Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA)

Overview

The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) is the Australian union representing workers across film, television, theatre, radio, journalism, and the entertainment industry broadly. Formed in 1992 through the merger of three organizations, the Australian Journalists Association, Actors Equity of Australia, and the Australian Theatrical and Amusement Employees Association, MEAA operates as an umbrella organization covering performers (through its Equity branch), journalists (through its Media branch), and entertainment crew (through its Entertainment branch). With approximately 16,000 members, MEAA is the primary labor organization for the Australian entertainment industry.

MEAA's Equity branch covers Australian actors and performers working in film, television, theatre, opera, dance, and other performance disciplines, performing the role that SAG-AFTRA performs in the US and Equity performs in the UK. The union negotiates collective agreements with Screen Producers Australia (SPA) on behalf of producers, establishing minimum rates, working conditions, and residual structures for covered performers.

As of 2026, MEAA Equity is actively negotiating new industry standard screen agreements with SPA. The negotiations cover the Australian Feature Films Collective Agreement (AFFCA) and the Australian Television Performers Agreement, with members pushing for updated pay rates, penalties, superannuation, and call structures to keep pace with cost of living.

Membership Fees (2025-26)

MEAA membership fees are tiered by age, income level, and membership category. All fees are fully tax-deductible. Fees are paid weekly:

Unlike SAG-AFTRA, which charges a $3,000 USD initiation fee, MEAA has no upfront initiation fee. Membership is based on ongoing weekly dues, making it substantially more accessible to join. The only eligibility requirement is that applicants must already be working professionally in the industry, with the exception of the student membership tier.

Collective Agreements and Minimum Rates

MEAA Equity negotiates several key collective agreements that set minimum rates and conditions for Australian performers:

Actors Feature Film Collective Agreement (AFFCA)

The AFFCA covers performers in Australian feature film productions. Minimum rates under the current agreement:

Ordinary hours are based on an 8-hour day exclusive of meal breaks, worked between 6:30 AM and 11:00 PM, Monday to Saturday, not exceeding 38 hours per week. The AFFCA summary is available at meaa.org/download/actors-feature-film-collective-agreement-affca-summary-january-2025.

Performers Collective Agreement 2024-2026

This agreement covers television performers. MEAA publishes equity minimums and summaries at meaa.org/downloads/equity-minimums-and-summaries.

Motion Picture Production Certified Agreement (MPPA)

The MPPA covers below-the-line crew in film and television production. Rates and allowances are updated annually on July 1. The current MPPA rates effective July 1, 2026 are published by MEAA. The MPPA covers crew roles including camera operators, lighting technicians, grips, sound recordists, and other technical positions.

Voiceover Industry Rate Card

MEAA Equity maintains a voiceover rate card for visual and audio commercials, effective July 1, 2025. Rates vary by platform (television, BVOD/SVOD, DOOH, PIP, radio, audio streaming), usage period (3 months, 4-6 months, 12 months), and ad length. For example, a single national television visual commercial (1x15/1x30 second ad, 12-month usage) has a minimum rate of $1,298. Post-synchronisation adds $250 for up to 60 seconds. The full rate card is available at bmegonline.com.

Equity Branch and Performer Coverage

MEAA Equity represents professional performers across all recorded and live performance media in Australia and New Zealand. The branch negotiates agreements with broadcasters (ABC, Seven, Nine, Ten, Foxtel) and independent producers, establishing minimum rates for principal performers, background performers, voice-over artists, and stunt performers.

Australia's film and television production industry has grown substantially since the introduction of the Australian Screen Production Incentive, which includes the 30% Location Offset (for large-budget international productions), the 30% Producer Offset (for Australian qualifying productions), and the 30% PDV Offset (for post-production, digital, and visual effects work). These incentives attract significant international production to Australia alongside a robust domestic production sector. MEAA Equity's coverage extends to international productions shooting in Australia that engage Australian performers.

Crew Coverage

MEAA's Entertainment branch covers below-the-line crew working in film, television, and live entertainment. This includes camera operators, lighting technicians, grips, sound recordists, and other technical crew roles. In the film production context, MEAA crew coverage is broadly equivalent to IATSE in the US, though the Australian production industry's smaller scale means that union density and enforcement operate differently in practice.

The distinction between MEAA-covered crew and MEAA-covered performers is important for Australian production budgeting. Both communities operate under MEAA's umbrella but under distinct agreements with different rate structures and working conditions.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For international productions shooting in Australia, MEAA's agreements govern Australian cast and crew on productions that engage them. The Australian Location Offset (30% rebate on qualifying Australian production expenditure for large-budget productions) and Producer Offset (30% rebate for Australian productions with qualifying Australian content) are substantial incentives that attract significant international production. Compliance with MEAA minimum terms is expected on these productions and is a practical requirement for productions accessing Australian production incentive programs.

For a feature film engaging an Australian principal performer at MEAA minimums, budget $1,086.51 AUD per week ($304.21 AUD per day) as the floor rate. A 6-week shoot with 3 principal performers at minimum rates costs approximately $19,557 AUD in performer fees alone, before factoring in overtime, penalties, superannuation (currently 11.5%), and residuals.

For Australian filmmakers, MEAA membership at $14.51/week (for performers earning under $78,999/year) provides minimum rate protection, collective agreement coverage, legal support, and professional community. The union also assists with retrieving withheld payment and enforcing contract terms.

MEAA Equity is in active negotiations with SPA as of 2026 for updated screen agreements. Producers should check the MEAA website for the latest ratified rates before finalizing budgets, as new agreements may supersede the figures listed above.

See Also

For the Australian directors guild operating alongside MEAA, see Australian Directors Guild (ADG) in this directory. For the Australian screenwriters association, see Australian Writers' Guild (AWG) in this directory. For the New Zealand performers' union affiliated with MEAA, see Equity New Zealand in this directory. For estimating production costs including Australian performer rates, use the Indie Film Budget Calculator.