Once a copyright is created, protection generally lasts for 70 years after the death of the author and in some cases 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation. That's a long time! After that time, the copyright protection ceases and the underlying work becomes public domain.

How long before a song becomes public domain?

The length of copyright protection varies from country to country, but music, along with most other creative works, generally enters the public domain fifty to seventy-five years after the death of the creator.

Do copyrights on songs expire?

The length of ownership for a song copyright depends on whether the song was copyrighted before or after 1978. If a song was copyrighted in or after 1978, the copyright is valid for the life of the author plus 70 years.