Providing service and support to film and television musicians.
Providing service and support to film and television musicians.
The Film Musicians Secondary Markets Fund (FMSMF) collects, processes, and distributes “secondary market” residual payments to professional musicians who worked on a film, TV program, or streaming media program produced under an American Federation of Musicians (AFM) agreement.
FMSMF is not part of the AFM union – FMSMF operates like a payroll company but is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit that processes residual payments for Producers without charging service fees.
FMSMF also collects, processes, and distributes supplemental market residuals required under the AFM’s Live/Videotape Agreement, on behalf of a separate sub-fund officially known as the Live Television Videotape Supplemental Markets Fund (LTVF). You can learn more about the LTVF here.
If you've produced projects using the DGA, WGA or SAG-AFTRA agreements and are familiar with how "supplemental markets" work for those guilds, then understanding AFM’s secondary markets residuals is easy!
Secondary Market Residuals are due to the FMSMF if a product moves from its original (“primary”) medium of exhibition into a “secondary” market and generates receipts from distribution in that secondary market. Additional details on Primary and Secondary markets applicable to FMSMF can be found here.
Residuals are generally 1% of what is called “Producer's Gross.” Producer’s Gross is based on receipts derived from distribution in the applicable secondary market(s), minus certain allowed deductions. A detailed description of what makes up Producer's Gross and the applicable percentages to calculate residuals can be found here.
On or before 60 days after the end of a calendar quarter in which the Producer recognizes secondary market revenues derived from distribution. Learn more about reporting and submitting payments here
As is routinely done with the DGA, WGA and SAG-AFTRA, a Producer can transfer or terminate its residual obligations to the FMSMF by executing a Buyer’s or Distributor’s Assumption Agreement, whereby the transferee company agrees to take on the responsibility to report and pay residuals. The signed Assumption Agreement should be sent to the AFM with a copy to FMSMF. The current Assumption Agreement can be found here
818.755.7777
producerresources@fmsmf.org
AFM Home Page = https://www.afm.org
Specific contract terms regarding residuals or other matters under the AFM agreement -
https://www.afm.org/our-musicians/recording-digital-media/
Contact the AFM’s West Coast office directly at mallen@afm.org.
AMPTP Home Page = https://www.amptp.org