The document discusses the pros and cons of joining a union for musicians. Unions can help musicians get jobs, ensure fair pay and benefits, provide insurance, and negotiate pay scales and benefits. However, unions also cost money in fees and may not be useful for all genres like rock music. Unions are also mostly relevant for larger gigs, not smaller ones. Overall, the document weighs whether the benefits of a union are worth the costs for individual musicians.

1. Sophie Hall

2. It’s a risk if you don’t join a union but
they cost a lot of money.

3. Pros Cons
• Allows you to get jobs.
• Gives you assurance of what you will get
paid.
• Provide a reasonable instrumental
insurance program.
• Keeps up with your payroll, reuse checks,
benefits, and pension.
• Negotiate the pay scale and benefits for
the Symphony Orchestras and other types
of venues.
• You can make some great career contacts
that you would never make elsewhere.
• Such issues can range from copyright
protection to valuable contractual advice
or from the recovery of unpaid fees to
crucial work in health and safety.
• Not as useful for rock and roll musicians.
• Not worth the money if you don’t play for
any union gigs.
• Only comes into play at big gigs. Not
really at small gigs.

4. Pros Cons
• Improve pay and conditions of service,
including pensions.
• For those working in broadcasting, film,
theatre, entertainment, leisure,
interactive media and allied areas.
• Personal advice.
• Training support and courses.
• Take money from you for things you
might not even use.

5. Pros Cons
• Subscriptions are based on previous tax
year's gross earnings from professional
work.
• Membership includes actors, singers,
dancers, choreographers, stage
managers, theatre directors and
designers, variety and circus artists,
television and radio presenters, walk-on
and supporting artists, models, stunt
performers and directors and theatre
fight directors.
• Equity is not politically affiliated and so
does not make payments to any political
party. This puts Equity in the strong
position of being able to lobby equally
governments of all political colours.
• You are not allowed to take on any work
within the profession that is not deemed
professional.
• In addition, there is a one-off joining fee
of £25.