FIM counts member unions in 70 countries and three regional groups in Europe, Africa and Latin America.

From 1951, it held meetings with the members of the Berne Convention, the International Labour Organization, the IFPI, and the European Broadcasting Union, to negotiate the copyright rights of musicians, establish a strong network among musicians' unions and setting the foundation for its future objectives.

The International Federation of Musicians' main objective is to safeguard and advance the creative, economic, and social rights of musicians as represented by its member unions.

This leads to activities such as: The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the International Labor Office (ILO), and UNESCO are among the organizations with whom FIM collaborates with closely.

Other initiatives include the holding of international congresses and conferences, the advancement of all efforts to make music the common property of all people, and the upkeep of ongoing relationships with other international organizations that could be of service to FIM.