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.
July 1, 2022
The 29th AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 12-15. The AFL-CIO is a federation of 57 affiliated unions with 12.5 million members. Our AFM delegation to the convention consisted of AFM President Ray Hair; Lovie Smith-Wright of Local 65-699 (Houston, TX); and me. Preconvention events included an AFL-CIO Unity Summit and a Global […]
July 1, 2022
What an amazing time this is, complete with dramatic challenges and remarkable possibilities. Plague, war, and social and economic upheaval coexist with a real desire to change the work-life balance and find meaning beyond accumulation. There seems to be an enhanced awareness of individual needs, which must be balanced against others’ needs. We are in […]
June 1, 2022
In the early days of the music industry’s transition from a retail sales-based economy to online consumption through the explosion of noninteractive streaming services such as SiriusXM satellite radio, Pandora, and the later rise of interactive subscription/rental businesses such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon, governmental statutory protection provided stability and fairness to labels and […]
June 1, 2022
The 2021 AFM audit has been completed. As in the past, the audited financials can be viewed within the AFM 2021 Annual Report, which has been uploaded to the AFM Members website. Using your AFM ID and password, log in and click on the Document Library tab and open the Financial Documents and Annual Report […]
June 1, 2022
I hope you all read AFM International Executive Board Member Dave Pomeroy’s article in the May IM. I will use it as a jumping off point to continue the discussion of our union, our membership, and the role we all play in direct engagement and participation in our path forward. Like Pomeroy, I’m somewhat optimistic […]
June 1, 2022
“Apparently, some believe musicians are unworthy and should be afforded less rights than movie stars’ dog walkers.” As the sixth wave driven by the Omicron variant begins to fade, hope springs eternal that life may soon return to whatever normal will be. Bargaining with employers has been particularly difficult, since two-dimensional negotiating via zoom is […]
May 1, 2022
Musicians are entitled to streaming payments in two distinct ways: through statutory licensing for the digital distribution of sound recordings and through collective bargaining where negotiated streaming payment obligations appear in contracts with record labels, film and television producers, and other entertainment industry employers. The Federation has also established payment standards for the streaming of live local engagements, including performances that are captured and archived for later streamed distribution.
May 1, 2022
The AFL-CIO Convention, which last took place in St. Louis, Missouri (2017), will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from June 12-15, 2022. Normally, this convention is held every four years. However, the AFL-CIO Executive Council postponed the 29th AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention from October 2021 to June 2022 to protect the health and safety of delegates […]
May 1, 2022
The shared experiences that come from the creation, reproduction, and live performance of music bring people together in ways that no other art form can. Two people who cannot speak the same language or are miles apart philosophically can be united, if only for a few moments, through music. A hit song broadcast on the […]
May 1, 2022
For those who still believe conditions in the workplace are something you’re entitled to, you may be surprised that unfair labour practices (in Canada) were only defined and prohibited in 1938! While the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century gave birth to the labour movement in Europe and North America, there were many significant events […]