The sounds of the past are now common

14.12.2021

In 2018, the US Congress passed the Music Modernization Act. This means that in 2022, all records, melodies, songs and tracks released before 1922 inclusive will become public domain. They can be listened to and distributed without the slightest restrictions on the part of the copyright holders.

The music of the early 20th century is very important, because it is not only little-known songs, but also world-famous compositions like Broadway hits, classical jazz and much more!

If this law had not been adopted, then we would have been able to listen to all these hits only by 2067! The problem was that music created before 1970 did not fall under the federal law, but was regulated only by local laws of the states. According to the new law, the copyright term for music is 95 years.

If you’re interested in seeing all the music that is now in the public domain, you can listen to it in the US Public Domain Foundation Audio Collection or the Internet Archive. For residents of the United States, there is also the opportunity to listen to all these tunes almost live – at the National Jukebox of the Library of Congress.