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

Officer Columns, Secretary-Treasurer

Take a Look at Our New AFM Headquarters

The AFM headquarters office in New York moved into a new office space on the ninth floor at 1501 Broadway on April 1, 2019.


Player Conferences Are Essential to the Promotion of Internal Member Involvement

ICSOM, ROPA, OCSM, TMA, together with the Recording Musicians Association (RMA), comprise five intermediate bodies within the AFM known as player conferences.


The Future is Calling

As unprecedented change transforms the music industry, greater are the demands on our union to bargain strategically within myriad sectors. Through an ongoing transformation in consumption, evolving monetization of content, and ever-expanding cross-collateralization of media across platforms, we are challenged to conform our agreements and to respond to new world paradigms. With the process of […]


How Does a Union Successfully Engage with Freelancers?

The renewal agreement negotiated by the Canadian Office of the American Federation of Musicians (CFM) with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) has been ratified by the members who worked under the previous agreement over the last three years.


The Formation of AFM Bylaws

When it comes to the formation of bylaws in the AFM, a process is still in use today that has been used within the organization for decades.


Convention Delegates Smash TEMPO Record

The AFM Convention has long been the gathering where union leadership shines.


A Report on the International Freelance Conference

At the end of May, the International Federation of Musicians (FIM), a membership organization that includes musician unions from around the world, hosted their first-ever International Freelance Conference.


101st Convention: Real Unionism

One hundred and twenty-three years after our founding Convention in Indianapolis in October 1896, the Federation convened its 101st Convention on June 20 in Las Vegas.


Division in a Union Is Like Kryptonite

The reduction in pension benefits is truly unfortunate, but making sure there is a Pension Fund for musicians in the future is so important for all of us.


Labour Gears Up for War

When the gavel dropped to open the May 14 meeting of the Canada Council of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), the tone was a mix of elation and trepidation.








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