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.
April 1, 2026
As I write this column, we have concluded the second round of our Sound Recording Labor Agreement (SRLA) negotiations. We have made some progress but are still far from an agreement. While things are moving slowly, I am pleased to report the positive impact of rally we held March 11 in Times Square. I thank […]
April 1, 2026
My late father was born in 1906 into the atmosphere of the central Pennsylvania Mennonites. In his mid-70s, he once remarked to me about the incredible pace of technological change that he had witnessed within his lifetime—ice blocks to refrigeration; outhouses to indoor plumbing; telegraph to telephone to radio wave broadcast; the horse and buggy […]
April 1, 2026
The National Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Culture took place this week in Banff, Alberta, March 15-17. The event was organized by the Government of Canada in collaboration with the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. I joined representatives from Screen Composers Guild of Canada; Canadian Independent Music Association; Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists […]
April 1, 2026
Tension between musicians and technology has been going on since the beginning of time. Which came first, the modulating voice or the stick against a rock? Could the stick against the rock have been considered technology? What about instruments created through the centuries that emulate the sound of a voice but with different ranges, timbres, […]
March 1, 2026
March finds our union at a critical crossroads, balancing the intense technical work of contract negotiations with the moral imperative to protect our members’ safety. While our instruments are our primary tools, our collective voice as a union remains our most essential asset during times of industrywide transition and social unrest. Our core mission of […]
March 1, 2026
If you experience most of life today through your phone or your computer as I do, you will inevitably come across hackers, scammers, phishers, ID thieves, ransomware demands, sneaky links, malicious sites, and the like. I am pretty careful about all of these web-dwelling hazards. For my personal accounts, I signed up for Malwarebytes’ free […]
March 1, 2026
Sir Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that to every action there is always opposed an equal reaction, or the mutual actions of two bodies upon each other are always equal and directed to contrary parts. While Newton used this law to explain physical forces, it has been adopted to describe the balance of […]
March 1, 2026
Since the last AFM Convention in 2023, the leadership team of the AFM has been working diligently to bring our union up to a new level of solidarity, efficiency, and accessibility. Times have changed, and so have we. Our organizing and engagement efforts are increasing exponentially, and despite the difficult political climate, we have been […]
February 1, 2026
Sound Recording Labor Agreement (SRLA) negotiations began in Los Angeles on January 13-15. I am pleased to report that we had a very strong and focused beginning. These negotiations are being conducted with a level of preparation that reflects the high stakes of the modern recording industry. It’s no secret that our number one priority […]
February 1, 2026
It should be no surprise to anyone when I say that, outside the realm of traditional collective bargaining, the 20th century structure of our Federation does not match the 21st century ever-changing business of music and the needs of the musicians who must evolve with it. Technology, product distribution and consumption, AI, copyright, legal niceties […]