Tax Credit for Phonographic Works Production Expenditure
Tax credit for the costs of producing phonographic works. Supports the French recording and music publishing industry. The tax credit applies to eligible costs incurred between 1 July 2007 and 31 December 2027. Amount indicated in the catalogue: a tax credit calculated on eligible costs, capped at €1.5 million per company per financial year, shared in proportion to each company’s costs in a co-production. European caps apply to development costs per recording, to costs entrusted to third parties (€2.3 million per company per year) and, for small companies, to managers’ pay (€45,000). Check the current rules, availability and dates before any application.
The tax credit for the costs of producing phonographic works is a specialised tax scheme whose benefit depends on the production company, the nature of the recording and the eligible costs. The rates, caps and dates must be checked in the current version of the French General Tax Code and with the competent administration. The catalogue information is not enough on its own to confirm eligibility.
Funded by Ministère de la Culture, Ministère de l’Economie, des Finances et de la Souveraineté Industrielle, Energétique et Numérique
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Who can apply
Record production companies subject to corporation tax. They may nevertheless use foreign subcontractors.
Eligibility conditions
Eligible development costs are limited to €350,000 per music recording or music video; development costs must be incurred within 18 months of the work being recorded or a music DVD being produced; total eligible costs are limited to €2,300,000 per company per financial year; to be included in the calculation, eligible costs must have provisional approval from the minister responsible for culture, which certifies that the recordings meet the eligibility conditions and is issued after the opinion of a committee of experts whose operating rules are set by decree; cinema and audiovisual works eligible for the tax credit must be approved by the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC).
What the scheme covers
Production, development and digitisation of music recordings or music videos (music video or music DVD) made by companies and technical industries linked to record production that are established in France, in another EU member state or in an EEA state that has signed a tax agreement with France including an administrative assistance clause against fraud or tax evasion, and that carry out there the services linked to producing a recording and post-production. ELIGIBLE COSTS — production costs of a recording: costs of non-permanent staff (salaries and social charges of performers, director, sound engineer and technicians hired for the recording); costs of permanent staff directly concerned by the works (label assistants, product managers, label coordinators, sound technicians, production officers, artistic managers, artistic directors, label directors, label lawyers); pay, including social charges, of the manager(s) for their direct participation in producing the works; use of recording studios and hire and transport of equipment and instruments; graphic design of a recording; post-production (editing, mixing, encoding, mastering and creation of visuals); digitisation and encoding costs. Development costs of recordings or music videos: rehearsal costs for recorded tracks (studio hire, hire and transport of equipment), instruments, and salaries and social contributions for the following people and permanent staff: site administrators, press officers, promotion coordinators, graphic designers, layout artists, new media product managers, synchronisation managers, new media managers and assistants, promotion directors, marketing directors, export managers and assistants, and the pay, including social contributions, of the manager(s) for their direct participation in rehearsals*; costs incurred to support the production of the artist’s concerts in France or abroad, the overall amount of which is set in an artist or licence contract; costs incurred for the artist’s participation in television or radio programmes to promote the approved work, as provided for in the artist or licence contract; costs linked to making and producing images that develop the artist’s career; costs linked to creating a website dedicated to the artist to develop their career in the digital environment. *Note: the manager’s pay cannot exceed an amount set by decree, up to a cap of €50,000 a year, and is eligible for the tax credit only for small businesses within the meaning of Article 2 of Annex I to Commission Regulation (EC) no. 800/2008 of 6 August 2008 (General Block Exemption Regulation). Also eligible: production costs for the salaries and social contributions of venue (physical and digital) managers, royalty managers, payroll managers for intermittent workers and analytical accountants; rehearsal costs for recorded tracks for the salaries and social contributions of digital project managers, data analysts, data managers, royalty managers and digital marketing providers, for their direct participation in rehearsals. Costs linked to making and producing images associated with the sound recording: acquiring rights from the authors of photographs, illustrations and graphic works; authorisations from show producers, venue operators or festival organisers when using recorded extracts; technical costs of making these images; recording costs (sound, image, lighting); acquiring pre-existing images; transfers of rights invoiced by all holders of copyright and related rights; use of studios or filming locations, excluding homes; sets, costumes, hair and make-up; transport of equipment and instruments; post-production (creating and adding special effects, editing, grading, mixing, encoding and mastering); salaries and social contributions of artists, performers and technical staff involved in these operations; for a musical multipurpose digital disc, technical design costs such as creating interactive elements, a menu structure or using special effects.
Amount and funding terms
A tax credit calculated on eligible costs, capped at €1.5 million per company per financial year. In a co-production, the credit is granted to each company in proportion to its share of the costs. The scheme is subject to the European framework for aid to culture, which implies the following caps: €350,000 per music recording or music video for development costs; €2.3 million per company per financial year for recording and development costs entrusted to third-party companies; for small companies, managers’ pay for their actual participation in producing the works or in rehearsals is taken into account up to €45,000. Development costs for recordings or music videos are capped at €700,000 per recording (the catalogue gives both €350,000 and €700,000 — check the applicable figure). The overall cap on eligible costs is unchanged (€2,300,000).
How to apply
Before any commitment, check the application date, eligible costs, combination with other aid, supporting documents and the official application channel. The current date and status must be confirmed with the managing body.
Timeline
Timetable to be confirmed on the official page and in the rules in force. Do not treat a catalogue page as proof that the scheme is open.
Key facts
- Funder
- Ministère de la Culture, Ministère de l’Economie, des Finances et de la Souveraineté Industrielle, Energétique et Numérique
- Type of funding
- Tax exemption
- Status
- Open
- Maximum amount
- €2,300,000
- Automatically extracted — check the official source
- Closes
- 31 December 2027
- Geographic scope
- All of France
Frequently asked questions
What is the purpose of the tax credit for the costs of producing phonographic works?
Supports the French recording and music publishing industry. The tax credit applies to eligible costs incurred between 1 July 2007 and 31 December 2027.
Who can apply for the tax credit for the costs of producing phonographic works?
Record production companies subject to corporation tax. They may nevertheless use foreign subcontractors.
How much can be obtained with the tax credit for the costs of producing phonographic works?
A tax credit calculated on eligible costs, capped at €1.5 million per company per financial year, shared in proportion to each company’s costs in a co-production. European caps apply to development costs per recording, to costs entrusted to third parties (€2.3 million per company per year) and, for small companies, to managers’ pay (€45,000).
What should be checked before applying for the tax credit for the costs of producing phonographic works?
Eligible development costs are limited to €350,000 per music recording or music video; development costs must be incurred within 18 months of the work being recorded or a music DVD being produced; total eligible costs are limited to €2,300,000 per company per financial year; to be included in the calculation, eligible costs must have provisional approval from the minister responsible for culture, which certifies that the recordings meet the eligibility conditions and is issued after the opinion of a committee of experts whose operating rules are set by decree; cinema and audiovisual works eligible for the tax credit must be approved by the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC).
Official source
No official URL is available in our data for this grant.
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