Iceland is now offering a 25% rebate on all recording expenses for international artists.
The new government-backed initiative is called “Record in Iceland” and is conceived by Iceland Music, which is the country’s music export office. “Record in Iceland” covers any recording facility in the country, from Greenhouse Studios, where Kanye West once recorded, to Syrland Studio, where acts like Björk and Of Monsters & Men have reserved studio time. Additionally, the expenses they cover includes travel and accommodation costs, studio rates, and the cost of hiring an engineer.
- RELATED: Self-Driving the Golden Circle in Iceland
While they are set to formally present the new initiative at annual music showcase Iceland Airwaves, Iceland Music has already released some details about the project. The application for reimbursement has to be submitted by the project’s producer alongside receipts for every costs, and the recorded music must clock in at more 30 minutes an get released within 18 months of recording.
“Because of our glorious isolation, Iceland has nurtured quite a unique music culture,” Iceland Music managing director Sigtryggur Baldursson explains, according to Billboard. “But as well as developing a nation of poets and musicians, we also have a network of first-class recording studios, each with their own idiosyncrasies.”