Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this free to use?
- Yes. An optional donation of $5 per piece used is suggested and highly appreciated.
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public domain music
Pubdomain an online music library of copyright free music (public domain music) giving the world access
to music, without the legal hassles common today. A great deal of music has expired copyrights, but almost
no recordings of this music is in the public domain. So that our visitors may listen, re-use, or in any
way enjoy music, we aim to record or obtain recordings that have no copyrights.
"There ought to be but one large art warehouse in the world, to which the artist could carry his art-works
and from which he could carry away whatever he needed..." - Beethoven
Public domain 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 indeed "public domain music", is a copyright date of 1922 or earlier. Public domain 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 public domain 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.
