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Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Public Domain in 2026: 'Georgia on My Mind,' 'Dream a Little Dream of Me'
www.rollingstone.com: Each year, dozens of classic songs, movies, and other cultural works reach the 95-year copyright maximum in the U.S., officially becoming part of the public domain. In 2026, a few beloved compositions from the 1930s are now free for anyone to use.
2 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I think the more work we have in the public domain the better. American music, at its core, is historically based off of the extensive list of folk songs and folk music created by early Americans and brought over by immigrants to the young nation. These works have created a sort of musical canon that has inspired songwriters and musicians for centuries. Songs like “Shanendoah”, or “Wayfaring Stranger” have left indelible impressions on listeners for generations and modern retreadings of old ground have yet to go out of style completely. All of these traditionals and their new companions in the public domain add together to create the greater sum of what we call the hodgepodge of themes, styles, and genres that is “American Music”. As someone who loves American music I think the more opportunities artists have to cover, reinterprate, and sample legacy music the better. The same goes for other art forms as well. The Maltese Falcon is a personal favorite movie of mine and I look forward to seeing if its addition to the public domain bodes well for the future of noir films and media. Overall, the more public art is, the better. The more tools, freedom, references, and samples artists have to pull from the more creative and unburdened their works can be.
2 comments:
I think the more work we have in the public domain the better. American music, at its core, is historically based off of the extensive list of folk songs and folk music created by early Americans and brought over by immigrants to the young nation. These works have created a sort of musical canon that has inspired songwriters and musicians for centuries. Songs like “Shanendoah”, or “Wayfaring Stranger” have left indelible impressions on listeners for generations and modern retreadings of old ground have yet to go out of style completely. All of these traditionals and their new companions in the public domain add together to create the greater sum of what we call the hodgepodge of themes, styles, and genres that is “American Music”. As someone who loves American music I think the more opportunities artists have to cover, reinterprate, and sample legacy music the better. The same goes for other art forms as well. The Maltese Falcon is a personal favorite movie of mine and I look forward to seeing if its addition to the public domain bodes well for the future of noir films and media. Overall, the more public art is, the better. The more tools, freedom, references, and samples artists have to pull from the more creative and unburdened their works can be.
-Henry Kane
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