With all the holiday music out in the world, it may seem almost impossible to create an original hit that will blow the socks off the masses. Luckily for you, there are tons of songs in the public domain that you can cover for free without fear of musical prosecution. In this article, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most universally recognizable holiday songs in the public domain to give you some inspiration this holiday season.
The 50 Best Public Domain Holiday Songs to Cover This Season
What is the Public Domain?
Music in the Public Domain isn’t restricted by copyright and doesn’t require licenses or fees to use. That means you can freely record, release, and share these songs without worrying about royalties. For independent musicians and creators, this opens up endless possibilities to put your own spin on classic holiday tunes. Covering public domain Christmas songs is one of the easiest ways to create a festive track that’s totally free to record, giving you the chance to appeal to listeners who love familiar holiday melodies but yearn for something new.
To make it even easier for you, we compiled a list of the 50 most recognizable holiday songs currently in the public domain. Check it out below…
- Angels We Have Heard On High
- Auld Lang Syne
- Away In A Manger
- Coventry Carol
- Deck The Halls
- For Unto Us
- Go Tell It On The Mountain
- God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
- Good King Wenceslas
- Hallelujah Chorus
- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
- Here We Come A-Caroling (Wassail Song)
- I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
- I Saw Three Ships
- In The Bleak Midwinter
- It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
- Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
- Jingle Bells
- Jolly Old St. Nicholas
- Joy To The World
- O Come All Ye Faithful
- O Come O Come Emmanuel
- O Holy Night
- O Little Town Of Bethlehem
- Once In Royal David’s City
- Pat-a-Pan
- Silent Night
- The First Noel
- The Twelve Days of Christmas
- Up On The Housetop
- We Three Kings
- We Wish You A Merry Christmas
- What Child Is This
- O Sanctissima (O Thou Joyful, O Thou Wonderful)
- Angels from the Realms of Glory
- Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (melody is Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”)
- There’s a Song in the Air
- Go, Lovely Rose (often used as a Christmas hymn)
- Christmas Is Coming (The Goose Is Getting Fat)
- Hallelujah! What a Savior
- Child in the Manger
- O Christmas Tree (O Tannenbaum)
- The Holly and the Ivy
- Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella
- Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming
- While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
- Good Christian Men, Rejoice
- As With Gladness Men of Old
- Come, All Ye Shepherds
- Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
Looking for some inspiration?
So many artists have risen to fame thanks to their unique covers of classic tracks. Artists like Pentatonix and Fifth Harmony are just two of the mega-talented groups who have gained immense exposure from their holiday covers. People all over the country will be playing these new and improved classics once the season hits, and who knows… maybe your cover will replace an old classic for years to come. 🎁
Other Stories You May Like
