The Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) serves the community as well as AFM members by funding live, musical performances throughout the United States and Canada. The fund is managed by the American Federation of Musicians.
The Susquehanna Valley Musicians (Local 294) are proud to have accessed these performance grants. Over the past 2 years, our members have performed over 100 educational programs in local schools, entertained hundreds of residents in our local nursing homes, and played dozens of shows in regional music venues as well as live-streamed concerts.
The MPTF makes life better for our community and the AFM member musicians who live and work here.
The Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) was established in 1948 as a non-profit, independent, public service organization whose mission includes contributing to the public knowledge and appreciation of music, as well as making music a part of every child’s life experience.
Having evolved from a landmark collective bargaining agreement between the American Federation of Musicians and the major recording companies of the day, MPTF is a vital organization that brings music to the public and supplements the income of musicians, all at no cost to those receiving this precious gift of music.
Funded via a royalty stream from the signatory record labels, led by the three major labels (Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and the Warner Music Group), MPTF today presents thousands of live, admission-free musical programs annually in the United States and Canada. Under the terms of their agreement, the recording companies pay a royalty from the sale of sound recordings to the Fund. These funds are supplemented by co-sponsoring organizations and administered by a Trustee who is independent of both the recording industry and the AFM.
Music of all styles is brought to a total audience numbering in the millions and covering all age groups and segments of society. Music ranging from pop to classical, jazz to Broadway, is staged at venues including (but not limited to) parks, schools, senior centers, concert halls, shopping malls, veterans’ hospitals, nursing homes, and more. The Fund sponsors or co-sponsors thousands of free, live events each year. MPTF does not give grants to performances that are used to raise money, sell merchandise, or promote political or religious events.
Working in tandem with AFM locals, MPTF places music in the schools, with priority given to music that enhances education and affords students an opportunity to enjoy live music and interact with professional musicians.
More About The Music Performance TrustFund
Each Local in the US and Canada is allocated some MPTF money each year to be used for these, free-to-the-public events. The allocation is based on the number of members in the local.
Sometimes the MPTF will fund a concert 100%, and the amount of the concert will not be deducted from the local’s allocation. This year in April of 2024, all jazz concerts are paid 100% by the fund Sometimes the MPTF will require a 50/50 split of the cost of the program. In those cases, the MPTF would pay 50% of the cost (this will be deducted from our allocation) and the other 50% would need to be paid by a co-sponsor. The co-sponsor could be any organization or company.