Dear AFM Member, We celebrate Labor Day because musicians and other workers joined together to demand better working conditions. Our work in the labor movement has become exponentially more challenging. We face a continuously evolving landscape, with new technologies, economic pressures, and political challenges that threaten the rights and security of workers. “Workers deserve the […]
The rules for international travel and trade with musical instruments that contain natural materials protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) are being reconsidered in November 2025. The League will attend as the 185 global parties to the CITES treaty meet at the 20th Conference of […]
Washington, DC—The Copyright Alliance, which represents the copyright interests of over two million individual creators and more than 15,000 organizations across the spectrum of copyright disciplines, announced the addition of a new member—the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) of the U.S. and Canada. AFM is an AFL-CIO affiliated labor union representing 70,000 professional musicians. Founded in 1896, […]
Congress just voted to harm professional musicians and working people across the United States. The American Federation of Musicians stands firmly in opposition to these draconian cuts. Social safety net programs, including Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), are essential government functions. Our union will continue to work to ensure all musicians in the […]
This morning, at approximately 4:30 a.m., the Senate overwhelmingly supported musicians’ and creators’ rights. With a vote tally of 99 to 1, an amendment passed to eliminate the ban on AI regulations. Thanks to our collective efforts with a diverse group of stakeholders, what could have been a contentious vote resulted in a resounding victory. Thank you […]
Right now, the Senate is considering changes to the reconciliation package. As musicians, our livelihoods are under constant attack from AI developers. Now is not the time to make it more difficult for states to support musicians.Your Senators need to hear from you today. Any moratorium on state AI regulations is harmful to working musicians. […]
American Federation of Musicians International President Tino Gagliardi issued the following statement in response to Donald Trump’s attacks on members Bruce Springsteen, member of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) and Local 399 (Asbury Park, NJ), and Taylor Swift, member of Local 257 (Nashville, TN): “The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada will […]
Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter has served the American people with unrivaled expertise for decades. Her unlawful firing will gravely harm the entire copyright community. She understood what we all know to be true: human creativity and authorship are the foundation of copyright law — and for that, it appears, she lost her job. On […]
The Trump Administration released President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2026 “Skinny” Budget Request, which called for eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for Humanities (NEH), and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). “The NEA is essential to our livelihoods and our democracy. Without it, communities across the country, both rural and […]
The American Federation of Musicians of the US & Canada is proud to announce the launch of the NotMe app, a secure and confidential platform designed to empower our members to report workplace misconduct such as contract violations, corruption, harassment, discrimination, bullying, ethics and compliance issues, and safety concerns. Whether you work freelance, are a […]