AFM Indie

Let’s Follow Through on a Proposal to Study How We Can Succeed
by Marc Ribot

This article first appeared in the October 2010 issue of Allegro, the newspaper of the New York City musicians’ union (AFM Local 802) and is reprinted with permission. For more background, see www.Local802afm.org.

As the article “Indie Musicians Come Together” in the last issue of Allegro makes clear, the current administration at Local 802 is making an effort to “become a resource and help give voice” to indie musicians.

In order for this to happen, the union needs to better understand the situation of indie musicians, and avoid some of the misconceptions that have prevented effectively engaging indie musicians in the past.

It might be helpful to begin with a definition: the term “indie” refers to “musicians working on recordings released by independent labels (any label other than major) and/or in the network of clubs and touring circuits which serve as development and promotion for these recordings.”

“Independent artists” are not an aesthetic community, like jazz or polka musicians. We are jazz, polka, rock, classical, country, free improvisation, Latin, marching band, hardcore and every other genre of musicians who sometimes do sessions for indie labels.

Beginning in the late 70’s, an increasing amount of record production began to be financed by “indie” labels not directly owned by “major branch” companies (which continue to control most distribution).

This situation was not our aesthetic decision or lifestyle choice.

It was a form of industrial restructuring with parallels in almost every other industry, part of the pattern of globalization and outsourcing know as “post-fordism.”

As Stanley Aronowitz and Mike Robert’s 2003 study “The Irony of the Indies” has shown, union avoidance was almost certainly the intent and indisputably the result of this restructuring.

And the more it worked (for management), the more it was and will be repeated.

This phenomenon has not affected all musicians equally. String players, for example, have been better able to resist “indie” de-unionization because of a classical music/live performance economy linked more to local philanthropy and public subsidy than to global markets.

However, they too have suffered from the globalization of those parts of their work that are not local – for example, in film score production.

Similarly, Broadway pit and club date musicians have had the advantage of fighting on a local terrain better suited to traditional union organizing.

But though the experience of these groups is very important within the union, they don’t reflect the realities of those who work in the record industry or the network of clubs and touring circuits which serve as its development and promotion.

In this world, musicians who work in indie situations are not marginal, or necessarily struggling: we are the large majority of working musicians.

And we are not necessarily “estranged from the union.” All working recording guitarists I know – and I know many – who do major label work also do indie label work. Some of us, myself included, would welcome a credible union plan to organize indie labels. However, neither I, nor anyone I know is going to pass up work in the absence of a feasible plan to win us benefits without getting us fired.

Last year, as a means to this end, I submitted a proposal to study indie label organizing, which would:

• Research the literature on how the “post-fordist” phenomenon of which it is a part has been dealt with in other industries both in the U.S. and abroad
• Learn about the successes and failures of musicians’ unions both here and in Europe
• Research legal strategies capable of winning in a post- fordist landscape
• Begin developing the database of contacts with other musicians and musicians’ organizations needed to create real leverage in a global industry.

I hope the current administration will reconsider this proposal.

The following appears in the current issue (Sept/10) of AFM Local 802′s publication “Allegro”.

Indie Musicians Come Together

Earlier this year, Local 802 sponsored “Indie Musicians Unite!” a panel discussion on the future of indie music in New York City. It was held at University Settlement, on the Lower East Side.

Panelists included musician/activist Marc Ribot, Local 802 Recording Vice President John O’Connor, musician/playwright Hanifah Walidah, union activist Carrie Gleason, musician/producer Ray Chew and Jeremiah Hosea, founder of the art collective Earthdriver.

At the forum, there was a lively discussion about the state of independent music in New York.

Many of the musicians spoke about mistreatment and exploitation by club owners and the difficulty of making a living as a performing musician.

There was also a debate over the pros and cons of new media outlets and the online tools that musicians use to promote themselves, as well as the loss of revenue and control over product that results from the ease of sharing music over the Internet.

Musicians expressed a common sentiment as to how frustrating it can be to be working in a field where many acts work for little or no pay.

In some cases, bands are even required to pay the club in order to perform there, a scenario commonly referred to as “pay to play.”

To conclude the event, Matt Plummer spoke about the Venuology Web site (http://www.venuology.com), which musicians can use to rate local venues.

Users of the site can share info on a number of aspects of shows they have played, including how they were paid, how they were treated by management, and what equipment was available at the club.

This is a great tool for artists to give each other a heads up on bad working conditions, as well as promoting clubs that do right by the performers.

Independent musicians are a routinely marginalized and exploited group of artists, and it is increasingly hard for them to earn a living as the landscape for recording and touring is constantly changing.

This is an important population for Local 802 to work with because there has been little contact between these musicians and the union over the years, and 802 hopes to be a resource and help give voice to this group of struggling artists.

Moving forward, we are developing a core group of activists from these forum events.

This group will hopefully serve as 802’s link to the vast world of indie music, and helping to identify the issues affecting indie musicians. Additionally, tools like Venuology.com should continue to be developed and used by artists to collaborate and share ideas around the ups and downs of performing in NYC clubs.

To get involved, or if you have any questions, contact Organizing Rep Shane Gasteyer at email hidden; JavaScript is required.

We recently posted a blurb about SoundExchange’s concise and genuinely useful New Artist Checklist. If you haven’t seen it yet, here it is.

The checklist is great. But take a look at the number of items on it. Putting aside the work of practicing, rehearsing, composing, booking gigs, networking, promotion and performing, there are thirteen, count’em, thirteen potential areas of exploitation.

We are all responsible for our own careers; it is each musician’s job to ensure that he or she is protected. However, let’s not lose sight of the forest for the trees. The music industry is huge, and in it are many individuals, companies and corporations whose business plan fundamentally involves exploiting musicians.

There is no substitute for careful attention to the financial aspects of your career, but at the same time, an exclusively individual outlook (aka DIY?) leads to the same old story of musicians getting the short end of the stick, again and again and again.

That’s why we think a union of musicians is so important. The AFM has a large dedicated staff, working day in and day out on behalf of musicians. Artists need somebody to push back and help shape an industry that by and large has made a ton of money off musicians but not returned a lot of it to us.

Back to personal responsibility… labor unions, including the AFM, are democratically-run, grass-roots organizations. The only way that we can be effective is for our members — working musicians — to be involved. So get involved! If you haven’t joined the AFM, consider joining. If you have, start making your voice heard.

And the next time you see helpful career advice for musicians, think about how much money is riding on us not following through.

SoundExchange just published a great New Artist Checklist, on how to launch your career and protect your creative output. Check it out and pass it around! It’s a great reality check for new and established musicians alike.

We’re pleased that they plugged the AFM, calling us one of the groups “doing great things for musicians.” Indie artists at all stages of their careers are finding that the AFM helps them with a lot of the details that go into making a living in music.

Just to name a few — for recording projects, we offer an extremely easy agreement called the Joint Venture Report that allows band members to divide up album revenues and protect themselves if the album is picked up in a soundtrack or other commercial situation.

One service we’re really excited about is the newly-minted GoPro Tunes, which allows our members to sell their recordings and receive their entire sales revenues, minus credit card processing fees.

Lastly, every artist needs a website, and every artist needs instrument insurance. We offer both, at fantastic values. For instance, you can get a fully functioning website and domain name for as little as $30 a year.

The American Federation of Musicians (AFM) of the U.S. and Canada announces the beta launch of Venuology, a venue review website exclusively for musicians.

Beginning in New York City, with plans to expand throughout North America, Venuology.com enables bands to anonymously review a venue based on their experience playing there.

If a club cancels at the last minute or doesn’t pay well, groups now have a safe way to warn others of the issue. Similarly, good venues are lauded for their fair treatment of musicians and relationship with the community.

Musicians can also note myriad facts about the venue — is there a sound system? Was the audio engineer good? Is there a drumset at the venue? Is there room for dancing?

Books and websites such as the Indie Venue Bible and SonicBids.com offer musicians lists of venues, club details and help in booking gigs, but Venuology incorporates an often-overlooked component — fairness. Similar to websites Amazon.com and Yelp!, as musicians add reviews, clubs develop a written history that any observer can use to evaluate a venue.

Venuology is free and open to all musicians.

From the Future of Music Coalition, an issue at the forefront of  many U.S. musicians’ concerns:

Health care is now a matter of serious debate across the country. FMC has advocated for reform, and we’re still very much committed to arming musicians with information so they can make smart choices.

But we also want to know if anything has changed since our initial report. Which is why we’ve relaunched the survey to learn

• How many musicians are insured?
• Has the number increased or decreased over the last eight years?
• What are the factors that make it difficult for musicians to get insured?
• Do musicians know about the plans offered by some unions and professional organizations?

Taking the Pulse runs from March 1 through April 1, 2010, and assesses the level of health insurance among working musicians. questions about artists’ access to coverage and their understanding of the current health insurance landscape.

Take the survey today!

AFM Canada and ACTRA RACS are pleased to present our first ever showcase at the annual SXSW Music Festival taking place in Austin, TX. The party is on Thursday, March 18th at Canada House (Upstairs at the Paradise) and will feature performances from 5 of Canada’s top emerging acts, including Hey Rosetta!, Winter Gloves, The Pack A.D., Bruce Peninsula and Delhi 2 Dublin.

The AFM Canada/ACTRA RACS showcase is also part of the Canadian Blast series, which highlights the best talent from Canada. Our show begins at 12pm and will be open to SXSW badge-holders.

AFM Indie’s first step is to gather feedback from indie musicians — whether from indie rock, hip-hop, alt-classical, avant-garde, folk, country, latin music or jazz. Tell us:

• What do you consider to be the unique challenges faced by indie artists?
• What non-musical, but career-related tasks do you feel are most difficult to deal with as an independent musician?
• Does a DIY approach have anything in common with a cooperative mentality espoused by artist collectives and labor unions?

by Dee Dee Acquisto, Senior Director, Health & Human Services, MusiCares

In the wake of the recent deaths of Michael Jackson and DJ AM, it is starkly apparent that substance abuse and dependence remain life-threatening hazards in the music industry.

One would think, after years of public consciousness and industry awareness, including televised interventions, celebrity overdoses, and countless education efforts, that we would see a decrease in substance-related problems and deaths and that the industry would be better informed and vigilant. However, in the 20 years that MusiCares (The Recording Academy’s charitable foundation) has been serving the industry, we have witnessed firsthand the many aspects of the music industry that both facilitate substance abuse and act as impediments to recovery.

What are those aspects and how can they be overcome? This article discusses challenges faced by musicians considering recovery and reviews the resources and supportive strategies available to them or those who are trying to help them.

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Excerpted from the book Indie Business Power: A Step-by-Step Guide for 21st Century Music Entrepreneurs, by Peter Spellman

Whether you are starting a new band or founding your own recording company, your business’s name will be its number one asset, so it makes sense to take care in choosing one. The right name will help distinguish you from a sea of bland competitors, provide customers with a reason to hire you, and aid in branding your business or music. Here are five guidelines to help you decide:

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