Public Domain Music and Sounds – An eclectic mostly pre-electric library (evolving page)

Copyright changes have made it possible to determine – with only relative discomfort – whether an old recording is in the public domain. The “overall rule” (as of 2022) is that a composition or story has a 95 year limit and that a “performance” (ie recording) is in the public domain at 100 years. So, by the end of 2024, recordings from 1924 are public domain for – you know, scratch tracks (some have a generous amount of scratch already) or full-out background soundtracks, if you’re on a budget. Some lightly filtered bits will be posted here periodically from the Animating Apothecary archives, mostly as a test, to supplement the amazing collections already existing at archive.org. Checking with the Library of Congress Copyright Office can determine whether older recordings of a less popular nature have had their copyright renewed under the older rules – in many cases, these have slid into the public domain already, just thanks to ignorance and apathy (“It’s Old! Don’t Know! Don’t Care!”).

TCHAIKOVSKY 1812 Overture, Op. 44 (Acoustic, ca 1924)Download
J. STRAUSS II On the Beautiful Blue Danube – Waltz, Op. 314 (ca 1924)Download
Tales from the Vienna Woods – Waltz, Op. 325 – Strauss (ca 1924)Download

The Way of a Boy – H S Leavitt – 1923 Music Appreciation Series – First Known Recording of the Musical SuiteDownload
1924 Music Appreciation Society – 6 selectionsDownload
Rhythmic Instrumental – Children’s Classics – 6 selections 1923Download
Two Part Songs – Elementary Music – Music Education, 1923Download
Preludium – Spinning Song (Mendelssohn) 1923 Music Appreciation SeriesDownload
31 Short Tracks – Interlude Music for Old Time Radio Programming, late 1930sDownload
1922 Recording of March of the Wooden Soldiers – composer Jessel – Karl Fenton Orchestra – Brunswick 78rpmDownload
1922 By the Shalimar – Magine-Delbridge-KoehlerDownload
1922 That Barking Dog – Woof! Woof!Download

And here are some piano solos from 1924-1925 featuring the keyboard dexterity of Frank Banta:

1925 – The Melody that Made You Mine – composers Friend-Polla, Frank Banta, pianoDownload
1925 Sweet Man – Turk-Pinkard, composers, Frank Banta pianoDownload
1925 My Sugar – Britt-Little, composers, Frank Banta, pianoDownload
1925 I Wonder Where My Baby is Tonight – Kahn-Donaldson, composers, Frank Banta pianoDownload
1924 Prudy – Banta-DeRose, composers, Frank Banta pianoDownload
1923 Upright and Grand – Banta-DeRose, composers, Frank Banta, pianoDownload


1958 Les Preludes – Liszt – An unknown performance perhaps from Europe in the late 1940s – no record of copyright, but a cursory listen to the piece will reveal a wealth of dramatic background music that has been adapted to many a soundtrack – as no copyright can be identified, it may be useful for scratch track snippets. Not pre-1924, but likely in the public domain. Play time!Download
(Smithsonian photo)