Public Domain Songs

[dollar.cinema]

Hello Everyone
I am an EDM artist from Switzerland and thinking about releasing a Christmas song this season.
My idea is to take a traditional Christmas song that is in the public domain and create an EDM track with the melody.

DistroKid recommends to check here if the song is in the public domain. Has anyone here made some experiences on working with songs from the Public Domain?

A lot of this Christmas Songs have been released by other artists on their Christmas Albums. Am I going to get in Copyright trouble with those artists, or am I save because the song is in Public Domain?
As far as I understand it, if the song is listed on the Public Domain, I am allowed to make my own version of it?

Thanks and have a good day!

[jerrypettit]

Retired lawyer here. You're good if the song is in the public domain. I'd only worry if you completely steal someone else's arrangement/orchestration of it.

[dollar.cinema]

Retired lawyer here. You're good if the song is in the public domain. I'd only worry if you completely steal someone else's arrangement/orchestration of it.

Hi Jerry - thank you very much for your help! That's good to hear. I'll let you know when the song is released 😎

[mpekim]

Public Domain is fair game for anyone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ytoUuO-qvg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAcjV60RnRw

Check out these YouTube videos. They explain how there are only so many progressions, scales and melodies, to the point where some music is bound to sound similar (even unintentionally).

[AndrewSouthworth]

Retired lawyer here. You're good if the song is in the public domain. I'd only worry if you completely steal someone else's arrangement/orchestration of it.

Glad to have a retired lawyer here on the forums! I'm sure I speak for everyone else when I say that the legal aspects of the music industry are terrifying at times haha.