Understanding Music Licensing in Plain Language

A recording is usually protected by two separate copyrights: one for the song (the composition) and one for the specific recording (the master).

When you stream a song on a licensed service, that service has paid for the right to play it. The cost is bundled into your subscription or offset by advertising.

Public-domain works have no copyright at all. For sound recordings, this typically means very old recordings — many made before the mid-20th century — whose protection has long expired.

Preview clips are a special case: platforms license short samples specifically for discovery and promotion, which is why they can be offered freely without infringing anyone's rights.

Understanding this distinction helps you tell legitimate free music from pirated copies, and supports the artists you love.