The Public Song Project

invites anyone to record their own musical adaptation of a work in the public domain.

This year, with a twist: a new partner and a timely bonus prompt.

Anyone can get involved.

You don't have to be a pro musician.

Voice memos welcome.

The public domain is for everyone.

Click here to submit your song

DEADLINE: MAY 10

What Is the Public Domain?

“Creative works that are not protected by copyright are said to be in the “public domain”, a vast commons of material that everyone is free to enjoy, share, and build upon without restriction.” - The Public Domain Review

The public domain is a legal concept, but practically speaking, it is a resource for creative inspiration. You can adapt, cover, remix or otherwise iterate on any of the art and ideas it contains. Under US copyright law, that includes creative works from the beginning of history up to and including the year 1930 and sound recordings from 1925 or earlier. Broadly speaking, if it was published in 1931 or later, it is not in the public domain. See a breakdown of the law and its exceptions here.

You can also think of the public domain as a free archive… which is a good segue to explain our new partnership this year.

PSP + Internet Archive

From the beginning, the PSP has collaborated with libraries to provide guidance for exploring the public domain, as well as resources for recording your songs. (See those resources at the bottom of the page.)

This year, we’re building on those collaborations by teaming up with the Internet Archive for our first-ever contest partnership!

The non-profit research library turns 30 this year (our submission deadline, May 10, falls on its birthday). The organization is behind the Wayback Machine, Open Library, and other efforts to make art and information open, free, and accessible to the public online. They were also recently designated a federal depository library.

The team from the Internet Archive joins the PSP this year in providing resources for exploring the public domain. They will also collect and review submissions in tandem with WNYC and a group of judges (including The Public Domain Review).

As a result of this partnership, this year’s playlist will not only be featured by WNYC, but also entered into the Internet Archive’s library, visited by millions daily, where it will be available to stream and share.

Follow the Internet Archive on Instagram for updates and more info.

What Can I Submit?

Your song could be:

A straightforward cover of a public domain song
A public domain composition with new music or lyrics
A remix sampling films or sound recordings (make sure your sound recordings are from 1925 or earlier!)
Public domain poetry set to original, or public domain, music
An adaptation of quotes, passages, plotlines, or characters from a public domain book/play

To hear how other submitters have responded to the project in the past, listen to our Public Songbook of all previous submissions.

Read our rules and guidelines before submitting here.

Click here to submit your song

If you have any questions, please email psp@wnyc.org

DEADLINE: MAY 10

Bonus Prompt

Every year we encourage you to make the most of the creative freedom of the public domain. This year, as an optional prompt, we encourage you to use the US public domain to explore and interrogate American history and identity.

2026 is not just an anniversary for the Internet Archive. It also marks 250 years since America declared its independence — and 50 years since the Copyright Act of 1976, the foundation of modern US copyright law.

The earliest American laws established relatively short copyright lengths. Throughout the country’s history, those terms have grown longer.

The lengthening of copyright terms tightens the borders around the public domain – restricting public access and challenging archival and historical preservation and cultural memory. The Public Song Project celebrates the creative expression that's made possible by freedom of access to art and information. The public domain is shared by everyone and anyone.

This year, a lot of people are going to be talking about this country’s history and defining American identity. There will be efforts to remove certain people and stories from that definition.

You cannot be denied access to the public domain. It is a tool that allows you to engage with the past and the present in whatever way you want, in celebration or in criticism. It enables you to take history into your own hands — not to rewrite it, but to include your voice even where it was historically left out.

So consider: What can the US public domain say about the US? How can the public domain be used to interrogate history and culture? How can you tell your story or your family's story with this patchwork of poems, folk songs, and other works?

There is no right or wrong way to interpret these prompts, but here are some examples for guidance…

Rewrite a public domain song or poem in your first or second language
Highlight a historical artist who was undersung or marginalized by adapting their work
Incorporate a government work into your song (fun fact: federal government works, regardless of when they were published, are usually in the public domain)
Share your own story through the music your family passed down to you (note: foreign works published in 1930 or earlier are in the US public domain too! But sometimes require a little extra research)
Remix the national anthem, or another work of historical significance (the first song registered for copyright, for example)

As a reminder this prompt is optional. Take it or leave it; in the spirit of the public domain, you can do whatever you want with it.

Click here to submit your song

If you have any questions, please email psp@wnyc.org

DEADLINE: MAY 10

More on the Public Song Project

WNYC’s Public Song Project invites anyone to explore the public domain and show how it can be used creatively. All you have to do is record your own adaptation of a public domain work and send it in to be part of our Public Songbook playlist!

Since launching in 2023 on All Of It with Alison Stewart, the Public Song Project has collected hundreds of songs from professional and non-professional musicmakers alike, and brought them onstage in front of audiences at Lincoln Center in 2024, and at Joe's Pub and the Brooklyn Public Library in 2025. The ranks of the Public Song Project have even grown to include Grammy-winners and a Pulitzer Prize recipient.

The Public Song Project album features exclusive recordings from Rhiannon Giddens, Rosanne Cash, They Might Be Giants, The Lemon Twigs, Bela Fleck, and over 30 other artists. All tracks are now available to stream for free on Bandcamp, and a curated version is also available in limited edition on vinyl.

<a href="https://publicsongproject.bandcamp.com/album/public-song-project">Public Song Project by Various Artists</a>

Below we have more resources for finding something in the public domain so you can get started on your song. And for residents in WNYC's listening area, we've compiled a list of free recording studios at local libraries, if you want that studio sound.

RESOURCES FOR EXPLORING THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

Copyright laws in the U.S. dictate that all books, movies, and music compositions published before 1930 are fair game and in the public domain. The best way to find out when something was published is to go straight to the US Copyright Office’s Catalog of Copyright Entries.

The Copyright Office also lays out which works are exempt from copyright protection: https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ33.pdf

The Public Domain Review has a helpful guide on how to search the public domain online.

Or go down the rabbit hole of the Public Domain Review's collections of public domain curiosities (but make sure whatever you find qualifies under US copyright law, as PDR is an international organization!): https://publicdomainreview.org/explore/

Duke University’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain celebrates “Public Domain Day” on January 1 of every year, as a new group of works see their copyrights expire. See what works they’ve highlighted this year: Public Domain Day 2026

The Brooklyn Public Library also has thousands of pieces of sheet music available to check out, as well as a vinyl collection full of inspiration. The BPL has also put together a short list of public domain works that are available to check out, for some inspiration: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHEA6gxNs12/?igsh=MWR6YnllaDUzdTNrbw==

Public domain sound recordings, which you can freely sample in your songs, are made available by the Library of Congress as part of their National Jukebox collection.

More resources:

- Discography of American Historical Recordings

- New York Public Library’s Public Domain Collections

- SecondHandSongs

RESOURCES FOR RECORDING YOUR SONG

Did you know many public libraries offer resources like free recording studios and even instrument lending? We've compiled a a list of some in the WNYC listening area. Wherever you live, we encourage you to look into your own local library and see how they can help you!

NEW YORK: If you're looking for a state-of-the-art place to record your song for free, check out The New York Public Library. The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library in Midtown has recording studios for teens and adults, and there are also dedicated studios for adults and teens at select branches. Visit nypl.org to learn more and find a location near you!

BROOKLYN: At Brooklyn Public Library you can borrow musical instruments, sheet music and vinyl records; attend free live performances for inspiration; or use a recording studio at the Central and Sunset Park Libraries. Visit bklynlibrary.org to learn more.

CONNECTICUT: For listeners in and around Connecticut, visit our friends at The Westport Library for another state-of-the-art facility to edit, mix, and master your song for free. Their media hub, Verso Studios, has a post-production suite open to teens and adults with two stations that feature Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton, Garage Band, and more, as well as a built-in podcasting suite. To learn more, go to: https://westportlibrary.org/services/verso-studios

NEW JERSEY: The East Brunswick Public Library offers a recording studio with equipment and audio editing software for visitors familiar with these tools. Appointments can be made by either emailing ebcreate@ebpl.org or calling 732-390-6767. Go to ilove.ebpl.org to find out more. The new Makerspace at the Hunterdon County Library Headquarters in Flemington, NJ can be reserved by anyone with a Hunterdon County Library card. And Newark residents can check out the Newark Public Library and their Makerspace studio, featuring an audio booth with ProTools, Audacity, and other audio editing software. For more info, go to made.npl.com.