Song suggestions:
Today, the length of that limited monopoly on a song is 95 years after its publication. This is very good news if you’re performing or recording gems like “Won’t You Come Home Bill Bailey” (Hughie Cannon, 1902), “Fascinating Rhythm” (George and Ira Gershwin, 1924) or “Beautiful Dreamer” (Stephen Foster, 1862). The copyright protection for songs published in 1924 expired on January 1, 2020, putting some of the greatest ukulele tunes of all time, such as “Everybody Loves My Baby,” “Nobody’s Sweetheart Now,” and “It Had to Be You” in the public domain. (On January 1, 2021, it will be 1925 songs that lose their protection, and so on.) Once copyrights have expired, you’re free to perform, record, and reuse a song without permission. But what if you’re interested in something a little more recent?