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Since the holiday season is upon us. I thought this list from CdBaby might be helpful. For those who don’t write their own - here’s a list of public domain Christmas songs that anyone is free to cover. So here’s your chance to show off your real band and BIAB chops even if you don’t write originals.
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
Silent Night
The First Noel
The Twelve Days of Christmas
Up On The Housetop
We Three Kings
We Wish You A Merry Christma
What Child Is This
NOT IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN - All below are under Copyright meaning covers require permission from the copyright holder.
A Holly Jolly Christmas
All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth
Carol Of The Bells
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Feliz Navidad
Frosty The Snowman
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)
I’ll Be Home For Christmas
It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
Jingle Bell Rock
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
Little Drummer Boy
Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree
Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Silver Bells
Sleigh Ride
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
White Christmas
Winter Wonderland
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Handel's Messiah
That's GOT to be public domain.
--Mac
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nice list! I don't think you need permission if the work has been published. but you would need to pay royalties. as a practical matter, if you're not making money off it you can probably record any of the songs and never be bothered! 
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Quote:
nice list!
I don't think you need permission if the work has been published. but you would need to pay royalties. as a practical matter, if you're not making money off it you can probably record any of the songs and never be bothered!
If you don't distribute them and keep them off the internet then ok.
Chris
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About 'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day' -- the poem by Longfellow has been set by more than one composer and not all versions are public domain. Make sure you do the old Calkin version, not the more modern one by Johnny Marks (both are lovely tunes).
the Insolent LadEnough small empty boxes thrown into a big empty box fill it full. ~Carl Sandburg
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You can get many of these already entered by getting Norton's Christmas Fake Disk: http://www.nortonmusic.com/fake15.html275 Holiday tunes! It's a Holiday Party-in-a-Box! Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton  Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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Quote:
About 'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day' -- the poem by Longfellow has been set by more than one composer and not all versions are public domain. Make sure you do the old Calkin version, not the more modern one by Johnny Marks (both are lovely tunes).
I think Josie was coming from the direction of making our own versions of these songs and posting them to the showcase (since they are PD) rather than covering an existing version that is protected. But you're right, just because the SONG is PD doesn't mean that we can copy specific versions
I'm looking forward to hearing some PD Christmas song interpretations on the showcase pretty soon! (good idea, Josie! I can't wait to hear YOUR adaptations of as many Christmas songs as you can come up with))
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For covers it's easy to go through Harry Fox or Limelight but I added those still under copyright because those songs are so popular that sometimes people assume they are PD when they're not. Pat that's exactly what I meant - for people here to do their own version of a PD. I think it would be fun to hear people we don't get to hear much on the user's showcase and for those that we do too. So I'm hoping you'll do one and other guys/gals will post one as well. I'm planning on doing one.
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Quote:
For covers it's easy to go through Harry Fox or Limelight but I added those still under copyright because those songs are so popular that sometimes people assume they are PD when they're not.
Pat that's exactly what I meant - for people here to do their own version of a PD. I think it would be fun to hear people we don't get to hear much on the user's showcase and for those that we do too. So I'm hoping you'll do one and other guys/gals will post one as well. I'm planning on doing one.
The year RB was first introduced I immediately made a couple of Christmas carols I liked a lot.. and just before I posted them, a thread like this made me aware that they were BOTH still under copyright! Which illustrates your point that it's easy to assume that songs we've listened to forever must be PD, and which makes me thankful that you reminded us which are which SO I DON'T GO OLD MAN BRAIN DEAD AND REPEAT MY MISTAKE!
Come on people! Let's rally around Josie's idea and post some original versions of Christmas music!
CHRISTMAS SPIRIT-O-METER
Grinch_____________/_Josie
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Quote:
Quote:
About 'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day' -- the poem by Longfellow has been set by more than one composer and not all versions are public domain. Make sure you do the old Calkin version, not the more modern one by Johnny Marks (both are lovely tunes).
I think Josie was coming from the direction of making our own versions of these songs and posting them to the showcase (since they are PD) rather than covering an existing version that is protected. But you're right, just because the SONG is PD doesn't mean that we can copy specific versions
I'm looking forward to hearing some PD Christmas song interpretations on the showcase pretty soon! (good idea, Josie! I can't wait to hear YOUR adaptations of as many Christmas songs as you can come up with))
I wasn't talking about arrangements -- I meant two totally different tunes, one of which is public domain and the other copyrighted. Both are out there on sheet music so check the composer's name.
the Insolent LadEnough small empty boxes thrown into a big empty box fill it full. ~Carl Sandburg
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Quote:
I wasn't talking about arrangements -- I meant two totally different tunes, one of which is public domain and the other copyrighted. Both are out there on sheet music so check the composer's name.
good point. I misunderstood
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I did this version of the Huron Carol in the native American Huron language 4 years ago. Supposedly, there's perhaps one person left on the planet that spoke this language as a first language. Bruce Cockburn did this song in a much faster pace, but the minor chord carols to me should always be slowed and chilled. Best when listened to with headphones. Iesus Ahatonnia - Scott Lake, Andy McRory and Victor Eijkhout Some credits necessary - from across the interwebs, Andy McRory sent me a fretless bass guitar track, and Victor Eijkhout sent me several tracks of wooden recorders that I also dubbed in. The nature sounds are all from the Freesound Project, manipulated and edited by me. I played classical guitar, and synth lead. The classical guitar tracks were played single notes at a time, since some of the chords really spread larger on the fretboard than what I could physically play. I also did the singing and tried not to butcher but pay respect to the wonder and perhaps confusion that the native Americans felt when presented with the story of Christ. There are some syllables which sound 'closed' and supposedly that is the way that they are pronounced. Certainly not a popular Christmas song, but one that has haunted me since first hearing an instrumental version on a Dan Gibson Solitudes CD 20 years or so ago. I owe deep gratitude to Andy and Victor for adding real class to the song. Out of all of the 'experimental' music I have attempted over the years, this one is one of my favorites. I really dig Andy and Victor's parts. I could listen to fretless bass for hours! For the lyrics, Bruce Cockburn has an article on it on this website: http://cockburnproject.net/songs&music/ia.htmlLast Christmas, I did a quick version of Greensleeves/What Child Is This? on classical guitar. http://rockstarnot.rekkerd.org/songs/2011/Scott%20Lake%20-%20What%20Child%20Is%20This.mp3-Scott
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Truly wonderful, both songs. I have shivers all over and can feel the spirit of Christmas. I performed "What child is this" at a Christmas concert a couple of years and it always brings a lump to my throat. Thanks for sharing
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Well done, Scott! Bravo!!!
Happy Holidays!
Mike
Cheers, Mike My Music * Asus ROG Strix G15CF 32 GB DDR4 4TB HDD + 1 TB SSD NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 8GB Win 11 AKAI EIE PRO Sound Interface. BIAB/RB 2024 UltraPak Build - Latest
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Scott,
Thanks for posting these. . . very enjoyable listen.
You should be very proud of both these performances.
Later,
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Thanks for the comments. Where's everyone else's offerings?
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Wow, very cool!  I'm working on In The Bleak Midwinter as my contribution. It's got some lovely BIAB cello on it. But I've got some very pitchy vocals that need to be fixed, so I may have to go back an punch in some parts. There's only so much that pitch correction software can do. In the mean time, here's my Christmas instrumental from last year: O Come, O Come Emmanuel
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I am going to try and record It came upon a midnight clear. I have the backing but just need to find time to put the vocals down…Time is short..I am off skiing in the Alps on Friday 7th right up till Xmas so wont have time to do any music while on my skis!
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
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Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!
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Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
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Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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