It’s one week until Public Domain Day 2026 takes over. Here are the key essentials for what to know. Among the incoming treasures are INYIM Media preferred classics like “I Got Rhythm” and “Dream A Little Dream of Me,” two American musical standards finally stepping into the free‑to‑use universe.
New Year’s Day marks Public Domain Day, when the copyrights for thousands of published works expire, allowing anyone to freely record, perform, adapt, remix, or interpolate them. This time around, it’s musical compositions (music + lyrics, not recordings) copyrighted in 1930 — and the list is stacked.
We’re talking: “Georgia On My Mind” (Hoagy Carmichael & Stuart Gorrell), “Dream A Little Dream of Me” (Fabian Andre, Wilbur Schwandt & Gus Kahn), “I Got Rhythm” (George & Ira Gershwin), and the English version of “Just A Gigolo” (Leonello Casucci, translated by Irving Caesar).
Fresh music, bold entertainment, and men’s fashion—one tight email a week.
Other Key Highlights
Literature: As I Lay Dying (Faulkner), The Maltese Falcon (Hammett), The Murder at the Vicarage (Agatha Christie), The Little Engine That Could, early Nancy Drew books, and The Castle (Kafka translation).
Films: All Quiet on the Western Front, The Blue Angel, Animal Crackers (Marx Brothers), King of Jazz.
Cartoons/Comics: First appearances of Betty Boop (Dizzy Dishes), Pluto (as Rover), and Blondie & Dagwood.
Art: Works by Piet Mondrian, Paul Klee, and other 1930 creators.
Sound Recordings: Recordings from 1925 become free — a major unlock for archivists, DJs, sample‑heads, and preservationists.
A massive cultural unlock is coming. Get your remix engines ready.
Which 1930 classic are you most excited to see reborn — a fresh cover, a wild remix, or a full cinematic reimagining? Drop your thoughts below.
