The music industry may soon be creating more jobs in Florida.

According to the Recording Industry Association of America, Florida is considered a home state for the music industry, with 10,258 people employed in the core music industry and 47,911 people employed in jobs directly and indirectly related to the industry. Also, South Florida is considered a gateway to Latin American music. Four major music labels have offices in Florida, with all of them basing Latin branches on South Beach in Miami Beach.

According to an article from the State of Florida, Governor Charlie Crist recently announced a Music Industry Recording Task Force would be created in an effort to strengthen Florida’s economy. The task force will be under the direction of the Office of Film and Entertainment within the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development. The task force will identify issues impacting the state’s music recording industry and help develop recommendations regarding strategies to strengthen and expand the current industry.

“A rich variety of music from many cultures permeates Florida’s lifestyle, with many recording artists and recording studios calling the Sunshine State home,” Crist said in the article. “In the same way we have been able to attract and retain Florida businesses in other entertainment sectors, I believe we can do the same for the music industry.”

The task force will be responsible for placing special emphasis on supporting the growth of the music industry, as well as: preserving musical heritage, promoting continued creativity, assisting the state’s music industry in reaching its full potential, identifying and promoting existing resources and establishing new ways to showcase Florida’s music and talent, protecting the entrepreneurial products created by lawful sound and audio producers and working with the Florida Legislature and Florida Congressional Delegation to gain support for the music industry.

To assist with the project, the Office of Film and Entertainment will develop, market promote and provide services to the state’s entertainment industry, including producing music videos, sound recordings, film and television.

Florida currently offers an Entertainment Industry Financial Incentive Program, created within the Office of Film and Entertainment, to encourage the production of film, television, digital media and entertainment in the state and sustain the workforce and infrastructure for film and entertainment production. Under the incentive program, qualifying music videos may be eligible for a maximum of $500,000 in incentive funding. Sound recording businesses also qualify for a sales tax exemption.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 12th, 2008 at 2:45 pm and is filed under Entertainment, Jobs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.