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

Music Business, Resources

AFM & SAG-AFTRA: New Developments in Performance Rights

by Dennis Dreith, Executive Director AFM & SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund Background and Beginnings The AFM & SAG-AFTRA Fund was initially established as a joint project of the AFM and AFTRA (prior to its merger with SAG) for the purpose of distributing royalties stemming from various statutory provisions in US copyright law, and […]


Success Could Be Just One Gig Away

It’s not always easy. We all have bad days, sometimes bad weeks. Maybe the gigs aren’t coming in as fast as you want. Maybe your calendar is full, but the gigs suck. Maybe you feel your career should be at a higher level, but you’re still stuck playing for just over scale at a place […]


MusiCares: Help Is Available

Tough the music industry grosses more than $50 billion a year, the very people whose creativity and ingenuity fuel this massive cash machine frequently have few places to turn in troubled times. The Recording Academy established the MusiCares Foundation more than 20 years ago to help musicians faced with often insurmountable health and financial hardships. […]


Planning Your Operations and Infrastructure: What Support Do I Need to Build My Business?

by John Stiernberg, member Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) There’s a difference between your strategic plan and your operating plan. The strategic plan describes the foundation of your business over the next three to five years. Your operating plan answers the question, “How am I going to hit the numbers this year and next?” What […]


Tinnitus: When There’s Humming in Your Head and It Won’t Go Away

When Robert Plant sang “Your head is humming and it won’t go, in case you don’t know,” he could have been singing about tinnitus, a common problem, that is even more prevalent among musicians. About 50 million people in the US suffer from tinnitus, but it is estimated that less than one-third seek treatment. According […]


The Ins and Outs of Digital Performance Royalties: How SoundExchange Can Help

SoundExchange is quickly becoming one of the most important names within the music industry. The nonprofit performance rights organization collects royalty payments from more than 2,500 digital radio services—like Pandora, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM, and Music Choice—and distributes money to recording artists and record labels. To date, the organization has paid more than $2 billion in royalties […]


Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Focal Dystonia in Musicians

By: Jill Gambaro It can start during or after a performance, or in the middle of the night, seemingly out of the blue. Your finger curls down into your palm, and won’t straighten out again. Your neck remains twisted sideways even after you put down your violin. Your lip trembles when you try to play […]


Local 257 Stars at Nashville NAMM

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) held its summer show for the sixth year at Nashville’s Music City Center in July. NAMM is comprised of 9,200 member companies in 99 countries. It’s no small venue, and there were almost 450 exhibitors. There were more than 1,500 brands of instruments and accessories, and talent beyond belief. […]


Keep It Clean: Don’t Risk Disease by Not Cleaning Your Wind Instrument

Routine and thorough cleaning of your wind instrument isn’t just a matter of aesthetics, it could be a matter of life or death. According to an article published in the journal General Dentistry many woodwind and brass instruments are heavily contaminated with bacteria and fungi. Every time an infected instrument is played, contaminants enter the […]


Are Your E-mails Brief and to the Point?

I know how it goes. You get a lead on a club gig, a corporate event, or a wedding, and one of the first things you do is get an e-mail address and send a note to see if the person is really interested and if you should pursue it further. But hold on for […]








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