Texas Music Incubator Rebate Program Awards More Than $8.4 Million to 71 Live Music Venues and Festival Promoters
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced that the Texas Music Incubator Rebate Program (TMIR) has awarded a total of $8,410,501.40 in rebates to 71 live music venues and music festival promoters across the state in this round, recipients that contributed $84,105,014 in sales tax revenue to Texas. The Governor's Office said the program has now awarded more than $11,491,991 in total to 225 venues and promoters.
Administered by the Texas Music Office within the Governor's Office, the program was established by the Texas Legislature in 2020 and took effect on September 1, 2021. Eligible music venues and festival promoters can receive a full or partial rebate, up to $100,000, of mixed beverage gross receipts taxes or sales taxes on beer and wine remitted in the prior fiscal year, with one rebate per tax ID per fiscal year.
"Texas is the Live Music Capital of the World, and the music industry continues to support jobs and economic growth in communities across our state," Governor Abbott said in the announcement, thanking the Texas Music Office for its investment in the state's musicians, venues, festivals, and communities. Texas Music Office Director Chip Adams said the rebates will help recipients offset rising costs, with funds usable for expenses such as artist fees, production upgrades, marketing, rent, and insurance.
According to the Governor's Office, the Texas Music Office's 2024 industry report found that music businesses across all sectors support more than 31,000 jobs and nearly $2 billion in annual earnings in Texas, while a Texas Music Office study estimated that businesses in the live music industry employ 14,000 people in the state and generate $2.5 billion in annual economic activity. (GSM, based on the Office of the Texas Governor release)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Austin的一处现场音乐场馆Barracuda（2019年），德克萨斯州是全美现场音乐产业重镇之一。照片：Larry D. Moore（CC BY 4.0），经Wikimedia Commons。Barracuda, a live music venue in Austin, in 2019; Texas is one of the leading states for the live music industry. Photo: Larry D. Moore (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.
