It’s January 1, 2026 which means it’s time to celebrate Public Domain Day. What, exactly, is this special event? It’s the day when copyrighted works (including books, poems, movies) from 1930 become available for public use. Also included are sound recordings from 1925. The great thing about Public Domain day is that all sorts of creative material is now freed up for artists to share, adapt, and teach from. Here is a link to the Catalog of Copyrighted Entries managed by the U.S. Copyright Office. And here is another great article laying out some of the more popular entries and any trademarks that still stand. Anyway, this year some of the works include books that were once banned for political, moral, obscenity, and/or other reasons including As I lay Dying, Vile Bodies, and Nancy Drew and the Secret of the Old Clock.
Below I’ve only included a brief selection of books, films, musical compositions (from 1930), and sound recordings (from 1925) that are now in the Public Domain. For more information, I encourage you to check out the Catalog of Copyrighted Entries. And here is a brief description of last year’s list. Also, this new Public Domain list is for the United States ONLY. It’s always a good idea to check with other countries’ copyright laws if you’re using a copyrighted work you don’t own. Also, there are all sorts of legal issues going on right now about if specific characters in a story/movie/etc can be copyrighted. So the best practice is to ALWAYS check with a lawyer who specializes in copyright law before using any book/movie/poem/recording/etc. you’re not sure about.
Disclaimer: This article offers a snapshot of what’s entering the Public Domain this year, but it does not constitute legal advice.
A Selection of 1930 Books in the Public Domain:
- As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner
- The Maltese Falcon, Dashiell Hammett
- Vile Bodies, Evelyn Waugh
- Cimarron, Edna Ferber (Pulitzer Prize winner; adapted into 1931 Best Picture)
- Cakes and Ale, W. Somerset Maugham
- Last and First Men, Olaf Stapledon
- The Murder at the Vicarage, Agatha Christie (first Miss Marple novel)
- The Mysterious Mr. Quin, Agatha Christie
- Giant’s Bread, Mary Westmacott (Agatha Christie pseudonym)
- Strong Poison, Dorothy L. Sayers
- The Documents in the Case, Dorothy L. Sayers and Robert Eustace
- It Walks By Night, John Dickson Carr (Carr’s first detective novel)
- Mystery Mile, Margery Allingham
- The French Powder Mystery, Ellery Queen
- Charlie Chan Carries On, Earl Derr Biggers
- Enter the Saint (UK edition), Leslie Charteris
- The Door, Mary Roberts Rinehart
- Destry Rides Again, Max Brand
- The Tale of Little Pig Robinson, Beatrix Potter
- The Secret of the Old Clock, Carolyn Keene (first Nancy Drew novel)
- The Hidden Staircase, Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew #2)
- The Bungalow Mystery, Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew #3)
- The Mystery at Lilac Inn, Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew #4)
A Selection of 1930 Films in the Public Domain:
- All Quiet on the Western Front, directed by Lewis Milestone, starring Lew Ayres (Academy Award for Best Picture; Best Director)
- Der blaue Engel (The Blue Angel) (original German version and English-language version), directed by Josef von Sternberg, starring Marlene Dietrich and Emil Jannings (launched Dietrich to international stardom)
- Animal Crackers, directed by Victor Heerman, starring the Marx Brothers
- Dizzy Dishes, directed by Dave Fleischer (first appearance of Betty Boop)
- The Chain Gang, directed by Burt Gillett (first appearance of Pluto, as unnamed bloodhound)
- The Picnic, directed by Burt Gillett (Pluto’s second appearance, as “Rover”)
- Fiddlesticks, directed by Ub Iwerks (first Flip the Frog cartoon; first color sound cartoon)
- Another Fine Mess, directed by James Parrott, starring Laurel and Hardy
- Anna Christie, directed by Clarence Brown, starring Greta Garbo (Garbo’s first talkie)
- Hell’s Angels, directed by Howard Hughes, starring Jean Harlow and Ben Lyon (Harlow’s breakthrough role)
- Morocco, directed by Josef von Sternberg, starring Marlene Dietrich, Gary Cooper, and Adolphe Menjou (Dietrich’s Hollywood debut; four Oscar nominations)
- Born Reckless, directed by John Ford, starring Edmund Lowe
- Madam Satan, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Kay Johnson
- Prix de Beauté (Beauty Prize), directed by Augusto Genina, starring Louise Brooks (France)
- The Unholy Three, directed by Jack Conway, starring Lon Chaney (Chaney’s only talkie; released shortly before his death)
- Doughboys, directed by Edward Sedgwick, starring Buster Keaton
- Free and Easy, directed by Edward Sedgwick, starring Buster Keaton
- Tom Sawyer, directed by John Cromwell, starring Jackie Coogan
- Billy the Kid, directed by King Vidor, starring Johnny Mack Brown and Wallace Beery
- Borderline, directed by Kenneth Macpherson, starring Paul Robeson
- The Three from the Filling Station (Die Drei von der Tankstelle) (original German version) directed by Wilhelm Thiele, starring Lilian Harvey
- Just Imagine, directed by David Butler (early science fiction musical)
- Manslaughter, directed by George Abbott, starring Claudette Colbert and Fredric March
- Paid, directed by Sam Wood, starring Joan Crawford
- Street of Chance, directed by John Cromwell, starring William Powell, Jean Arthur, and Kay Francis
- The Vagabond King, directed by Ludwig Berger, starring Dennis King and Jeanette MacDonald (early two-strip Technicolor)
- Outside the Law, directed by Tod Browning, starring Edward G. Robinson
- Three Faces East, directed by Roy Del Ruth, starring Constance Bennett and Erich von Stroheim
A Selection of 1930 Musical Compositions in the Public Domain:
- “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” w. Gus Kahn, m. Fabian Andre & Wilbur Schwandt (over 400 recorded versions; later a signature song for Mama Cass)
- “Body and Soul,” w. Edward Heyman, Robert Sour & Frank Eyton, m. Johnny Green (the most recorded jazz standard of all time)
- “Embraceable You,” w. Ira Gershwin, m. George Gershwin
- “Georgia on My Mind,” w. Stuart Gorrell, m. Hoagy Carmichael (later Ray Charles’s signature song; state song of Georgia)
- “I Got Rhythm,” w. Ira Gershwin, m. George Gershwin (from Girl Crazy; “rhythm changes” became a foundational jazz chord progression)
- “But Not for Me,” w. Ira Gershwin, m. George Gershwin
- “Get Happy,” w. Ted Koehler, m. Harold Arlen (Arlen’s first hit)
- “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” w. Dorothy Fields, m. Jimmy McHugh
- “Love for Sale,” w. & m. Cole Porter
- “Ten Cents a Dance,” w. Lorenz Hart, m. Richard Rodgers
- “Falling in Love Again (Can’t Help It),” w. (Eng.) Sammy Lerner, m. Friedrich Hollaender (Marlene Dietrich’s signature song from The Blue Angel)
- “Beyond the Blue Horizon,” w. Leo Robin, m. Richard A. Whiting & W. Franke Harling (introduced by Jeanette MacDonald in Monte Carlo)
- “Memories of You,” w. Andy Razaf, m. Eubie Blake
- “Livin’ in the Sunlight, Lovin’ in the Moonlight,” w. Al Lewis, m. Al Sherman
- “Bidin’ My Time,” w. Ira Gershwin, m. George Gershwin
- “Dancing on the Ceiling,” w. Lorenz Hart, m. Richard Rodgers
- “Exactly Like You,” w. Dorothy Fields, m. Jimmy McHugh
- “Fine and Dandy,” w. Paul James, m. Kay Swift
- “I’ve Got a Crush on You,” w. Ira Gershwin, m. George Gershwin
- “Little White Lies,” w. & m. Walter Donaldson
- “My Baby Just Cares for Me,” w. Gus Kahn, m. Walter Donaldson (later famous via Nina Simone)
A Selection of 1925 Sound Recordings in the Public Domain:
It’s not easy finding and listening to old recordings. But one great source is the Library of Congress National Jukebox. The Library of Congress has made all of the 1925 (and earlier) recordings in its collection available for download. All recordings from 1925 and forward are streaming only until they enter in the Public Domain.
- “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby,” Gene Austin (seven weeks at #1)
- “Remember,” Isham Jones Orchestra (Irving Berlin composition; seven weeks at #1)
- “Sweet Georgia Brown,” Ben Bernie and His Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra (five weeks at #1; later became the Harlem Globetrotters’ anthem)
- “I’ll See You in My Dreams,” Isham Jones (seven weeks at #1)
- “If You Knew Susie (Like I Know Susie),” Eddie Cantor (five weeks at #1; became his signature song)
- “Manhattan,” The Knickerbockers (Ben Selvin Orchestra) (four weeks at #1; Rodgers and Hart standard)
- “Tea for Two,” Marion Harris (three weeks at #1; from No, No, Nanette)
- “Oh, How I Miss You Tonight,” The Cavaliers (Ben Selvin Orchestra) (three weeks at #1)
- “O, Katharina!,” Ted Lewis and His Band
- “St. Louis Blues,” Bessie Smith with Louis Armstrong (inducted into Grammy Hall of Fame; widely considered the definitive recording of W.C. Handy’s composition)
- “Sugar Foot Stomp,” Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra with Louis Armstrong
- “Davenport Blues,” Bix Beiderbecke and His Rhythm Jugglers
- “Yearning (Just for You),” Gene Austin
- “Brown Eyes, Why Are You Blue?,” Nick Lucas
- “Indian Love Call,” Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra (from Rose-Marie)
- “Dinah,” Ethel Waters (inspired Dinah Shore’s stage name)
- “Alabamy Bound,” Blossom Seeley
- “Cold in Hand Blues,” Bessie Smith with Louis Armstrong
- “Cake Walking Babies (From Home),” Bessie Smith with Henderson’s Hot Six (Bessie Smith’s first electrical recording)
- “Nashville Woman’s Blues,” Bessie Smith with Louis Armstrong
- “Squeeze Me,” Clarence Williams with Louis Armstrong (Fats Waller composition)
- “Yellow Dog Blues,” Bessie Smith with Henderson’s Hot Six (W.C. Handy composition)
- “Careless Love Blues,” Bessie Smith with Louis Armstrong
- “The Death of Floyd Collins,” Vernon Dalhart (disaster ballad about the cave explorer)
- “In the Baggage Coach Ahead,” Vernon Dalhart
- “Adeste Fideles” / “John Peel,” Associated Glee Clubs of America (the first electrically-recorded hit, July 1925—marking a technological revolution in sound recording)
