Public-Domain Christmas Music: What You Can and Cannot Reuse
A practical guide to public-domain Christmas compositions, modern recording rights and how to use old carols legally on a website or video.
An old carol can be public domain while a recording made last year is still fully copyrighted. The composition, arrangement and recording can each have different rights.
Safer approaches
- Use your own performance of a clearly public-domain composition.
- Use recordings explicitly released under a compatible licence.
- Keep proof of the licence and attribution requirements.
- Do not assume 'old song' means 'free MP3'.
This page is a practical starting point, not legal advice; rights can also vary by country.