This past Friday morning, politicians and music professionals sat side-by-side to discuss a potential new tax incentive to help Georgia grow its music industry.
Lt. Governor Casey Cagle announced Senate appointments to the Joint Music Economic Development Study Committee on July 22. With 13 members, the committee features senators like Jeff Mullis (Chickamauga), Sens. Tyler Harper (Ocilla) and Butch Miller (Gainesville) alongside industry pros like Michele Caplinger of The Recording Academy/GRAMMY Awards, and Brandon Bush, a musician who’s performed in bands like Train and Sugarland and has contributed to over 100 recordings.
There’s no denying the impact Georgia’s film production incentive has had since its 2008 creation. As of June, our state is tied for No. 3 in worldwide film production.
The film and TV industry is responsible for more than 79,000 jobs and around $4 billion in wages and has helped bring 120 more firms to Georgia in the last seven years.
Throughout the three-hour discussion, it was frequently mentioned how film and music go hand-in-hand—original music is needed for everything from ads to apps to Netflix shows—and how this unique tie could be the first stepping stone toward making Georgia the nation’s “Entertainment Production Capital.”
Tammy Hurt, a drummer, managing partner of licensing firm Placement Music, and advisor to Girls Rock Camp ATL, offered compelling stats to the panel in her support of the tax incentive. According to Georgia Music Partners’ 2011 study, music has a $3.7 billion impact on our economy—and that excludes festivals. The study counted 20,000 music professionals in our state and 130 recording studios (all small businesses, as Hurt pointed out).
See more at Connect Savannah
