[Fmpro] AFM Wages and Benefits

[Christopher Alpiar]

Great Info Steve thanks!

yea I never doubted that it was the jobs operating under AFM  
agreement. Just in the jazz world - other then the (usually) single  
ultra big name jazz club in each city that shows people like McCoy  
Tyner, Joe Lovano, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson etc the really  
biggest of jazz names (like the Blue Note in NYC or the Regattabar in  
Boston, etc) - there are no union gigs for jazz players. So that is  
what I meant. And in NYC or LA initial dues is expensive when you are  
working 5 nights a week for 50-100 bucks a night playing your soul out  
in small clubs and restaurants so generally as a horn player today you  
stay non union until you absolutely must go union. VERY different than  
the classical scene.

All of that was years ago tho, I don't really gig anymore, who has  
time when trying to make a career of composition and get involved in  
composer rights! :) But it was the understanding that I should be  
getting paid for all those recording sessions that eventually led me  
to joining the AFM and as a composer ASCAP


On Jun 22, 2008, at 2:53 PM, Steve Roitstein wrote:
> 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
>
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