At the beginning of 2024, you might have heard about "Steamboat Willie" entering the public domain, initiating an inevitable process where pop culture will progressively become freely available over the coming century.

Given how poorly this new creative material has been utilized, few have realized the significance of what's approaching. For music recorded in the US, the transition to public domain occurs after 100 years, meaning songs from the 1920s enter public domain annually. You might wonder: "Which 1920s songs are considered great or foundational?"

The answer is surprising: Almost none by today's artistic standards.

However, the 1920s were foundational for the modern music industry, which truly emerged in the 1930s due to widespread electricity, radio, and phonographs enabled by improved recording quality. This means 1920s recordings are actually listenable today, even more enjoyable if you appreciate that vintage crackling sound.

If you've started exploring this era's music, you're probably cursing me for introducing you to Foxtrot. This genre disappeared for good reason when modern music evolved, every song sounds identical, with strange instruments and awkward rhythms.

Despite the questionable artistic merit, the 1920s launched the careers of musicians who would revolutionize music in subsequent decades. Louis Armstrong was playing with the King Oliver Creole Jazz Band, while Duke Ellington was already composing under his own name.

This new wave of musicians brought intense energy that was refined throughout the 1920s and 1930s, creating Jazz and subsequently influencing almost all music we know today.

Understanding this historical context becomes crucial when considering how sampling reshaped the music industry. Sampling transformed recorded sound into a playable instrument, enabling new genres and production methods while democratizing music creation and forcing new business models around licensing and rights.

Emerging from hip-hop and spreading through electronic and pop music, sampling made collage a core aesthetic, allowing producers to weave nostalgia, cultural references, and audio micro-fragments into entirely new works. Affordable software and vast sample libraries lowered barriers for bedroom creators, while crate-digging and archival reissues created a marketplace for rediscovery.

Simultaneously, high-profile lawsuits and clearance requirements professionalized the practice, spawning specialized legal workflows, sample-clearing services, and new revenue streams for legacy catalogs.

This incredible wave of public domain transitions will lower entry barriers to the music industry, allowing anyone to sample classics and innovate freely. The next few years will bring experimental rhythms from the 1920s and 1930s, but soon rock classics and iconic movies will enter the game.

The opportunity extends beyond music—entire cultural catalogs will become creative raw material. This democratization could spark innovation comparable to how affordable recording technology revolutionized music creation.

Let's embrace this sampling revolution and discover the gems hidden in our cultural archives.

Important note: This opportunity exists only if copyright laws aren't extended beyond the current 100-year term.