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.
June 1, 2025
Much of the work the Federation does to advocate for musicians’ interests and influence laws and policies that protect them happens through the relationships we’ve built in Washington, DC. Ben Kessler is our director of government affairs. Last month, I joined him for a few days in the capital to discuss your interests directly with […]
June 1, 2025
So it must be that many years ago—perhaps decades or even centuries ago—an ill-tempered character, with a chip on their shoulder about the encroaching Industrial Age, must have bestowed upon us denizens of this century the tried-and-true curse that we may “live in interesting times.” So interesting are these times that I struggled all month […]
June 1, 2025
The paint on the nameplates of new government ministers may still be wet, but the government has taken office and things are moving quickly. We have a round of meetings planned for mid-June. The Canadian government has stated that it is focused on creating new trade partners, which means rethinking how things work in a […]
June 1, 2025
The technological challenges musicians face are not new. We can go back to Edison’s invention of the phonograph, which at the time, fundamentally altered the relationship between listeners and music. Audiences could now listen to recorded music on a physical medium, at any time, without having to go to a venue where musicians were playing. […]
May 1, 2025
If the delegates to the last AFM Convention made one thing abundantly clear, it was the desire for the Federation to step up its support for locals seeking to organize freelance musicians. These are the musicians least likely to perform under a traditional trade union collective bargaining agreement. While freelance, indie, and self-produced musicians comprise […]
May 1, 2025
Stories abound about the future health of the labor movement. The US presidential election and the complete domination of the US Congress and Supreme Court by the MAGA elements have taken organized labor’s inconvenient-but-familiar laws and norms in America and stood them on their heads. What was true and dependable at 11:59 a.m. on January […]
May 1, 2025
#enfrancais : Permis de travail des États-Unis, pressions et négociations Recent United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) communications regarding gender identity on P-2 visa petitions have raised concerns and questions among members who have applied for or are considering applying for US work permits. The Federation is actively lobbying on both sides of the […]
May 1, 2025
The Kennedy Center’s February 12 change in leadership has become the subject of much discussion among members of the arts community and beyond. Following soon after this announcement was the news that a number of high-profile artists had made the decision to withdraw from their commitments to the center. Currently, artists, arts creators, and others […]
April 1, 2025
In a significant step toward bolstering international solidarity, the AFM hosted UK Musicians’ Union (MU) General Secretary Naomi Pohl and MU Head of International Services Dave Webster at our Times Square headquarters in late February. The MU represents over 36,000 musicians across the United Kingdom. As many of you know, the AFM has a long […]
April 1, 2025
The power of music cannot be underestimated. And we musicians, of all the people on this continent, hold that power in our hands. One such example of that power is embodied in Aaron Copeland’s composition, Lincoln Portrait. The Lincoln Portrait is a very moving piece, designed to frame with music particularly powerful excerpts from speeches […]