Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission

What Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission does

The Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission (also known as the Tennessee Entertainment Commission, or TEC) is a state government agency established in 2011 under Governor Bill Haslam's Jobs4TN economic development plan and operating under the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD). Headquartered on the 27th Floor of Tennessee Tower in Nashville, the commission cultivates economic activity across Tennessee's film, television, music, and interactive media industries by administering state-backed incentives (a 25% cash rebate grant and up to 50% franchise/excise tax credit on qualified in-state expenditures, codified in Tenn. Code Ann § 67-4-2109(j)(2)), maintaining production and location directories (via the Reel-Scout platform), facilitating location scouting and permitting, and operating a Getro-powered job board that lists over 2,500 entertainment roles.

TEC's core technology is a set of integrated online directories — a production/crew directory, location database, music directory, and interactive talent directory — plus a Getro-based job marketplace. The commission's service offering is free to users; revenue derives from state General Assembly appropriations and TNECD budget allocations rather than commercial fees. Customer-facing channels include the tnentertainment.com website, email newsletters, hosted events (Tin Pan South, Indie Memphis Film Festival, Film-Com), and direct consultation by a small staff (fewer than 10 personnel including Executive Director Bob Raines, Director of Business Development Jimmy Wheeler, and Project Manager Gisela Moore).

The commission serves film and television production companies (including studios such as Sony's Affirm Films and Warner Discovery), music industry professionals, interactive/digital media firms, and documentary filmmakers. Notable Tennessee-based industry logos include Creative Artists Agency (CAA), William Morris Endeavor (WME), Regal Cinemas, and City National Bank. The state's entertainment sector contributes $6.4B to GDP and generates $365M in state tax revenues, with Tennessee ranked #1 nationally for music industry workforce and #5 for motion picture/video production employment.

Name

Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission

Legal name

Tennessee Entertainment Commission

Website

https://tnentertainment.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Tennessee Entertainment Commission is a state agency under TNECD that administers film, television, music, and interactive media incentives and resources — including 25% cash rebates, tax credits, production directories, and a job board — to attract entertainment productions and grow Tennessee's creative economy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Appropriations: State-funded agency supported by Tennessee General Assembly appropriations and department of economic and community development budget
2. Film Incentive Programs: Cash rebates in the form of 25% grants on Tennessee labor, production services and music; tax credits up to 50% of franchise and excise tax liability

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission (TEC) is a state government agency that promotes economic development of Tennessee's film, television, music, and interactive entertainment industries. It administers 25% cash rebate grants and up to 50% franchise/excise tax credits for qualified productions, operates online production directories and film location databases, runs a job board for entertainment professionals, and provides consultation on permitting, location scouting, and workforce development. The commission serves production companies, studios, music industry businesses, and digital media companies seeking to operate in Tennessee.

Product overview

The Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission (TEC) operates as a state economic development agency providing a coordinated portfolio of services to support film, television, music, and interactive entertainment industries. The offering consists of a unified gateway platform connecting productions with production directory services (via Reel-Scout), film and music incentives, location scouting, a job board powered by Getro, documentary grant resources, and a private-public sponsorship program. These services work together to attract productions to Tennessee, support workforce development, and foster economic growth in the creative sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Film Production Incentives A statutory incentive package codified in Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-4-2109(j)(2) offering a 25% cash rebate grant on qualified in-state expenditures for Tennessee labor, production services, and music, plus production tax credits that can offset up to 50% of franchise and excise tax liability. Available to film and television productions filming in Tennessee.
• Production Directory A searchable directory powered by the Reel-Scout platform that connects film and television productions with Tennessee-based crew members, cast, and production service providers. Available to productions planning to film in Tennessee.
• Film Locations Database A searchable database of filming locations across Tennessee, from Memphis to the Smoky Mountains, with location images and permitting information, accessible via the Reel-Scout platform at tn.reel-scout.com. Available to film and television productions scouting locations.
• Music Industry Services A portfolio of services supporting Tennessee's music industry, including the Music Directory, Music Scoring Incentives, and resources connecting musicians, recording artists, and music businesses with state resources.
• Music Directory A directory of music industry professionals and businesses in Tennessee, connecting musicians with recording studios and industry services, accessible via tnentertainment.com/music/real-music. Available to artists, producers, and music companies seeking Tennessee-based talent and services.
• Interactive/Digital Media Services Support services for the digital media, interactive entertainment, and gaming industries, including an Interactive Talent Directory and creative technology resources. Available to video game developers, animators, and digital content creators.
• Job Board An employment platform powered by Getro connecting entertainment professionals with job opportunities across Tennessee companies in the TEC network, accessible at jobs.tnentertainment.com.
• Music Scoring Incentives Incentives for original music scoring produced in Tennessee, supporting film, television, and advertising scoring projects. Available to productions scoring music in the state.
• Documentary Film Funding Grants Database A curated database of U.S. and international grant opportunities for documentary filmmakers, including funding from organizations such as Sundance Institute, Tribeca Film Institute, and National Endowment for the Humanities. Available to independent documentary producers.

Quantifiable outcome

• $6.4B entertainment sector GDP contribution
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Levitt FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2025Partnership to launch multi-year matching grants program of up to $120,000 to support live music and entertainment programming in Tennessee communities. The collaboration aims to boost Tennessee's creative economy and strengthen music ecosystems.
• Rock LititzcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 August 2022Rock Lititz partnered with TNECD and TEC to break ground on Rock Nashville campus, a state-of-the-art music production facility. Rock Nashville set to open Fall 2025, creating jobs and expanding music production capabilities.
• Nashville Record Pressing LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2022Partnership to establish vinyl record pressing operations in Davidson County, expanding Tennessee's music manufacturing capabilities and supporting the growing vinyl market.
• Green Spark GroupminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEco Supervisor/Consultant for sustainable production practices recommended to productions filming in Tennessee. Helps productions implement environmentally friendly filming practices.
• Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD)coreOthersTEC operates under the supervision of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. The department oversees state economic development strategies and entertainment industry growth initiatives.
• Association of Music Offices (AMO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTEC joined cities, states, and industry partners in launching the Association of Music Offices to strengthen music ecosystems nationwide. Announced May 12, 2026.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Others

• Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI): Global trade association for film commissions and offices, of which TEC is implicitly a member. Comparable as the umbrella organization that convenes state, regional, and national film commissions, but not a direct competitor — instead a peer-level ecosystem participant.

Regional players

• British Film Commission: The UK's national film commission promotes inbound international production to the UK via tax relief and infrastructure. Comparable in mandate to attract productions, but operates as a non-U.S. regional player and competes globally rather than domestically.
• Film Florida: Florida's statewide film commission promotes production in the state through incentive programs and location services. Comparable mandate and regional geography, but competes primarily in the Southeast U.S. corridor alongside Tennessee.
• North Carolina Film Office: North Carolina's state film office administers the state's Film and Entertainment Grant Program. Directly comparable mandate targeting the same Southeast U.S. production corridor as Tennessee, with overlapping incentive-based attraction strategy.

Direct peers

• Louisiana Entertainment (Louisiana Economic Development): Louisiana's state film office administers the state's Motion Picture Production Tax Credit, a direct competitor to Tennessee's 25% rebate. Both commissions target feature film, television, and music production relocations to the U.S. South.
• New Mexico Film Office: New Mexico's state film office offers a 25-35% refundable tax credit and has built a major production hub (e.g., Netflix Albuquerque). Directly competes with TEC for inbound studio productions in the U.S. South/Southwest.
• Texas Film Commission: Texas's state film office promotes in-state production via the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program (5% cash grant on in-state spend). Directly comparable mandate and a competing Southern/Southwest jurisdiction.
• Georgia Film, Music & Digital Entertainment Office: Georgia's state film commission administers the 30% transferable film tax credit that has made Georgia the dominant U.S. production hub. It is the closest direct competitor to TEC, serving the same film, TV, and digital media clients with overlapping incentive structures.
• New York State Governor's Office of Motion Picture & Television Development: New York's state film commission administers the Empire State Film Production Credit (up to 40%) and serves film, TV, and music clients. Comparable in scope and incentive-driven model, with a much larger budget and headcount.

Broad incumbents

• California Film Commission: California's state film office oversees the Film & Television Tax Credit Program 3.0 and serves as the legacy film commission for Hollywood productions. Comparable in mandate (promoting in-state production) but operates at a much larger scale and from the industry's historic home base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tnentertains
• Xx.com/tnentertains
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tennessee-entertainment-commission

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission