MEAA for Actors: Joining Australia's Actors Union

MEAA (the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance) is Australia's union for performers, and its performers' section is still known as Equity. You join online, your fee is based on your annual income, and membership gives you union agreements, advice, insurance and a lower fee on your residuals. Kym and three Australian casting directors in our library explain why it matters, and when.

What is MEAA, and is it the same as Equity?

Yes, for actors they're the same thing. MEAA says Actors Equity was formed in the early 20th century, fought for minimum pay rates and standard stage and screen contracts, and in 1992 joined with journalists, media workers and theatre workers to form the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance. Performers still call their section Equity.

MEAA represents actors, dancers, comedians, singers, puppeteers, variety performers and voice artists, according to its performers page. In her Australia class, Kym sums up the job: MEAA sets appropriate rates of pay in the same way SAG-AFTRA does in America, collects and distributes residuals, and works to keep sets safe and respectful.

Who can join MEAA, and how?

MEAA's join page doesn't list a qualifying job or credit you need first, which is very different from the American union. You fill in the online form, and your fee is based on your annual income. If you have questions before you sign up, MEAA's Member Central team takes calls on 1300 656 513.

Drama and screen students have their own route. MEAA's student membership gives access to Equity Foundation events and training, networking, general advice on employment issues and journey insurance. MEAA notes that industrial representation needs full membership.

How much does MEAA membership cost?

For working performers, it depends on what you earn. MEAA says membership fees are based on annual income. Its 2026-27 fee listing sits in the members' resource library behind a login, so we haven't printed figures we couldn't check; ask Member Central for the band that fits your income.

Figures are in Australian dollars, from MEAA's student and residuals pages. Those last two rows matter more than most actors realise, as the residuals section below explains.

What do you get as an MEAA member?

According to MEAA's membership page, members get:

• Collective agreements that protect fair pay, minimum hours, workplace safety and job security.
• Advice and representation for unfair dismissal, contract disputes and leave entitlements, plus personal indemnity insurance.
• Journey insurance, which covers you if you're injured travelling to and from work.
• Free access to Equity Foundation professional development, including its self testing resources.
• Networking events, campaigns and everyday discounts.

The union is also working on newer problems. Casting director Thea McLeod told our members the Casting Guild of Australia has an AI committee and is working with MEAA on protections, so performers are contracted and paid correctly.

How does MEAA handle residuals?

MEAA's Equity section is the main collector and distributor of residuals in Australia. Its residuals page says the Sydney-based team distributes over $2 million a quarter to performers and agents, paying out four times a year as money arrives from distributors.

Here's the part that affects your decision: MEAA deducts 5% for financial members and 16.5% for non-members. Extras and background performers, including stand-ins and body doubles, aren't entitled to residuals.

Kym told our Australia class she still receives MEAA residual payments every three months for Scooby-Doo, a film she made at about 18, her first speaking role. Small cheques add up over a career.

Do casting directors care if you're in MEAA?

Not when they're casting. Casting director David Newman told us membership doesn't make a difference in the casting process; he usually auditions an actor and only finds out later whether they're a member. Casting director Greg Apps was even shorter: asked if he auditions non-union actors, he said yes.

So join for your own protection, not to get in the room. David was blunt about why: one day something will go badly wrong on a job, and you'll need the union on your side. His advice to every actor was to join.

When should an Australian actor join MEAA?

Earlier than you might think. Because there's no qualifying job, the question is really whether the protection is worth the fee for you yet. You can join as a student, then move to full membership once paid work starts. Kym also flags the low-budget trap: plenty of independent features and shorts don't use MEAA contracts. If a production can pay, she suggests asking whether it will use MEAA contracts, or at least match MEAA rates, so you're covered.

Before you approach Australian agents, Kym also suggests having your Showcast and Casting Networks profiles set up, since reps expect them. Our guide to becoming an actor in Australia covers agents, training and cities.

MEAA vs SAG-AFTRA: what if you want to work in the US?

They're separate unions, and one doesn't automatically get you into the other. SAG-AFTRA's steps to join list two routes: paid work under a SAG-AFTRA contract, or a year as a paid-up member of an affiliated performers' union such as ACTRA, AEA, AGMA or AGVA plus at least one principal job in that union's jurisdiction. MEAA isn't named on that list, so ask SAG-AFTRA directly before you count on it.

For most Australians, the realistic path is booking union work in the US, which first means the right visa. Start with our O-1B visa guide and how to join SAG-AFTRA, and keep your MEAA membership for work back home. This is general information; check with MEAA and SAG-AFTRA for your situation.

Want the whole library? Start your 7-day free trial and watch every answer on this page.

All rates current from meaa.org and join.meaa.org as of 10 November 2026.