Ireland regarding whether US music creators should be paid royalties when […]
October 1, 2020
Robert “Doc” Morgan is the 2020 inductee into DownBeat magazine’s Jazz Education Hall of Fame. Now retired, Morgan served for 23 years as director of jazz studies at Houston’s Kinder High School for Performing and Visual Arts, the school that has spawned so many of the jazz world’s current pacesetters, including: • Mark Kelley, Local […]
October 1, 2020
Financial Assistance Extended From 6 to 24 Weeks, Only One Application Form After eight years of work, the Toronto Musicians’ Association (TMA) has created a new benevolent fund that will augment existing programs to help members through times of financial need due to long-term illness. The Member Assistance Fund (MAF) became fully implemented this past […]
August 31, 2020
The International Executive Board of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM) has announced its endorsement of Joe Biden for president in the 2020 election. In announcing the union’s endorsement, AFM International President Raymond M. Hair, Jr. issued the following statement: “For musicians who are concerned about providing for […]