Do you know the difference between copyright and public domain music? Sometimes it can get a little confusing and many people tend to get the two mixed up. The authors of copyrighted music own the rights to these compositions exclusively. You can not use this music for your own personal gain in any way without the direct permission of the author. The copyrights to this music stay in effect for many years. It can be transferred, sold or even inherited by another family member during this time but the copyrighted music will still be protected. This means it cannot be used without permission from the one holding the copyrights.
You can use free public domain music for your own personal use without the permission of the author. However, it is important that you make absolutely sure the music you use is not protected by copyrights. Therefore, before you use any music make sure it is not copyrighted or that the copyrights have expired so you can use it legally. It is important to keep in mind that the copyright laws of today are different than what was placed on some of the older music so, check the date of the music and the laws pertaining to that year carefully before using the music.
Do not confuse free copyright music with free public domain music. There is a huge difference and you could get in trouble if you do. Free copyright music is free for you to listen to personally such as when they are downloaded into MP3 players and cell phones. However, you cannot reuse it for your own personal gain. It is still protected by copyright laws.
There is also a difference between recorded music and written music. Most all music in the United States that is recorded and copyrighted will be protected until the year 2067. You will also find that copyright laws vary from country to country and you will need to go by the laws of the country the music was copyrighted in.
One good way to make sure the music you find is free to use is by looking for music that has a copyright date on it. It should be safe to use any music that was published before 1922. However, you do need to make sure that you are using the original and not a more recent version that has already been remade and copyrighted by someone else.
