Members Section

Session Rates

The fees and conditions listed below are a sampling of the AFM's various recording scale fees and working conditions. For specific circumstances/rates please contact the RMA.

AFM Bylaws stipulate that members are not to record for any person or company that is not a signatory to the appropriate AFM agreement.

If you are a Royalty Recording Act, i.e. a self-contained band, the rates listed below are applied differently than if you were a session musician. Session players get paid by the 'session' or the hour, while Royalty artists get paid by the number of tunes they record on their CD or cassettes, as the case may be. A Royalty artist will get paid the three hour session payment for each tune completed on the release. The session player will get paid for the number of hours he/she spends in the studio working.

Effective Feb. 1, 2005 to Jan. 31, 2006    
  • All fees below require a 10% pension contribution to be paid.
  • Leader on all sessions (except for Royalty Artist groups) receives 100% extra except for Limited Pressing.
  • A properly executed form B-4 contract accompanied with a cheque for payment of all fees, benefits, work dues, etc, must be deposited with the AFM Local in whose jurisdiction the recording session(s) takes place.

 

    

FOR INTERNATIONAL RELEASE
Minimum basic scales for product that will be released outside of Canada.

    
Allows for fifteen minutes finished recorded product. Minimum 3 hour session required. $345.98  
1/2 hour overtime (double scale) or five minutes of recorded music. $115.32  

Overtime 1/4 hour units @ pro-rata plus 100% to complete music recorded - on original session only.

 

 $57.66  

For release in Canada only

    
Minimum 3 hour call. Allows for 15 minutes of finished recorded product. $285.95  

Overtime – 1/2 hour units @ pro-rata.

 

 $47.65  
Symphonic Session    
Minimum three hour call. $366.73  

(for orchestras with rehearsed repertoire) four hour call.

 

 $488.99  
Limited Pressing Agreement (Cdn)
(non-symphonic) rates for pressing under 2,000 units. RMA must enter into agreement with producer/musician.
This rate structure is applicable to Canadian musicians only. (Limited Pressing regulations are different for the US market). 		   
Minimum call 2 hours $80.00  

Leaders fees 50% extra

$120.00

  

Overtime @ pro-rata 1/2 hour units

 

 $20.00  

Demo Recording Rates
$27.50 per hour, minimum two hour call.
The use of this type of contract prohibits the sale or commercial use of the product.
Overtime - 1/2 hour units @ pro-rata $13.75. There is a maximum of 6 units allowed.
Over and above 6 units fees @ pro-rata plus 50% ($20.60)

 

    
CONTRACTOR: required when there are 12 or more musicians @ 100% extra

Doubling when required by producer:
1st double @ 20% over side person scale
Each additional double @ 15% over sideperson scale
Cartage: when musicians required to bring....String Bass, Harp, Tympani, Keyboard...$30.00 each.

 

    
HEALTH AND WELFARE    
Instrumentalists per first original service $19.00  
Instrumentalists for each additional service on the same day $15.50  
Arrangers and orchestrator(s) per original composition

For symphonic sessions a flat daily rate

 

$16.50

$19.00