Join Music Workers Alliance

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Who are we?

MWA is an organization of, by, and for independent music workers. MWA seeks to initiate, organize, and support collective action that empowers independent music workers.

We define "music worker" as a musician, DJ/Producer, or sound engineer.

An independent music worker is anyone regularly working in the indie sector of the music industry.

The indie sector consists of the production of independent label or self-released recordings and work in the recording-related network of live venues and touring circuits.

Recording-related refers to any live gig, festival, and touring intended to develop, market test, promote recorded music, or access recording opportunities, and includes work in any touring circuits for which commercially available recordings are generally considered a pre-condition.

Which “scenes” are included in MWA?

MWA does not exclude any type or genre of music. What brings us together is that we are gigging music workers who have all gone for far too long without collective representation in the political sphere or power to win fair treatment in our workplaces. We play in clubs. We tour. We teach. We make records. We are the backbone of the creative music industry.

Are there Membership Dues or Fees Associated with Joining MWA?

Yes. In the summer of 2021, MWA members voted overwhelmingly to support a membership dues policy. We operate on a sliding scale: regular dues are $5/month; financial hardship dues are minimum $1/month, and “pay-it-forward” dues are $10/month. No one unable to pay full dues will be denied membership in MWA, but voting on key organizational issues and election of officers is only open to dues-paying members. Sign up to pay your dues here. We also accept voluntary donations here.

By joining MWA, you are not merely signing an online petition or casting a ballot on election day — you are choosing to belong to an organization that we create —and own—together. Your dues payments help pay for our website, our Zoom subscription, our organizing staff, and other parts of MWA’s infrastructure. Dues are the best way to ensure that our organization stays accountable to our membership: this organization belongs solely to us and is responsive to our interests as music workers.

Why is MWA different from the AFM? Is MWA a “union”?

MWA has a good and active relationship with the AFM, and its NYC affiliate, Local 802. Numerous MWA members are also AFM members. We support the union’s strong contracts for its members. We never aim to be in competition with the union, and we seek to collaborate wherever possible.  

However, MWA represents a different, broader sector. Most of the AFM’s contracts are in “direct employment” situations, where musicians are paid on W-2’s as employees. We are here to organize the independent sector, where the AFM has had little success in winning contracts. Furthermore, DJs are not allowed in the AFM at all. We believe that we must organize musicians and DJs together since we frequently perform at the same venues. The power to win rights and benefits for music workers in hip-hop, electronic music, and other musical areas, will never be won without the unity of DJ’s, artists, side-musicians, and everyone who contributes to the music.

MWA is not technically a union. We're a “worker center”, a term used to describe workers who get together to fight for improvements in our working lives, but for various legal reasons, have decided not to register as a traditional union. We are incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Technicalities aside, we share with the best unions the principle that workers have a right to participate in the decisions affecting our lives, to determine together the demands we make on our employers and governments. An organization that doesn’t give us those rights will never win or deserve our solidarity, no matter what its legal title or tax status. Solidarity is how we win the power to achieve the fairness and justice we need. But it all starts with democratic empowerment within the organization itself. As an MWA member, you’ll receive a copy of our operational bylaws, which explains how MWA decision-making works, and empowers every MWA member to participate.

What's the difference between MWA and UMAW?

MWA frequently collaborates with United Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) but the two organizations are independent of each other. We often support each other's campaigns.

IS MWA A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OR A NYC-BASED ORGANIZATION?

MWA has worked on national issues and in coalition with national organizations and allied organizations in other parts of the country and will continue to do so. We recognize that the challenges we face are national (and even international!) issues that require a broad coalition of music workers. We welcome members from outside the NYC area to join MWA; however, we’re currently focused on developing our relationships and membership in NYC. We may explore chapters in other cities in the future and welcome your efforts, energy, and input to help build this work going forward. Are you interested in heading up an MWA chapter in your city? Get in Touch!

I have more questions!

Please email musicworkersalliance@gmail.com and visit musicworkersalliance.org.