All sound recordings published prior to 1923 are now public domain in the United States. One exception is sound recordings, where public domain status is handled differently from songs (compositions). What Makes a Song 'in the Public Domain?'Īs of January 1, 2023, any song published before 1928 is in the public domain and does not require licensing for any use. Public domain is a term for songs where legal copyright protections have expired and no permission from the owner is required to use the work. At the end of the article, we list 78 very popular Christmas songs along with their public domain status. How can you know which holiday classics are in the public domain and which are copyrighted? Read on to learn the answer to this question and more. Copyrighted songs require permission from the owner, while public domain songs require no permission and can save you money on licensing costs. When selecting songs for your holiday album, it is useful to consider which of these beloved classics are in the public domain and which are copyrighted. Did you know that eleven of the top twenty most covered songs are Christmas songs? Some are new written less than 100 years ago.
