SoundExchange (www.soundexchange.com) – Distributes digital royalties (fees that digital radio services, such as Pandora, SiriusXM , webcasters and cable TV music channels are required by law to pay for streaming music) to featured recording artists. SAG-AFTRA has a seat on the board of SoundExchange.
Alliance of Artists and Recording Companies/AARC (www.aarcroyalties.com) – Distributes royalties generated by the sales of automobile infotainment systems, blank CDs, personal audio devices, media centers, and satellite radio devices that have music recording capabilities, to featured recording artists. SAG-AFTRA has a seat on the board of AARC as well.
AFM and SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund (www.afmsagaftrafund.org) – Distributes the non-featured artist share of SoundExchange and AARC royalties, along with other royalties negotiated on behalf vocalists and musicians. This fund is jointly trusteed by SAG-AFTRA and the AFM.
musicFIRST (www.musicfirst.org) – SAG-AFTRA is a founding member of musicFIRST, which works to ensure music creators get fair pay for their work, on AM/FM and wherever and however it is played. It also rallies people and organizations who make and love music to end the broken status quo that allows AM/FM to use any song ever recorded without paying its performers a dime, and to stand up for fair pay on digital radio — and whatever comes next.
Government Affairs and Public Policy – Through the union's Government Affairs and Public Policy department, SAG-AFTRA is actively engaged in the support or opposition of legislative and policy matters that impact recording artist and vocalist members. These issues currently include public performance royalties and pre-1972 sound recordings, copyright matters, and digital theft.