Is Christmas music arriving earlier every year?
New data reveals Christmas music is starting earlier each year, with some music fans willing to get into the festive spirit as soon as summer ends.
If you’re anything like me, you may have noticed festive food and music hitting stores early this year. Peek into my camera roll and you’ll see a photo of Cadbury’s Snow Balls chocolate, taken after I was shocked to see it in my local store as early as September 4 this year.
But the truth is, Christmas is arriving earlier each year, and it turns out the music industry has been seeing a similar seasonal shift for a while now. According to recent Spotify data shared with The Wall Street Journal, listeners are actively pressing play on Christmas tracks far earlier than we might expect. In fact, as soon as summer ends in early September, is when some fans begin tuning in.
So when does Christmas music actually start taking over? And more importantly, what does this mean for artists and the industry?
When does Christmas music really start getting played?
Spotify data suggests the first major jump in Christmas music streaming arrives on September 1. It’s that moment when summer winds down, schools return, and for some, it’s close enough to justify those festive tracks. Although, there are some die hard Christmas fans who dip into holiday playlists during the summer too.
From there, listening steadily increases as the months go by. October brings a second surge in streaming, and by November it’s “all Christmas music all the time”.
Is Christmas music actually getting earlier every year?
In short, yes. By November 1 2025, five festive tracks had already broken into Spotify’s Top 200. Just two weeks into November, and that number jumped to 14. For comparison, only three holiday songs had reached the Top 200 by mid-November back in 2022.
Zooming out further, the trend becomes clearer. On December 1 2019, 14 holiday tracks featured in Spotify’s US Top 50. Compare that to the 30 songs making the list on December 1 2025.
By the second week of December, festive music essentially takes over. This year, 20 of the top 25 tracks on Spotify are holiday classics, with only a handful of non-seasonal hits able to make the cut. Only major releases like “The Fate of Ophelia” by Taylor Swift, or “Golden” from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters can manage to withstand the festive hype.
Listeners aren’t just streaming earlier either, they’re listening in more numbers too. Talia Kranes, editorial lead at Spotify, has revealed that holiday playlist creation in the US rose 60% year-on-year between October 2024 and October 2025.
Why do listeners keep coming back to the same festive songs?
It turns out there’s a pretty good reason why we’re streaming our favorites earlier this year. According to Matt Bailey, founder of the music analytics company Hit Momentum, we like to return to familiar Christmas classics for a sense of comfort.
That pattern was especially clear during the pandemic, when festive music spiked earlier than usual. Now in 2025, that trend is playing out again. Bailey notes that “the traditions of the holiday season, especially the music, provide us an emotional anchor as we face rising costs, a shaky job market, political strife at home and war abroad”.
As a result, the usual classics were hitting charts earlier this year. Unsurprisingly, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey led the way, followed by “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee, “Last Christmas” by Wham!, “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms, and Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me”.
Why this matters for the music industry
For artists, Christmas music offers a unique opportunity. Festive releases give musicians space to experiment with genres, sounds, or even have fun in ways that wouldn’t with their main catalog. Crucially, they can do so because there’s less pressure from fans.
As music manager Jonathon Daniel, who has worked with artists like Sia, Fall Out Boy, and Train (who all have festive releases), puts it:
“People don’t judge Christmas music the way they judge other releases, especially for big pop stars.”
Of course, releasing an original holiday song can feel daunting. Breaking into a space dominated by decades-old classics is no small task. But when it works, the payoff can be huge. A successful festive track can rack up streams, royalties, and opportunities year after year. Daniel describes a holiday hit as “a little ATM”, and it’s hard to argue with that.
As Christmas listening starts earlier, the window for discovery grows longer too. That gives emerging and independent artists more time to be found, added to playlists, and revisited annually.
Making the most of the festive season
With holiday music now stretching across several months, preparation matters more than ever. From covers and originals to festive content strategies, artists who plan early are better positioned to benefit from the seasonal push.
If you’re looking to make the most of the holiday period, check out our blogs below:
- How to increase your artist revenue this festive season
- How holiday covers can help promote your music career
- Festive content ideas for musicians and producers