Before 2010, New York and Los Angeles were the leading centers for film scoring. Due to producers’ desire to cut costs, most nonsignatory film scoring has been done overseas in recent years. Although scoring makes up a small portion of a blockbuster film’s budget, often less than .05%, by 2018 most film productions that didn’t […]

Yes it is, but sometimes this hallowed institution gets it wrong even with the best of intentions. The most recent occasion was on my watch as the AFM’s administrative officer overseeing the content of each month’s International Musician. Over the past few months, IM has published information about the AFM’s newly expanded Code of Conduct, […]

Hip-hop has long been a global economic force. Hip-hop and R&B accounted for over 25% of all US streams in 2024. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), in 2022, hip-hop generated $15.9 billion from music streams and purchases alone. Yet, behind the impressive streaming numbers and sold-out tours lies a harsh reality: […]

Spring transitioning into summer signals a break from the routine of many orchestras’ seasons and sessional teaching, and there is often a switch to music festivals, summer music programs, touring (jazz festival circuit), or finding time for much needed rest and rejuvenation or perhaps writing and recording. Whatever you find yourself doing over the summer, […]

Musicians depend on the professional integrity of the federal workforce. From copyright registrations and regulations to workplace standards and grantmaking, government employees’ decisions uniquely affect musicians’ ability to make a living. AFM members are, of course, not alone in this regard. Everyone living in the United States deserves a government free from undue influence. We […]

by the AFM Diversity Committee Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are essential to organizing union workers because they strengthen the foundation of solidarity. At the heart of effective organizing is the one-on-one conversation—a strategy rooted in trust, empathy, and mutual respect. DEIA principles enhance these conversations by encouraging listening over speaking, openness over defensiveness, […]