The AFM's "Human Made, Human Paid" campaign asks Universal, Sony and Warner for consent, credit and pay before November contract talks.
The American Federation of Musicians, the largest musicians' union in the US, has launched a campaign asking the major labels for contract protections against AI. Rolling Stone reports that the union, which covers more than 80,000 professional musicians, unveiled "Human Made, Human Paid" on Tuesday.
What the union is asking for
The campaign is timed to talks that restart in November on the Sound Recording Labor Agreement, the written contract that sets royalty rates and healthcare terms. According to Rolling Stone, the AFM is asking Universal Music Group, Sony, Warner and Hollywood Records (Disney) for new rules covering three areas:
- the right for musicians to approve or refuse the use of their music to train AI models
- transparent credit when AI is involved
- payment for AI use and for label licensing deals
AFM International President Tino Gagliardi told Rolling Stone: "The record labels cannot pocket profits built on the backs of human artistry while cutting working musicians out of the equation. Human Made, Human Paid is about consent, credit, and compensation."
Why it matters now
Rolling Stone notes there are currently no set rules, boundaries or compensation schemes for AI in music. Artists say labels are earning large sums by licensing their catalogs to technology companies, while the musicians who made the recordings are not sharing in that income.
The timing also follows a week of AI news in the music business. Spotify said on Tuesday that it had removed 75 million tracks it classed as spam, as Stereogum and Rolling Stone both reported, and it has begun labelling AI artists.
A pro-technology message
AFM member Will Wells, a composer and producer who has worked on Emily in Paris, told Rolling Stone that the demands are not about demonizing AI. "We are pro-human creators and pro compensation for our labor," he said. "We don't want to stop the advancement of technology. We just want to make sure that people can have a viable career."
The November negotiations will be the first test of how far the major labels are willing to go on consent and pay.
Picture credit: AFM seal: American Federation of Musicians; design by Savvy VibeZ
