Public Domain Classical Recordings and Scores

Classical music has an unusually large public-domain library available, since most compositions from before the 20th century are no longer under copyright almost anywhere in the world. That said, "the piece is old" doesn't automatically mean "every specific recording or edition of it is free to use" - the composition and any particular performance or typeset edition of it are legally separate things, each with rights that have to be checked on their own.

This page is a practical overview, not legal advice. Copyright rules vary by country and change over time; if you're planning to publish or sell something, check the rules where you are.

Three separate layers

Every piece of recorded or printed music involves up to three layers of rights:

1. The composition - the notes and words the composer wrote.
2. The edition - a particular printed or typeset version of the score.
3. The recording - a specific performance captured on record.

A Beethoven sonata is free as a composition, but a pianist's 2015 recording of it is protected, and so may be a modern publisher's newly edited score.

How long copyright lasts

The rules differ by country, but two systems cover most readers:

• In the United States, copyright is tied mainly to publication dates. As of 2026, compositions published in 1930 or earlier are in the public domain, and sound recordings published in 1925 or earlier are too. Each January 1, another year's worth enters the public domain.
• In the European Union and the United Kingdom, a composition generally enters the public domain 70 years after the composer's death, and sound recordings are generally protected for 70 years after they were published.

That means the same piece can be free in one country and protected in another. Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring (1913) is public domain in the United States, but because Stravinsky died in 1971, his music remains under copyright in Europe until the 2040s. Rachmaninoff, who died in 1943, entered the public domain in Europe in 2014.

Where to look

• IMSLP (the International Music Score Library Project, also known as the Petrucci Music Library) hosts an enormous collection of public-domain sheet music and scores, and shows the copyright status of each file for different countries.
• Musopen focuses specifically on public-domain and openly licensed recordings, along with some sheet music, recorded or curated with reuse in mind.
• Archive.org (the Internet Archive) hosts a huge range of audio, including many older public-domain recordings, alongside a great deal of material that isn't public domain at all.
• CPDL (the Choral Public Domain Library) offers free choral scores, many in new editions released for free use.
• Wikimedia Commons hosts scores, recordings, and images, each with its license listed.

Understanding open licenses

Some modern recordings and editions are released under Creative Commons licenses, which grant permissions in advance. CC0 waives rights almost entirely; CC BY lets you reuse an item as long as you credit the creator; CC BY-SA also requires that anything you make with it be shared under the same license; and NC ("non-commercial") versions forbid commercial use. Always read which one applies.

How to actually check rights

Before using anything from any of these sources, verify the specific item - not just the platform or the underlying composition:

1. The composition itself. A piece by Bach or Beethoven is long out of copyright everywhere. A piece by a composer who died more recently (or a living composer) may not be, regardless of the platform hosting it.
2. The specific edition or typeset score. A modern engraver's edition of an old piece can carry its own separate copyright on the typesetting and editorial choices, even though the underlying music is public domain.
3. The specific recorded performance. A public-domain composition performed and recorded recently is typically still protected by the performers' and recording company's own rights, distinct from the composition itself - this is the single most common mix-up.
4. The platform's own listed license. Reputable sources will state the rights status of each individual item directly; if that information isn't clearly stated, treat the item as unverified rather than assuming it's free to use.

This is the same logic worth applying to any public-domain media research generally: check the specific item, every time, rather than extending one item's rights status to an entire collection.

Just want to listen?

You don't need any of this to enjoy music for yourself - streaming services, radio, and libraries already handle the rights. Our guides to the best pieces for beginners and choosing a recording are the place to start.