Are Selekt samples cleared for commercial use?

Yes. Every sample on Selekt is sourced from public domain recordings. They are 100% cleared for commercial use in beats, songs, films, games, and any other creative project — no additional licensing or royalties required.

What does "cleared samples" mean?

Cleared samples are audio recordings that have been verified as free from copyright restrictions. On Selekt, all samples come from public domain sources, meaning the original copyright has expired or been waived. You can use them without worrying about clearance, royalties, or takedown notices.

Do I need to credit Selekt when using samples?

No. Since our samples are public domain, no credit or attribution is required. However, we always appreciate a shout-out if you want to share the love.

Can I sell beats made with Selekt samples?

Absolutely. You can sell beats, songs, or any derivative work made with Selekt samples. They are cleared for commercial use with no restrictions on resale or distribution of your finished works.

How are samples analyzed on Selekt?

Every sample is processed through our AI pipeline which detects key, BPM, genre, mood, era, and instrumentation. We also perform automatic section analysis to identify intros, verses, choruses, and breaks, and stem separation to isolate vocals, drums, bass, and other elements.

Is Selekt free to use?

Selekt offers a free tier that lets you browse, stream, and download samples. A Pro tier is available with additional features like unlimited downloads, advanced stem separation, and priority access to new drops.

Public Domain Music Explained: What It Is, How It Works, and Where to Find It

What Is Public Domain Music?

Public domain music refers to audio recordings and compositions that are no longer protected by copyright. This means anyone can use, copy, distribute, remix, sample, and monetize these works without permission or payment. The work belongs to the public — hence the name.

There are several ways music enters the public domain: copyright expiration (the most common), voluntary dedication (CC0 licenses), failure to comply with copyright formalities (historical), and works created by the US government.

The Music Modernization Act and Pre-1926 Recordings

Before 2018, sound recordings in the US had a complicated and inconsistent copyright status. The Music Modernization Act (MMA), signed into law in 2018, created a clear federal framework: sound recordings published before 1923 entered the public domain on January 1, 2022. Each year, another year of recordings becomes public domain — as of 2026, everything published before 1926 is free to use.

This is a goldmine for producers. Thousands of jazz, blues, ragtime, gospel, classical, and early popular music recordings from the early 1900s are now legally free. These recordings feature real musicians playing real instruments in real studios — the kind of organic, characterful sound that producers spend thousands trying to recreate.

Public Domain vs. Royalty-Free vs. Creative Commons

Public Domain: No copyright. Completely free. No restrictions whatsoever. You own your derivative works entirely.

Royalty-Free: Does NOT mean free. It means you pay a one-time fee and don't owe ongoing royalties. The content is still copyrighted.

Creative Commons (CC0): The creator voluntarily waives all rights, placing the work in the public domain. Functionally identical to public domain, but by choice rather than expiration.

Creative Commons (CC-BY): Free to use, but you must credit the creator. Still copyrighted — the creator just grants a broad license.

Where to Find Public Domain Music

Internet Archive: The largest collection of digitized public domain audio. Over 55,000 pre-1926 recordings including jazz, blues, ragtime, and classical. Free to download via their API.

Selekt Audio: A purpose-built platform for producers that takes public domain recordings from Internet Archive and other sources, processes them through AI stem separation and analysis, and serves them with BPM, key, mood, and instrument metadata. Every track includes isolated stems.

Library of Congress Citizen DJ: 3 million+ pre-cut samples from the Library of Congress collections, specifically designed for hip hop and sample-based production. Federally guaranteed public domain.

Musopen: A nonprofit that commissions new recordings of classical works and releases them to the public domain. High-quality modern recordings of Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, and more.

Can I Really Use Public Domain Music in Commercial Productions?

Yes, absolutely. Public domain music has no copyright restrictions. You can sample it, chop it, remix it, sell beats made with it, use it in films, games, ads, podcasts — anything. You do not need permission, you do not need to pay anyone, and you will never receive a takedown notice or copyright claim for the source material.

The only caveat: your derivative work (the beat you made) is copyrighted by you. But the source material you sampled from is free and clear.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is all old music public domain?

Not necessarily. In the US, sound recordings published before 1926 are public domain as of 2026. Musical compositions (sheet music) have different rules — generally, the composer must have died 70+ years ago.

Can someone claim copyright on a public domain recording?

No. Once a recording is in the public domain, no one can reclaim copyright on the original. However, a new performance or remastering of the same composition can be separately copyrighted.

Is public domain music the same worldwide?

No. Copyright terms vary by country. A recording that is public domain in the US may still be copyrighted in the EU or UK. Selekt Audio focuses on US public domain status.

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