Mission & Vision
The AFM & SAG-AFTRA Fund is not a membership driven organization. Unlike many other rights collectives, you do not "join" the Fund in order to collect royalties. If you have performed on a covered sound recording or motion picture/television program in an applicable category, you are thereafter known as a Participant. Only Participants (performers and beneficiaries who have already received a payment from the Fund) may register for the Private Area Access. There is no performer registry or registration process other than this. Royalty payments are title driven by sound recordings or motion picture/television programs as applicable. In other words, a claim is made for an eligible recording to a particular collective or set of collectives, research is performed to identify all performers on that recording(s), and a distribution occurs. When a distribution is made on a particular title, the title appears on our one of three Master Title Listings on our website. If you believe you were NOT credited with an eligible recording (see Covered Titles), please send Feedback under our "Contact" page.
The AFM & SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund is a 501c(6) not-for-profit organization. While initially formed by the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), the Fund is an independent entity whose purpose is to collect and distribute royalties from various foreign territories and royalties established by government statute under U.S. Copyright Law. The U.S. Copyright Act, which originally covered performance rights only for publishers and authors, had some very significant changes to the U.S. laws in 1990's. The most important of these changes were The Audio Home Recording Act of 1992 (AHRA), The Digital Performance Right in Sound Recordings Act of 1995 (DPRA) and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA). These acts amended the original Copyright Act to provide performance royalties in digital media (subscription services, webcasting, home taping) to copyright holders, featured performers and non-featured performers (e.g. session musicians and vocalists).
The Fund distributes U.S. royalties to entitled singers and musicians without regard to union membership. However, many of the foreign royalties (pursuant to the rules and regulations of their governments) do require membership in the AFM or SAG-AFTRA in order to receive royalties from the Fund. Please check the various Distribution Guidelines for further information.
If you are a musician or singer who has performed on a recording entitled to a distribution, please check these funds to see if we have money for you!
