On May 19, 2026, demonstrations took place in New York, Los Angeles, and Austin as musician advocacy groups across the U.S. organized a series of protests against potential agreements between major record labels and generative AI companies. These protests operated under the banner ‘NO AI SELLOUT.’
The actions were organized by the Music Workers Alliance, Austin Texas Musicians Association, and the Independent Musicians Caucus of the AFM in support of the American Federation of Musicians as it negotiated with major labels over AI companies’ use of recorded music. In New York, protesters gathered at Columbus Circle at 3 PM before marching to Universal Music Group’s headquarters, followed by a rally outside Warner Music Group’s offices at 4 PM. Additional events were planned outside the Capitol Records building in Los Angeles and at Far Out Lounge in Austin.
The demonstrations emphasized a call for record labels to decline any licensing agreements with AI firms that utilize unlicensed music for training. Furthermore, activists pushed for greater financial clarity regarding AI-related contracts and the requirement for explicit consent from individual artists. These actions, which followed previous protests spearheaded by the Music Workers Alliance in February, occurred as the music industry faced intensifying examination of its partnerships with AI developers.
