In recent years, holiday music has started making its annual comeback earlier, with streaming data suggesting that people are embracing festive playlists weeks before Thanksgiving. As of mid-November 2024, Spotify’s “Christmas Hits” playlist has climbed to the top spot globally, with nearly twice as many streams as this time last year. Additionally, Spotify moved up its release of the annual Spotify Singles Holiday Collection by a full month to accommodate growing demand. This shift in holiday music consumption speaks to broader trends in digital media and seasonal sentimentality that shape how and when people engage with festive content.
Analyzing the Trend
The increasing appetite for early holiday music streaming is driven by several interconnected factors:
Rise in Early Seasonal Mindsets:
Holiday Music as a Comfort: Amid economic uncertainty, geopolitical issues, and societal pressures, holiday music offers a sense of nostalgia and comfort. Data from the American Psychological Association suggests that people turn to comforting content, including music, during times of heightened stress.
Pandemic-Driven Change: The COVID-19 pandemic changed many seasonal habits, pushing people to embrace the holiday spirit earlier. In 2020, Spotify saw a significant increase in holiday playlist streams as early as October. This trend has since become ingrained, with each subsequent holiday season seeing listeners start their festive playlists earlier than the previous year.
Influence of Streaming Algorithms and Playlist Popularity:
Algorithm-Driven Recommendations: Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms heavily promote seasonal playlists, pushing them to listeners based on timing and preferences. As holiday music gains traction, algorithms respond by further boosting these playlists, creating a reinforcing cycle that pulls listeners in even earlier.
Popularization of Curated Holiday Playlists: Curated playlists such as “Christmas Hits” and “Holiday Favorites” have become cultural staples in their own right. As people add these playlists to their rotation, they expose new listeners to the tradition of holiday music and drive exponential growth in stream numbers.
Retail and Marketing Implications:
Retailers Embracing Early Holiday Marketing: Retailers are also beginning holiday promotions sooner. This retail strategy, known as the "Christmas Creep," reinforces the festive mood and encourages consumers to seek out holiday music to match the seasonal ambiance.
Brands Capitalizing on Holiday Music: Brands are increasingly incorporating holiday music into their campaigns and store playlists early, often before Halloween. This aligns with the broader retail environment and encourages streaming platforms to cater to demand earlier.
Supporting Data on Holiday Music Consumption
Several data points highlight the shift toward earlier holiday music consumption:
Streaming Growth: According to Spotify’s data, the “Christmas Hits” playlist had almost double the streams in mid-November 2024 compared to 2023. In 2023, holiday music streams rose by 25% from October to December, with a clear spike in early November. This year’s even earlier increase suggests a trend of heightened demand.
Playlists Topping Charts: In mid-November 2024, “Christmas Hits” took the No. 1 spot on Spotify’s global playlist rankings. This type of success is unprecedented for holiday playlists outside of December and is expected to continue through the season.
Listener Demographics: Spotify reports that holiday playlists attract a diverse audience across age groups, but there’s especially high engagement from millennials, who are known for valuing nostalgic experiences. Holiday playlists have seen an 18% increase in the 18–34 demographic since 2022, with many younger listeners citing holiday music as a source of comfort.
Longer Streaming Sessions: Data from Nielsen reveals that during the holiday season, listeners typically engage in longer streaming sessions, spending an average of 45 minutes per session on holiday playlists, compared to the average 30 minutes for other playlists. This trend has extended further into November in recent years.
Implications and Industry Response
Music Industry Adaptation: Music labels are beginning to release holiday albums and singles earlier, recognizing that consumers are ready for festive tunes in mid-autumn. Artists who traditionally release Christmas albums closer to Thanksgiving have adjusted timelines, aiming to capture the early holiday sentiment. For example, artists like Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé—mainstays in holiday music—have seen an earlier and steeper rise in their seasonal streams each year.
Streaming Platforms' Strategy: Spotify’s decision to release its 2024 Spotify Singles Holiday Collection a month earlier highlights how streaming platforms are adjusting to these trends. Platforms are likely to continue experimenting with release timing, especially for seasonal content, as they seek to maximize listener engagement over extended periods.
The trend of early holiday music streaming reflects a broader shift in how consumers use digital platforms to access seasonal experiences. In a world where music is instantly accessible, people are capitalizing on this ease of access to set the holiday mood earlier each year. Whether motivated by nostalgia, the search for comfort, or the influence of seasonal marketing, listeners are reshaping holiday music’s role in modern media. As platforms and artists adapt, we can expect this trend to deepen, signaling a lasting transformation in how—and when—audiences celebrate the season through music.