Egyptian musicians must now belong to the Musicians' Syndicate in order to work legally. The Syndicate has banned any musicians who are not members from performing, with violators liable for legal consequences, according to Mohamed Saber, the Syndicate's board member. The election of new members to the Musicians' Syndicate in Egypt proceeded without incident this week, with voters electing a 12-member council. The Syndicate has been concerned that the music industry has become too lucrative for amateur musicians, and has adopted measures such as the newly-imposed performance ban to protect wage levels for working musicians.