American Guild of Musical Artists

What American Guild of Musical Artists does

The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) is a national, AFL-CIO-chartered labor union founded in 1936 that exclusively represents performing artists — singers, dancers, staging staff, and faculty/instructors — in opera, ballet and contemporary dance, and concert choral performance across the United States. AGMA negotiates and enforces more than 70 collective bargaining agreements with approximately 75+ signatory companies (including the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Alvin Ailey), providing roughly 7,000 members with negotiated wages, health and retirement benefits, contract enforcement, legal representation, NLRB support, and workplace protections.

The union is funded almost entirely through a three-tier dues structure: a one-time $1,000 initiation fee (reduced to $500 for AEA/SDC members or artists in newly organized shops), $100 in annual basic dues, and a 2% working-ducs assessment on the first $100,000 of AGMA income, capped at $2,000 per member per year and remitted by signatory employers. Supporting services include the MyAGMA secure member portal (providing access to CBAs, dues management, and member information), the AGMA Health and Retirement Funds administered from a Pittsburgh fund office, the AGMA Relief Fund for emergencies (run jointly with the Entertainment Community Fund), the AGMAzine publication, audition and job listings, an in-house immigration/visa consultation service, and joint safety guidelines with SDC.

AGMA is governed by an elected Board of Governors and an elected President (Ned Hanlon) with four-year officer terms, with day-to-day operations led by a National Executive Director (Jeffrey Boyd, appointed late 2024) and a small professional staff of 51–100 across a New York headquarters and a Pittsburgh fund office. The union is organized into nine regional membership areas with area committees and identity-based caucuses, and pursues new member growth through grassroots organizing campaigns at non-union performing arts companies.

Name

American Guild of Musical Artists

Legal name

American Guild of Musical Artists

Website

https://musicalartists.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

AGMA is a 1936-founded, AFL-CIO-chartered U.S. labor union that exclusively represents ~7,000 singers, dancers, staging staff, and instructors across opera, ballet, contemporary dance, and choral performance, negotiating 70+ collective bargaining agreements with 75+ signatory companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Labor Union Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts & Culture Service/Support Organizations (Networks, Advocacy, Capacity Building) (BPAGAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Creator Talent Management & Representation (MPAAAHAB), Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD)

Keywords

• Labor union representation
• Collective bargaining services
• Performing arts advocacy
• Artist workplace protections
• Opera dance union

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Member Dues - Initiation Fee: One-time initiation fee of $1,000 for new members, with payment plan options of $50/month minimum. Fee reduced by 50% for artists in newly organized companies or members of Actors' Equity Association (AEA) or SDC.
2. Basic Dues: Annual minimum payment of $100 per year, billed annually and due January 1, required of all AGMA members to support union operations.
3. Working Dues: 2% of gross annual AGMA income up to $100,000 (maximum $2,000/year), deducted from paychecks when members work under AGMA contracts and remitted by employers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) is a national labor union representing approximately 7,000 performing artists — including singers, dancers, staging staff, and faculty/instructors — across 80+ opera, ballet, contemporary dance, and choral companies in the United States. The union negotiates and enforces over 70 collective bargaining agreements covering wages, benefits, and working conditions, while providing legal representation, contract enforcement, visa consultation, and access to health and retirement funds. Supporting services include the MyAGMA online member portal, the AGMAzine publication, audition and job listings, and emergency relief assistance.

Product overview

AGMA is a national labor union providing collective representation services to approximately 7,000 performing artists (singers, dancers, and staging staff) across 80+ signatory opera, ballet, and choral companies in the United States. The organization's core offering is labor union representation including collective bargaining, contract negotiation and enforcement, and workplace advocacy. Supporting services include the MyAGMA member portal (for accessing contracts and managing membership), AGMA Health and Retirement Funds, AGMA Relief Fund for emergency assistance, AGMAzine publication, audition and job listings, visa consultation services, and the AGMA/SDC Return to Stage safety playbook. The union is governed by an elected Board of Governors and maintains nine regional membership areas across the country.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AGMA Labor Union Membership and Collective Representation National labor union representation for singers, dancers, and staging staff in opera, ballet, contemporary dance, and concert choral performance. Provides collective bargaining, legal advocacy, contract enforcement, and workplace protections for approximately 7,000 members across 80+ signatory companies in the United States.
• MyAGMA Member Portal Secure, members-only online portal providing access to collective bargaining agreements, AGMA Constitution and Bylaws, board meeting summaries, personal membership status, dues payment functionality, and personal information management.
• AGMA Health and Retirement Funds Employer-provided health insurance and retirement benefits offered through collective bargaining agreements with AGMA signatory employers, administered through the AGMA Fund Office in Pittsburgh, PA.
• AGMA Relief Fund Financial assistance program supporting AGMA members in times of need, administered in partnership with the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund).
• Audition and Job Listings AGMA-operated platform connecting members with audition and job opportunities across AGMA signatory companies, including opera, ballet, dance, and choral organizations, plus an I.D.E.A. Job Posting Resource to expand diverse applicant pools.
• Visa Consultation Services Immigration services and visa consultation for international performing artists, managed by the Manager of Immigration Services to facilitate international cultural mobility and exchange.
• AGMAzine Publication Official union publication featuring topical interviews, articles by members and staff, and reports from leadership and members across different areas and shops. Returning to print for AGMA's 90th anniversary.
• Schedule C Opera Role Classification Database Predefined classification system for role classifications and minimum chorus numbers for productions at Opera companies, organizing operas alphabetically with breakdowns of roles and historical information used to support CBA enforcement.
• AGMA/SDC Return to Stage and Performing Arts Playbook Joint safety guidelines developed with the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) addressing COVID-19 and workplace health and safety protocols for performing arts organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Negotiates and enforces over 70 collective bargaining agreements
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers29 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, significant and minor.

• AFL-CIOcoreOthersAGMA holds a direct charter from the AFL-CIO, providing structural legitimacy, resources, and access to the broader American labor movement's infrastructure and advocacy capacity.
• Associated Actors and Artistes of America (4As)coreOthersAGMA is affiliated with the AFL-CIO Branch of Associated Actors and Artists of America, connecting AGMA with other performing arts unions.
• Department for Professional Employees (DPE)coreOthersAGMA is affiliated with the AFL-CIO Department for Professional Employees, connecting with other professional and white-collar union affiliates.
• Coalition of Broadway Unions and Guilds (COBUG)coreOthersAGMA participates in COBUG, a coalition of Broadway-area performing arts unions and guilds for coordinated advocacy and solidarity.
• Entertainment Community FundsignificantOthersThe Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund) provides emergency assistance, counseling, grants, and scholarships for performing arts professionals. AGMA refers members to these services.
• Actors' Equity Association (AEA)significantOthersReciprocal membership agreement allows AGMA members in good standing to be eligible for AEA membership after one year. AEA members receive 50% reduction on AGMA initiation fee.
• Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC)significantOthersReciprocal membership agreement provides SDC members in good standing a 50% reduction on AGMA initiation fee, facilitating cross-union membership.
• Union PlusminorOthersAGMA members access Union Plus discounts on goods and services as a benefit of AFL-CIO union membership.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Actors' Equity Association (AEA): AFL-CIO-affiliated labor union representing舞台剧 actors and stage managers; AGMA has a reciprocal initiation-fee agreement with AEA and the two unions frequently interact on productions blending opera/dance with theater.
• Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC): AFL-CIO union for stage directors and choreographers; AGMA and SDC have a reciprocal 50% initiation-fee agreement and co-published the Return to Stage and Performing Arts Playbook, indicating close operational coordination.
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE): AFL-CIO union covering stagecraft, wardrobe, and behind-the-scenes workers at opera, ballet, and theater companies; shares signatory employers and bargaining environments with AGMA and is a member of COBUG.
• American Federation of Musicians (AFM): AFL-CIO union representing instrumental musicians in orchestras, theater pits, and recordings; shares the same opera and ballet employer base as AGMA and is a sister union under the 4As.

Broad incumbents

• SAG-AFTRA: Largest U.S. entertainment union (~160,000 members) covering film, TV, broadcast, and new media performers; AGMA members often hold SAG-AFTRA cards for crossover work, and the two unions are 4As affiliates.
• UNITE HERE: AFL-CIO union covering hospitality workers including those at performing arts venues and catering operations; AGMA's incoming NED (Jeffrey Boyd) is a former UNITE HERE organizer, illustrating cross-union mobility in the federation.
• Service Employees International Union (SEIU): Largest AFL-CIO property-services and public-sector union; shares the AFL-CIO charter structure with AGMA and is a useful benchmark for federation operations and political capacity at AGMA's scale.

Others

• Associated Actors and Artistes of America (4As): AFL-CIO branch that chartered AGMA in 1937 and coordinates the performing arts unions (AEA, SAG-AFTRA, AGMA, SDC, AFM, IATSE); functions as a federation-level peer for inter-union policy coordination.
• AFL-CIO: National labor federation that directly charters AGMA and provides structural legitimacy, organizing resources, and policy advocacy; the parent body governing all AGMA's core affiliations.
• Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund): Human services nonprofit providing emergency assistance, counseling, and scholarships to entertainment professionals; AGMA partners with the Fund to deliver the AGMA Relief Fund and member services, functioning as an ecosystem peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AGMusicalArtist
• Facebookfacebook.com/AmericanGuildofMusicalArtists
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-guild-of-musical-artists
• Instagraminstagram.com/weareagma

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Guild of Musical Artists