Why some music is missing

If you know this music well, you will notice gaps. The famous 1950 recordings of the erhu player Abing aren't here, nor the great Peking opera stars of the 1930s, nor most Japanese records of the twentieth century. That isn't a judgement on the music. It is the law, and we follow it strictly.

Kotone plays only recordings that are free to share: in the public domain, or released under a Creative Commons licence by someone entitled to grant one.

The 1925 line

Most of Kotone's historic recordings rely on age. In the United States, where the site is served from, the Music Modernization Act of 2018 brought old sound recordings under federal copyright with fixed end dates. Recordings first published before 1923 entered the public domain at the end of 2021. Those published from 1923 to 1946 stay protected for 100 years after publication. Later recordings are protected longer still: some to 2067.

So in 2026, a commercial record is clearly public domain in the US only if it was published in 1925 or earlier. Each 1 January the line moves forward a year, and we revisit the records we have held back. Europe and Japan count differently, and some recordings that are free there are not free in the US, so we use the strictest rule.

Why an uploaded licence isn't enough

Many old records on free archives carry a Creative Commons licence added by the person who uploaded them. Unless that person owned the recording, the licence means nothing, so we treat these as unlicensed and leave them out, however good they are. Records we have looked at and set aside are kept in a list with the reason, so they can come back when their date arrives.

What NonCommercial means here

Some living musicians and archives share recordings under licences that allow non-commercial use only. Kotone is free and carries no advertising, so it can play them. A paid app or a supporter tier could not, which is why each track page names its exact licence.

Why Japan is thinner than China

Free, properly licensed Japanese traditional music is scarce online. Most of what turns up on open archives is commercial records uploaded without permission. The largest legitimate source is the National Diet Library's archive of early Japanese discs, Rekion. We have found around forty of its records from 1925 and earlier, free in Japan and the United States alike, and are settling with the library how they can best be played here.