What is the public domain?
- Public domain refers to creative works that are no longer protected by intellectual property laws such as copyright or trademarks.
Can I submit arrangements of public domain works?
- You may submit your arrangements of a public domain work for sale only if the work is in the worldwide public domain.
Can I submit multiple arrangements of the same public domain work?
- Submitting multiple arrangements of the same public domain work is permitted following the Remix Guidelines i.e. 1 remix per category.
How do I know if a track is in the public domain or not?
- Do your research! As a general rule songs published before 1924 are considered public domain. However please keep in mind that whilst a composition may be in the public domain, an arrangement of that song may be copyrighted. Make sure to check the status of a song before starting your work on it.
Examples of holiday tracks in the public domain (traditional versions):
- Angels from the Realms of Glory
- Angels We Have Heard on High
- Auld Lang Syne
- Gesu Bambino
- I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
- Jingle Bells
- O Come, O Come, Emanuel
- Silent Night
- Star Of The East
- The Twelve Days of Christmas
- We Three Kings
Examples of holiday songs that are not in the public domain:
- A Holly Jolly Christmas (Johnny Marks)
- Feliz Navidad (Jose Feliciano)
- Frosty The Snowman (Steve Nelson, Walter E. Rollins)
- Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin)
- Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) (Gene Autry, Oakley Haldeman)
- I’ll Be Home For Christmas (Walter Kent, Kim Gannon, Buck Ram)
- It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (Edward Pola, George Wyle)
- Jingle Bell Rock (Joseph Carleton Beal, James Ross Boothe)
- Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne)
- Little Drummer Boy (Katherine K. Davis, Henry V. Onorati, Harry Simeone)
- Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree (Johnny Marks)
- Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (Johnny Marks)
- Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie)
- Silver Bells (Jay Livingston, Ray Evans)
- Sleigh Ride (Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish)
- White Christmas (Irving Berlin)
- Winter Wonderland (Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith)