The American Federation Of Musicians has reached a tentative agreement with the Hollywood studios over the contracts that cover music made for films and TV shows. Streaming income and concerns over AI were high on the agenda when the union began talks with the Alliance Of Motion Picture And Television Producers last month.
“This agreement is a major win for musicians who have long been under-compensated for their work in the digital age", AFM's International President Tino Gagliardi said on Friday.
“We have secured historic breakthroughs in streaming residuals, established critical guardrails against the misuse of AI, gained meaningful wage increases, and made other important improvements. This agreement represents a watershed moment for the artists who create the soundtracks for countless film and TV productions".
Last year, disputes over streaming income and AI resulted in the Hollywood strikes called by unions representing writers and actors. As its negotiations began, AFM said it had collaborated with and learned from the work of organisations like the Writers Guild Of America and actors union SAG-AFTRA.
In his new statement, Gagliardi added, “We were not alone in this negotiation, and we were proud to have the full backing of fellow unions: SAG-AFTRA, Writers Guild Of America, IATSE and the Teamsters. It was yet another powerful reminder that when we have solidarity in the labour movement, we can achieve great things".
When talking about the key issues faced by his members last month, Gagliardi said musicians were not against the use of AI in the creative industries, but "we need consent, we need compensation, and we need credit". On streaming, he added, “the business model has changed for all of us. Musicians are making 75% less now than they were before the streaming model. We need to have a residual on streaming".
The specifics of what has now been agreed between AFM and the studios is yet to be revealed, with the revised contract remaining confidential until it is approved for a ratification vote by the relevant AFM members.