Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You named highest-earning Christmas song on Spotify

A new study has revealed that Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You is the highest-earning Christmas song on Spotify, with Carey also gaining the accolade of highest-earning Christmas music album on Spotify for her 1994 album Merry Christmas.

With Christmas just around the corner, QR Code Generator analysed Spotify streaming data from Kworb.net to determine which Christmas songs have generated the most revenue for their artists through streams.

The study calculated estimated earnings per song at a rate of $0.004 (approximately £0.003) per stream. Actual earnings can vary depending on each artist’s agreements, although earnings are typically between $0.003 and $0.0055 per stream (approximately £0.0022 and £0.0041).

All I Want for Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey is the highest-earning Christmas song on Spotify, with the iconic 1994 song netting an estimated $8.04 million (£6.01 million) from over 2 billion streams.

An additional study conducted by Ace, an online social casino, examined 23 of Billboard's top 25 holiday albums that are available on Spotify to determine which artists make the most money from their Christmas music based on streaming figures and standard average payout rates.

Mariah Carey ranks first with her 1994 album Merry Christmas generating an average of $1,145,571 per song in streaming revenue. While the album has a total of over 3.2 billion streams, All I Want for Christmas is You is responsible for most of these streams.

The song has become synonymous with Christmas in recent years, earning Mariah Carey the title of “the Queen of Christmas.” She is also the highest-earning Christmas artist in the study, netting $8.9 million (£6.66 million) from six versions of four songs.

While Michael Bublé's 2011 album Christmas received the highest total streams at over 5.4 billion, Carey's album earned more per song. Bublé's album contains more tracks, diluting his per-song average to $737,210, securing him second place. The most streamed song on the album is It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, which received 1.2 billion streams alone.

A spokesperson from Ace commented on the findings: "Christmas music creates a special connection between artists and listeners that can last for generations. Mariah Carey has built what amounts to an annual income stream that will likely continue paying dividends for decades to come.

"The data shows us that a successful Christmas song or album can be more valuable than dozens of regular hits due to their annual resurgence in popularity. Artists like Bublé and Pentatonix have strategically established themselves in this space, creating holiday traditions for millions of listeners."

Last Christmas by Wham! is the second-highest-earning Christmas song on Spotify, with nearly 1.66 billion streams for the 1984 single, and earning an estimated $6.64 million (£4.96 million). Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee closely follows, with the 1958 hit earning $5.1 million (£3.81 million) from 1.27 billion streams across two versions.

Santa Tell Me by Ariana Grande is fourth, and it is the top-earning Christmas song from the 21st century. The modern classic’s two versions have netted an estimated $4.49 million (£3.35 million) in royalties from over 1.12 billion streams since 2014. Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms is fifth, with estimated Spotify royalties of $4.46 million (£3.33 million) from over 1.11 billion streams for the 1957 hit.

Last Christmas by Wham! is the second-highest-earning Christmas song on Spotify, with nearly 1.66 billion streams for the 1984 single, and earning an estimated $6.64 million (£4.96 million). Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee closely follows, with the 1958 hit earning $5.1 million (£3.81 million) from 1.27 billion streams across two versions.

Santa Tell Me by Ariana Grande is fourth, and it is the top-earning Christmas song from the 21st century. The modern classic’s two versions have netted an estimated $4.49 million (£3.35 million) in royalties from over 1.12 billion streams since 2014. Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms is fifth, with estimated Spotify royalties of $4.46 million (£3.33 million) from over 1.11 billion streams for the 1957 hit.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas by Michael Bublé ranks sixth, with its 1.04 billion streams earning the Canadian crooner $4.17 million (£3.12 million) in estimated royalties. He is also the second-highest earning artist from Christmas songs, with $8.68 million (£6.49 million) in earnings across 20 different songs.

Andy Williams’ classic It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year is the seventh-highest-earning Christmas song on Spotify. The 1963 hit has been streamed 911.4 million times and earned an estimated $3.65 million (£2.73 million) in Spotify royalties. Snowman by Sia is eighth, with the modern classic netting $2.98 million (£2.23 million) in estimated earnings from 744.9 million streams.

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! by Dean Martin ranks ninth, with its 716.5 million streams earning $2.87 million (£2.14 million) in estimated revenue.

Completing the top 10 highest-earning Christmas songs on Spotify is Feliz Navidad by José Feliciano. The 1970 Spanish-language classic has been streamed 694.8 million times and earned an estimated $2.78 million (£2.08 million) in royalties.

Last Christmas by Wham! is the highest-earning song by a British group, with 1.66 billion streams and estimated revenue of $6.64 million (£4.96 million).

The second-highest-earning song on Spotify by a British artist is Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon, with 542.7 million total streams and netting $2.17 million (£1.62 million) across two versions. The 1971 song’s popular refrain of “so this is Christmas” has become a staple of Christmas across the world.

Driving Home for Christmas by Chris Rea is the third-highest-earning song by a British artist, with 480.1 million streams and estimated royalties of $1.92 million (£1.44 million) for the 1988 classic’s three versions. Merry Christmas Everyone by Shakin' Stevens is fourth. The Welsh singer-songwriter’s 1985 holiday staple has been streamed 431.7 million times across two versions, earning an estimated $1.73 million (£1.29 million).

Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney rounds off the top five highest-earning songs by British artists. The 1979 single has been streamed over 386 million times across two versions, netting an estimated $1.54 million (£1.15 million)

Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator, commented on the findings: “These streaming numbers show just how lucrative an iconic Christmas song can be for artists. A single hit Christmas song can continue generating income for decades, which we can see with classics from the 1950s still bringing in substantial royalties.

“It’s interesting to see how most people still choose to listen to the classics over the holidays. Despite a new batch of Christmas songs being released every year, traditional songs still dominate the Christmas streaming charts. This might not come as a surprise when you consider Christmas is a time for traditions, which makes it that much harder for a new song to muscle into holiday playlists.

“Despite this resistance, some newer releases like Ariana Grande's Santa Tell Me, and Sia’s Snowman have become modern classics, gradually gaining popularity from their releases.”

Image credit: Apple TV