Musicians demand fair pay at SXSW festival in Austin.

Musicians gathered outside the Austin Convention Center to protest against low and unfair compensation rates for appearing and performing at the South By Southwest Conference & Festivals. The Union of Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) launched a campaign asking festival producers to cut the application fee and increase the compensation for a SXSW performance to at least $750. Currently, participating artists can take the cash for performing or receive a free festival pass. Last year, only 128 of the 1,501 musicians or acts who performed opted to be paid, while the remaining musicians chose to receive the registration package.