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



Home » Recent News » Legislation Introduced to Pay Musicians for Radio Play


Legislation Introduced to Pay Musicians for Radio Play

  -  

The AFM joined with other members of the music community on November 21 to celebrate the introduction of bipartisan legislation in Congress that would end big radio’s ability to use music without first obtaining any form of permission from the people who recorded it.

“All musicians should be paid for all their work all the time—and that includes AM/FM radio,” says AFM International President Ray Hair. “This bill would allow artists to control their own work and fairly negotiate with the large broadcasters for appropriate compensation for that work. We thank Chairman Nadler and Senator Blackburn for their leadership on this issue.”

The Ask Musicians For Music (AM-FM) Act was introduced by US Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and by US Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). The AM-FM Act seeks to modernize existing copyright law for radio stations and musicians; it gives creators control of their own work by requiring broadcasters to obtain consent before playing—and profiting from—their music.

For many decades, radio broadcasters have made billions of dollars every year convincing their audience to listen to advertising with the promise of great music on the other side. Current law has allowed them to exploit music for profit without paying a penny to the artists who bring that music to life.

Under the AM-FM Act, artists who want to allow terrestrial radio to continue to use their work for free can choose to do so. Artists who seek compensation for their work can exercise their right to negotiate rates for the use of their sound recordings from broadcasters. Both bills provide special treatment by protecting small, public, college, and other non-commercial stations.







NEWS