Musical scoring for video games is on the rise in Nashville, especially after publisher Electronic Arts moved its orchestral work to the city in 2014.
The state legislature passed the Visual Content Modernization Act in May in an effort to fuel even more growth by offering tax rebates.”They always talked about the top two recording destination being Los Angeles and London, now pretty much Nashville is being talked about in the same breath,” Alan Umstead, orchestra contractor, said.
Triple A-games like Fortnite, Madden Football and Call of Duty have recorded orchestral music in Nashville, but composers with more modest budgets often took their work to Prague or Budapest.
“There are a lot of people who have strict budgets and what the tax credit will do is close that gap between us and Eastern Europe,” Umstead said.
The tax incentive program sets aside $5 million for projects that qualify for the rebates. The details are being worked out through listening sessions between legislators and members of the video game and music industries.
“From a musician’s point of view, I don’t think it necessarily means more pay, but it does mean more work,” violist Senead Donegan Chang said.
Companies will be able to apply for the rebates this fall.
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