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 Music and lyrics published in 1922 or
earlier are in the Public Domain in the United States. No one can claim
ownership of a song in the public domain, therefore public domain songs may be used by
anyone. Sound recordings, however, are protected separately from musical
compositions. There are no sound recordings in the Public Domain in the USA.
If you need a sound recording - even a recording of a public domain song - you will either have to record it yourself or
license one.The proof that a musical work is in the public domain is a sheet music publication with a copyright date of 1922 or earlier. You will find a large selection of PD Sheet Music Reprints with complete original copyright information in our Sheet Music Section. For sound recordings, you can easily license any of our large selection of Royalty Free Music tracks in the Download or CD Section. PD songs may be used for profit-making without paying any royalties. If you create a new version or derivative of a public domain song, you can copyright your version and no one can use it without your permission. However, the song remains in the public domain, and anyone else can also make and copyright their own version of the same PD song. Songs change over time. Even though a public domain version exists, some versions may still be under copyright protection. The only way to confidently identify a PD version is to find a copy of the song with a copyright date old enough for public domain status. You can then use that PD version or work from it to create your own derivative work. If you work from a version still under copyright protection, the copyright owner can likely make a valid claim for royalties. There are songs written after 1922 which are PD in the US, but only rarely can they be confidently identified without the advice of an attorney or rights clearance agency. Countries other than the US may offer copyright protection for 70 years or more after the death of the author. There is no such thing as an "international copyright". If you wish to use a song outside of the United States, you must check the copyright laws for each individual country where you use the song. |
List of Public Domain Songs: List of thousands of songs and musical works in the public domain in the US. Copyright and PD: What is copyright? What is public domain? Proof of Public Domain: What are legitimate sources to prove PD status? Identify: How to identify usable public domain works Resources: Resources for finding public domain music Fair Use: Fair Use and the copyright law Sound Recordings: NONE PD until around 2067 ! ! ! FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about PD Music and Songs Links: Links to other web sites to assist you in your research. About PD Info: The Public Domain Information Project Privacy Policy: All the small print and legal stuff | ||||||||||||||||
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