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.

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

Read our rules and guidelines before submitting here.

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.

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.

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

RESOURCES FOR RECORDING YOUR SONG