Musicians Set to Begin Contract Negotiations With Studios On AI, Streaming Priorities

The American Federation of Musicians will soon go into contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers with asks that cover many of the same subjects as actors and writers. The negotiations are set to take place on Jan. 22 through Jan. 31, excluding the weekend, with a rally planned for the first day of talks in front of the AMPTP headquarters.

The contract under discussion, which covers musicians working on dramatic TV and film scoring, was originally set to expire in November, but was extended by six months amid the WGA and SAG AFTRA strikes. The priorities for AFM include gaining residuals on streaming, wage increases and health care improvements and protections against AI.

The AI protections encompass “taking the AI protections that SAG AFTRA has been advocating for in terms of protecting likenesses and expanding that to include music,” said Marc Sazer, vice president of AFM Local 47, adding that it also includes their on screen likenesses. Tino Gagliardi, international president of AFM and its chief negotiator, added that these negotiations will likely be different than in the past.

“We’ve been trying to get a revenue stream on streaming for a long time,” Gagliardi said. “And as far as treating it differently. I think we’re at a point right now where we’re at a pressure point where the musicians have had enough, and my fear is that we’re going to have the same problem with the AMPTP the other guilds had in regard to a work stoppage.” Asked how serious the threat of a work stoppage is, Gagliardi implied it would depend on the tenor of the negotiations.

However, negotiations have yet to begin and a spokesperson for AFM noted that all options are still on the table. This is one of 58 collective bargaining agreements AMPTP negotiates and the trade association said it looks forward to “productive negotiations.” “The AMPTP has not yet exchanged proposals or convened a bargaining session with the AFM,” a spokesperson for the AMPTP said.

“Those talks are scheduled to begin on January 22, 2024. The AMPTP looks forward to productive negotiations with the Federation, with the goal of concluding an agreement that will ensure an active year ahead for the industry and recognizing the value that musicians add to motion pictures and television.” AFM is also hoping to tackle the specific threat of the so called, “yellow dog contracts,” which Gagliardi says happens with some frequency, in which studios and producers, among others, require composers to execute production agreements that include provisions barring them from working with AFM members on the project, among other stipulations.

Members of AFM, including Gagliardi, attended many of the WGA and SAG AFTRA rallies during the strikes in a show of solidarity and the union learned valuable messages about communications with members and to others outside of it. Gagliardi said he expects the other unions will show their solidarity for AFM in terms of amplifying their message and attending larger scale rallies.

“We’re operating in solidarity. Just like the AFM did with SAG AFTRA, just like the AFM did with WGA and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, which is another big player. We’re operating as part of the movement,” Gagliardi said. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day More from The Hollywood Reporter.