American Federation of Musicians demands AI protections from major labels

The American Federation of Musicians (AFM), the largest musicians union in the United States with more than 80,000 professional members, launched a campaign called “Human Made, Human Paid” on 20 October 2026, pressing the major labels for contract safeguards around artificial intelligence, according to Rolling Stone.

In November the union returns to the table to renegotiate the Sound Recording Labor Agreement (SRLA), the union contract that covers matters such as royalty rates and healthcare. From Universal Music Group, Sony, Warner and Disney's Hollywood Records, the AFM wants musicians to have the right to approve or refuse the use of their music to train AI models, transparent credit, and payment both for AI use and for the labels' licensing deals.

AFM International President Tino Gagliardi told Rolling Stone that labels cannot keep profits built on human artistry while leaving working musicians out, summing up the campaign as being about consent, credit and compensation. Rolling Stone notes that artists say labels are making millions by licensing their catalogs to tech companies without sharing the money.

Composer and producer Will Wells, an AFM member who has worked with Anthony Ramos, Cynthia Erivo and on the Netflix series “Emily in Paris”, called the idea that musicians have no say in how their work is exploited “chilling”. He said the demands are not about villainizing AI or stopping technology, but about keeping music a viable career for the people who make it.