MoCA Music Practice Test – Comprehensive Exam Prep 2025

Public domain music refers to musical works that are not protected by copyright, allowing them to be freely used by the public. A noncopyrighted piece of music that is more than 75 years old typically qualifies as public domain, primarily due to the expiration of copyright terms.

In many jurisdictions, works published before a certain date, often defined as 1923 in the United States, fall into the public domain because the copyright has expired. Consequently, this means that any person can use, adapt, and perform these works without seeking permission or paying royalties.

In contrast, contemporary music, such as songs written by current artists, would still be under copyright protection, as they are still within the copyright term. Music released under a Creative Commons license, while allowing certain usage, is not in the public domain per se because the original creator retains some rights. Similarly, scores from modern films remain copyrighted due to the recent creation and active protection of intellectual property rights.