Christmas Music Takes Over Streaming Services Earlier Than Ever in 2024
The Growing Dominance of Holiday Music
Christmas music has become an unstoppable force on streaming platforms, with the holidays infiltrating charts, radio and mall speakers alike. This year marks a significant shift in listening habits, as the Christmas Hits playlist became the No. 1 playlist on Spotify in the U.S. this week, with almost double the streams than this time last year. The phenomenon reflects how deeply embedded festive music has become in modern culture, providing comfort and nostalgia during an increasingly hectic time of year.
New Releases Alongside Timeless Classics
While traditional favourites continue to reign supreme, 2024 is closing with a bevy of new Christmas recordings from modern artists spanning pop, R&B, hip-hop, K-pop, jazz and rock. Jennifer Hudson released her first full Christmas album, The Gift of Love, in 2024, featuring ‘Almost Christmas,’ a collaboration with her boyfriend, Common. Meanwhile, Laufey released six tracks in a Christmas EP titled A Very Laufey Holiday in 2024, demonstrating how both established and emerging artists are contributing fresh content to the seasonal canon.
Earlier Listening Trends and Record-Breaking Streams
The Christmas season for music lovers is expanding significantly. Spotify’s ‘Christmas Hits’ playlist has climbed to the top spot globally, and Spotify moved up its release of the annual Spotify Singles Holiday Collection by a full month to accommodate growing demand. Data reveals that holiday season streaming is starting earlier every year—in 2022, significant daily percent change for Mariah reached over 2% on November 12, then in 2023 it was November 11, and this year it was November 9.
By Christmas week, the impact is undeniable. Almost half of all streams are holiday-related, and 75 of the 200 most-streamed songs on Spotify for the week are Christmas songs. The most popular tracks demonstrate remarkable staying power, with Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You landing at the top with 475 million streams to date, followed by Wham’s Last Christmas on 457 million.
What This Means for Music Lovers
The extended Christmas music season reflects broader cultural trends toward seeking comfort through familiar traditions. Spotify reports that holiday playlists attract a diverse audience across age groups, with especially high engagement from millennials, with holiday playlists seeing an 18% increase in the 18–34 demographic since 2022. This growing appetite suggests that festive music serves as more than mere entertainment—it provides emotional connection and seasonal joy that listeners increasingly crave throughout November and December.
Whether you prefer classic carols or contemporary hits, the 2024 Christmas music landscape offers something for everyone, making this season’s playlists richer and more diverse than ever before.