Becoming a member is easy and rewarding
The VMA operates under the Canadian Federation of Musicians/American Federation of Musicians, the only organization in North America dedicated to advocating for musicians’ welfare.
Membership offers invaluable services, benefits, and expertise, along with a sense of community and belonging to a respected international organization that holds influence with employers.
Just as doctors are part of the Doctors of BC, educators belong to the BC Teachers’ Federation, and lawyers are members of the Law Society of BC, musicians too have their representation through the Vancouver Musicians’ Association.
Benefits
- Contract Defense Fund: will pay VMA minimum scale fees to each musician on defaulted contracts.
- Free, professional performance contracts enforced by the VMA.
- Employer/engager contributions paid into: The Musicians’ Pension Fund of Canada
- Discount on the best instrument, equipment and liability insurance in Canada! Covers your equipment against all perils, 24 hours each day, anywhere in the world.
- Assistance in obtaining P-2 Work Visas to allow members to legally work and be paid as musicians in the United States.
- Emergency Travelling Assistance Program: toll free numbers in Canada and the US for member use, 24 hours per day, when experiencing contract related problems with engagers, emergency cash also available.
- Access to Recording Industries Music Performance Trust Funds (RIMPTF).
- Residual payments on digital streaming, film and television scoring, sidelining, jingles (commercials) and other electronic media.
- AFM licensed booking agents.
- VMA referral service (General public may call the office to request contact information for individual members or for members’ bands/ensembles)
- Audition postings.
- Free legal assistance for collecting on defaulted contracts.
- Special Payments Fund eligibility for filing CD, Cassette, Motion Picture and TV recording/session contracts. (Musicians keep on getting paid long after the session work has been completed).
- Subscriptions to International Musician and Upbeat.
Rates
2026 Membership Fees
The current fee to join is $295.00. This fee includes the AFM and VMA initiation fees, the current and next quarter’s membership dues, the current year’s Benevolent Society assessment fee, and the Benevolent Society Entrance Fee. To maintain your membership in the VMA, quarterly dues in the amount of $67.50 are payable. This fee is subject to change without notice.
If you are a student at an accredited school, college, or university joining the VMA, the AFM and VMA initiation fees are waived. Please indicate this on your application, and upload proof of enrollment.
If you are a transferring from another AFM local, the AFM initiation fee is waived. Please indicate the local you are transferring from on your application.
Regular: $67.50 per quarter, or $260.00* per annum
Life: $33.75 per quarter, or $125.00* per annum
Inactive Life: $75.00 per annum
*Discount is already applied to rate displayed.
Join Us
Once you have filled in your information below, you will be redirected to the VMA Member Portal to fill out a more comprehensive Canadian Federation of Musicians application. Complete that form and pay the application fees to submit your full membership application. Once approved, you will be notified by email.