By Eileen Tilson
Picture it: you wake up in the morning, get in your car on your way to work, turn on the radio, and you hear Rhianna’s latest hit song playing on the radio. You start driving down the road and see a billboard with her face promoting the upcoming album. You open up iTunes and her face is right on the homepage. Massive marketing at its best, but did you ever wonder what it actually costs to make all of this a reality? NPR recently did an in depth look at what is actually costs to create a hit song, and the results are fascinating. Just to create one hit song involves so many different parts, and let’s face it, a boat load of money. Luckily for Georgia, there is a group that is very actively trying to fight to help make it easier for musicians to lower that cost.
The Georgia Music Partners wants the state to implement incentives that will attract bands, artists and musicians to record in the state. Further, GMP wants to incentivize the state’s high profile performers, producers and music businesses owners – thus encouraging them to stay here. One way to do this, says co-founder Simon Horrocks, would be to offer incentives similar to state tax breaks for the film industry. Since former Gov. Sonny Perdue signed the 30 percent tax credit into law in 2008, the film industry in Georgia has quadrupled to 348 productions and $1.3 billion, according to state economic development officials.
GMP recently hired a lobbyist who will try to sell lawmakers on the idea, Horrocks said. The legislature loves to hand out tax breaks, passing hundreds of them over the years, and many lawmakers also have a fondness for music.
Read the NPR article here:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/07/01/137530847/how-much-does-it-cost-to-make-a-hit-song?ps=cprs
