Enacted in 2018, the Garden State Film and Digital Media Jobs Act provides tax credits to incentivize film and digital media production in New Jersey. The program has successfully attracted major production companies, expanded tax incentives, and established New Jersey as a top-tier filmmaking destination.

The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM) is the largest organization representing professional instrumental musicians, with 70,000 members. Since its founding in 1896, AFM has advocated for musicians working in orchestras, bands, theaters, film, television, and sound recordings. AFM supports the Garden State Film and Digital Media Jobs Act for boosting the state’s film, TV, and digital media industry and generating employment for New Jersey residents.

Bills A.4382 and S.4392 revise the film and digital media content production tax credit program to include requirement for production of domestic original music and musical scores. The proposed legislation would amend the Garden State Film and Digital Media Jobs Act to require that all original music and musical scores for productions receiving tax incentives be produced and recorded in the United States or its territories.

These amendments would prevent studios from outsourcing post-production musical work overseas while benefiting from New Jersey tax incentives, ensuring domestic musicians, including thousands of New Jersey residents, have fair access to employment in the state’s growing film industry.

A.4382, originally sponsored by Assemblyman William Sampson, and S.4392 sponsored by Sen. Joseph Lagana, have been assigned to committees for study and await hearings before the committees.

Make New Jersey tax dollars work on this side of the ocean!
Close the loophole – keep the music here!