Public Domain Stems
Isolated parts from genuinely public-domain recordings — free to sample, with a license certificate per download
A public-domain stem is a single part — a vocal, a piano line, a horn — lifted out of a recording that is old enough to be free for anyone to use. Most of it comes from before 1926, when music leaned on real voices and acoustic instruments, so the richest stems here are vocals, piano, woodwinds, strings, and brass. Drag them into your DAW, chop them, pitch them, build on them — there is nothing to clear and nothing owed.
Public domain stems by instrument
What makes a stem “public domain”
Two things have to be clear, not one. Every recording carries two copyrights — the song that was written, and the recording itself. With pre-1926 recordings, both have expired, so the audio is genuinely free. The trap most people miss is with classical: a piece by Bach is public domain, but a brand-new recording of it is not. We only stock recordings where both are clear, and each download ships with a certificate naming the source — so you have the receipts, not just our word. Royalty-free vs public domain vs CC0 →
Looking for modern sounds too?
Public domain leans vintage — older recordings, mostly from before 1926. If you are after newer, modern-sounding stems instead, we have plenty of those as well: contemporary parts with a fresh, current sound, free to use just the same. Same library, newer character.
Public domain stems, answered
- Are these stems really public domain?
- The recordings they come from are — mostly commercial recordings made before 1926, which are now in the U.S. public domain, plus government and institutional recordings that are free by law. We isolate the individual parts (the vocal, the piano, the horn) from those recordings, so the source is genuinely free. Every download ships with a certificate showing exactly where it came from.
- Why are vocals, piano, and woodwinds the public-domain instruments?
- Because the public-domain era is older — mostly before 1926 — and the music from that time leaned on those instruments: early jazz, blues, gospel, ragtime, and classical. Drum-machine and electronic music came much later, which is why there are very few public-domain drum breaks. For modern drums and electronic sounds, look to the CC0 (modern, freely-released) side of the catalog instead.
- Can I use public domain stems in music I sell or release?
- Yes. Once audio is in the public domain, it is free for anyone to use for any purpose, including commercial release, with nothing owed to anyone. The certificate that ships with each download documents the source so you have it on file.
- What is the difference between a public-domain stem and a CC0 stem?
- Public domain means the audio is old enough that its copyright has expired (pre-1926 recordings). CC0 means a modern creator chose to give up their rights so the audio is free to use. Both are free for commercial use — public domain skews vintage, CC0 skews modern.
- What is the catch with public-domain classical recordings?
- There are two copyrights on any recording: the composition and the recording itself. A piece by Bach or Mozart is public domain, but a brand-new recording of it is still copyrighted. We only stock recordings where both are genuinely clear, so you do not have to untangle it yourself.
Want the full picture? Browse cleared samples by genre, split your own track with the stem separator, or dig through the whole catalog.
