Why writing a Christmas hit is like hitting the jackpot (and why it’s so hard to write a modern festive classic)
Christmas songs can deliver lifelong royalties and chart domination, but writing a modern festive classic isn’t easy.
Writing a Christmas song is the “holy grail”
Christmas music is a huge deal for the music industry. Every year, the same handful of holiday classics top the charts and generate serious revenue. In fact, Billboard estimated in 2022 that festive tracks bring in well over $170 million annually in the US alone. Plus, that number could keep growing as the signs indicate that Christmas listening is arriving earlier and earlier each year.
For artists, a Christmas hit is huge. But for the songwriters behind the tracks, it’s even bigger. A true festive classic doesn’t just perform well once, it gets replayed, re-licensed, covered by new artists, synced in ads, films, TV specials, and rediscovered by new generations every single December.
As Warner Chappell’s CEO Guy Moot put it on Billboard’s On the Record podcast, writing a Christmas hit is “the holy grail” for songwriters. One song can turn into decades of recurring income.
But in today’s age, writing a modern Christmas classic isn’t an easy task.
Why it’s so hard to write a modern festive classic
The opportunity that comes with writing a Christmas classic is obvious. But in reality, writing a new festive hit is one of the hardest challenges in songwriting. Here’s why.
Nostalgia rules
Christmas is built on tradition. Listeners like to listen to the songs they grew up with, the tracks their parents played, the ones that feel like Christmas. That emotional attachment is hard to compete with right off the bat.
Streaming keeps the classics on top
Streaming has changed things too, reinforcing the dominance of the same holiday hits. As listeners can instantly listen to any songs, the biggest tracks repeatedly get played, reaching new heights every year.
At the same time, the barrier to releasing music has never been lower. More artists can distribute music globally, thanks to distributors like us at RouteNote who help artists get their music on streaming services for free. Of course, this is a great thing, but it also means there’s more competition for festive releases too.
Not all festive classics are even Christmas songs
To make things harder, some of the songs that dominate the festive period weren’t written as Chrtistmas songs at all. Tracks like “Stay Another Day” by East 17, or “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong, weren’t even originally festive releases. Yet, they resurface every December. So, not only are new festive tracks competing with songs full of jingle bells, but also emotional anthems that listeners already know and love.
The opportunity is still very real
Despite the challenges, writing a modern Christmas hit isn’t a lost cause. Streaming works both ways. While it makes it easier to repeatedly stream the classics, it also allows songs to grow slowly. A festive song might not explode instantly, but could still succeed long term. As Guy Moot noted, some newer songs might just need time to age.
We’ve already seen this happen too. Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” and Sia’s “Snowman” are now up there with the most streamed tracks each Christmas.
Social media adds another layer of opportunity too. TikTok has become a powerful platform for music discovery. A single viral moment could introduce a new festive song to millions of listeners, propelling it into playlists and cultural relevance.
For songwriters, that long-term potential matters. A Christmas song that grows gradually can still deliver returns year after year.
Wrapping up
For anyone in the music industry, Christmas music remains one of the most high-reward areas of the year. Yes, breaking through is harder than ever. Yes, listeners prefer the nostalgia-driven songs they’re already familiar with.
But the opportunity hasn’t changed. One successful festive song can outperform dozens of regular releases. It can create predictable returns each year, and become part of culture in a way that very few songs ever do. So despite the odds, getting even a small slice of the Christmas songwriting pie can still feel like hitting the jackpot.
Start distributing your tracks to streaming platforms everywhere for free with RouteNote today!