Get into the spirit of the season with the top 2024 Christmas Music Channels from Brandi Music and Easy On Hold. These channels will create instant delight for callers waiting on hold or shoppers needing holiday cheer. Get ready to jingle all the way with this guide to Christmas music channels.
What are the new Christmas Music Channels for 2024?
Brandi Music, the curator of more than 78 streaming music channels for business use, announces three new Christmas music channels for 2024.
- Christmas Cafe is a relaxed, acoustic channel.
- Christmas Fresh and Bright plays only new releases from recent years.
- Christmas Rejoice features music by today’s top contemporary Christian artists.
Streaming Christmas music channels from Brandi Music can be licensed through Easy On Hold for use on hold and in your public spaces. These channels play the best of the best Christmas music and artists. There are thousands upon thousands of songs, all carefully curated into special channels. This year, ten Christmas music channels are offered:
- Christmas Cafe – NEW FOR 2024. Relaxing soft rock and pop Christmas acoustic and light versions of both classic and contemporary Yuletide songs.
- Christmas Country – A fun, festive collection of favorite Christmas songs performed by country music artists. A real back-home holiday.
- Christmas Crooners – Christmas songs performed by great classic and contemporary jazz singers. A truly swingin’ holiday sound.
- Christmas Fresh and Bright—NEW FOR 2024. Christmas songs performed by top pop artists from the 2010s to today keep the season fresh and bright every year.
- Christmas Holiday Pop—Pop artists from decades past to today perform classic and new Christmas favorites. It’s always a big holiday favorite.
- Christmas Instrumentals – A blend of crossover, smooth jazz, jazz, and new age. Your perfect instrumental background music for the holidays.
- Christmas Peaceful Instrumentals – Sweet and soothing Christmas Instrumentals that are perfect for unwinding during the hectic shopping season.
- Christmas R&B – Your favorite R&B artists celebrate the season with a wide variety of tunes and tempos from the 60s through today.
- Christmas Rejoice – NEW FOR 2024. Modern takes on classic and contemporary Christmas songs performed by the hottest artists in contemporary Christian music.
- Christmas Sacred – Carols and hymns of Christmas by your favorite artists. Enjoy the religious spirit and meaning of the blessed holiday.
Licensed Music Channel Guide available for downloading
Phone on hold Christmas Music Channels
There are two types of Christmas music for phone-on-hold use: licensed music tracks and live streams. What’s the difference?
Hold music files, properly licensed
Licensed music tracks are needed for phone platforms that can’t use streaming hold music. When properly licensed, stock music tracks, MP3s, or audio files can be copied, downloaded, and uploaded onto your phone platform. Music copyright law is very prohibitive when it comes to making physical (mechanical) copies of music, so it’s important to be sure proper licenses are in place. Playing music that’s not licensed for phone on hold can lead to fines.
A common question is, “Can I play recordings of traditional Christmas holiday music that is in the public domain?” No. Some entity, such as a record company, always owns the recordings for public domain songs that have been distributed via MP3, audio CD, and the like. At the end of the day, you’re not saving time or money by do-it-yourself solutions. Here are some categories of Christmas and holiday songs offered by Easy On Hold:
- Christmas Acoustic – Guitar, cello, strings; Silent Night, The First Noel and other traditional songs
- Christmas Contemporary – An eclectic mix of more contemporary Christmas sounds
- Christmas Guitars – Acoustic and Electric guitar performances of well-known carols
- Christmas Jazz – Jazzy swing ensembles play mostly upbeat arrangements
- Christmas Orchestral – Quartets plus rich and dramatic orchestrations
- Christmas Peaceful – Soft and creative, melodic and emotional carols
- Christmas Piano – Renowned pianist Jim Brickman is featured
- Christmas Vocals – Various styles of well-known Christmas songs, beautifully sung
- Holiday – Secular songs for the season: Deck the Hall, Auld Lang Syne, Jingle Bells
- Holiday Contemporary – Rock and pop arrangements of Jingle Bells, Holly and the Ivy, etc.
- Holiday Jazz – Traditional swing and smooth jazz renditions
- Manheim Steamroller Christmas – The famous Christmas instrumentals that are among the most popular ever produced
Samples – listen to these Christmas music on hold tracks
Christmas Orchestral – We Wish You A Merry Christmas
Holiday Jazz – Auld Lang Syne
Christmas Piano by Jim Brickman – Joy To The World
Christmas Acoustic – Angels We Have Heard On High
Streaming Christmas music channels
When to start playing Christmas Music Channels
There seem to be two schools of thought on when to start playing Christmas music in your store, restaurant, office, etc. One says, “If it’s November, game on!” The other says, “Wait until Thanksgiving Day to play Christmas music.”
“We start with 50% holiday music and then switch to 100% holiday music on Black Friday until Christmas Day,” – Scott Devine, Macy’s vice president of visual marketing
Some retailers may want to start early, as research confirms that Christmas background music in retail environments entices shoppers to consider festive items and gift purchases, leading to higher spending. Learn more about how Christmas background music helps retailers.
The tradition of Christmas music has deep roots, tracing back to the early centuries of Christianity when carols were first sung to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Initially, these songs were religious hymns, often performed in churches during services. Christmas music began to gain popularity in a secular sense during the early 20th century, particularly around the time of the Great Depression. This period saw the emergence of many U.S. songs that focused on the more secular aspects of the holiday, such as winter scenes, Santa Claus, and festive celebrations, rather than explicitly religious themes. Songs like “Jingle Bells” (written in 1857) and “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” (1934) are examples of early secular Christmas songs that became widely popular.
What makes Christmas music so appealing?
The rise of satellite and internet radio in the late 20th and early 21st centuries allowed for the creation of dedicated Christmas music channels. Personal streaming music platforms allow users to build their own Christmas music channels. However, these streams cannot legally be used for commercial purposes. We recommend Easy On Hold and Brandi Music for legal music for business services.
Influences of radio and TV on Christmas music
In the 20th century, Christmas music found a new platform: radio. The introduction of television in the 1950s further expanded the reach of Christmas music, with shows and specials featuring beloved songs and performances that became ingrained in popular culture.
Radio and TV stars, including Bing Crosby and Perry Como, popularized Christmas music in the mid-20th century.
Benefits of Listening to Christmas Music Channels
Of course, there’s that warm, nostalgic feeling Christmas music brings. Such feelings evoke emotions and stir memories. Christmas music, in particular, can transport listeners back to cherished moments spent with family and friends. This emotional connection helps reinforce the sense of community and togetherness that are at the heart of the holidays.
Moreover, listening to Christmas music channels can help alleviate stress during what can be a hectic time of year. Shoppers find themselves comforted by holiday music, allowing them to unwind and embrace the merry moods of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year.
We should feel lucky to live in a time of music-streaming technology! With so many Christmas music channels available, your business can easily create the perfect soundtrack for a festive atmosphere that will also lead to profits!
