[Fmpro] AFM Wages and Benefits

[Steve Roitstein]

> Date: Sun, 22 Jun 2008 17:02:24 +0000
> From: chris at alpiar.com
> Subject: Re: [Fmpro] 1331 isn't 1337
> To: fmpro at nxport.com
> Message-ID: <W534873072690141214154144 at webmail24>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

<snip>

> Coming from a Jazz background where I played and toured for many  
> years, I was in the horn section or as a sideman as a sax player on  
> literally around 500 recording sessions. As an uneducated jazz sax  
> player I never had any idea that I had rights to anything more than  
> the cash being paid to me. I wasnt in AFM since AFM was only for  
> broadway and classical really, or the top 100 names in jazz maybe  
> (maybe).

<snip>

> Christopher Kennedy Alpiar
> Cinematic Composer
> http://www.alpiar.com/

Hi Chris et al,

The important thing to keep in mind with AFM work is not so much  
whether the musician is a member, but whether the job is operating  
under an AFM agreement. This happens because the company has decided  
to become a signatory, that is, they have signed an agreement with  
the AFM. When the owner of the master recording is a signatory to the  
appropriate AFM agreement, they are promising to pay a minimum scale  
plus benefits, possibly some additional payments, and to adhere to  
certain working conditions.

If the session is for a sound recording, the AFM agreement is the  
Sound Recording Labor Agreement (SRLA). When you play on a session  
under this agreement, you may be eligible to receive additional  
payments, including payments from the Sound Recording Special  
Payments Fund:

http://www.sound-recording.org/splash.html

When the session is for a film, the AFM agreement is the Motion  
Picture/Television film agreement. Under this agreement, you may be  
eligible for royalties from the Film Musicians Secondary Markets fund:

http://www.fmsmf.org/

There are other agreements, such as the Commercial Announcements  
(Jingle) agreement, that offer other kinds of additional payments.

If the job is a live engagement, and it is under an AFM agreement,  
scale, benefits, and possible other payments and protections are  
available.

Again, the important thing is to determine whether the job is under  
an AFM agreement or not. I know many musicians who are not members of  
the AFM, and because the funds do not know how to contact them, their  
payments remain uncollected. Check these sites and register yourself  
with them if you've ever played on AFM sessions under these  
agreements. If you don't claim your funds, they will become  
unavailable after a certain period of time. While you're at it, go to  
soundexchange.com and register there as well.

Thanks,

Steve Roitstein
Riot Music, Miami
steve at riotmusic.com