Last Month at the Local
Have you played recording sessions? Have you made sure that all of the AFM session report forms have been filed??
Last month several musicians looked into getting documentation for their sessions because they were missing out on royalty payments. Unfortunately, if report forms are not filed or you are missing from the report forms, it is very difficult to collect all of the royalties that are due to you. The best thing to do is to contact the office after every session so that our staff can make sure the producers and labels document your performance. This will also make sure that you can receive any new use payments if years down the road the recording is used in another medium, like a track from an album being used in a movie.
Also last month a member was in a perilous situation when he dropped below his minimum attendance requirement at an orchestra. Had management had its way, and had there not been an AFM contract in place, he likely would have been immediately fired. However, contracts have rules for how violations are handled and in this case the musician just received a warning and was put on probation. As freelancers, we are all juggling different gigs to make a living, and having some flexibility to turn down work to take a better-paying gig is essential to our making a living. AFM contracts for ongoing engagements usually include some flexibility while protecting your position with tenure. Without a contract, you are at the whim of the person that hired you. Which situation would you rather be in?
