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.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE AFM

Recent News

Hamburg Aims to Become Musical Center

On November 5, the Elbphilharmonie, a glass-paneled building mounted atop a former warehouse and rising 360 feet above Hamburg, Germany, will open to the public.


Béla Fleck Named Nashville Symphony’s 2016 Harmony Award Winner

Renowned banjoist Béla Fleck of Local 257 (Nashville, TN) will receive the 2016 Harmony Award presented each year by the Nashville Symphony to an individual who best exemplifies the harmonious spirit of Nashville’s musical community. The award ceremony will take place December 10, at the annual Symphony Ball.


Attention Canadian Traveling Musicians

USCIS Increases Artist Permit Fee: December 15, 2016 last day to Submit P-2 Visa Applications Under the Current Fee


Last-Minute Border Crossing Tips

Before you head out the door, here are some last-minute border crossing tips to ensure a successful crossing…


Bob Dylan Wins Nobel Prize for Literature

Congratulations to Local 802 (New York City) member Bob Dylan, 75, who was just awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. The Nobel Committee said it selected the singer-songwriter for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” “Since the late 1980s, Bob Dylan has toured persistently, an undertaking called the ‘Never-Endin Tour.’ […]


Chicago Teachers Reach Tentative Agreement

Chicago’s cash-strapped schools—the third largest public school system in the country—and its teachers’ union agreed to a contract proposal, narrowly averting a strike set for October 11.


Quincy Jones’ Royalty Trial Delayed

Legendary producer Quincy Jones of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) was set to go to trial over royalties he says he’s owed from albums released after Michael Jackson’s death.


Stop Predatory Lenders

Predatory “payday” and “car title” lenders take advantage of people in desperate situations.


Help Stop the Billionaire Tax Loophole

Some Wall Street millionaires and billionaires pay less taxes than hardworking teachers, nurses, and musicians through a practice known as “carried interest loophole.” This election cycle, we need to tell our members of Congress it’s time for them to make a commitment to stand up for the best interest of working families, not Wall Street millionaires and billionaires.


Gord Downie’s Last Act to Benefit First Nations Project

The Tragically Hip’s final Man Machine Poem tour generated a staggering US $1.85 million per show. According to the Canadian Cancer Society and the Sunnybrook Foundation, ticket sales helped raise more than $1 million for brain cancer research.








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