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Don’t forget the Music: Your Essential Guide to Holiday Programming
Get set for the season with our guide to curating a holiday music program that captures the magic of this time of year while reflecting your brand identity, campaign themes, and customer preferences. Rachel Newport, Director of Global Music Supervision at Mood Media, shares her expertise
For retailers, the holidays can make or break your year. Making the most of peak season, keeping your employees motivated and delivering an experience your customers will remember well into January demands a unique blend of solutions and service. Music is just one component of a successful seasonal setup, but it’s also one of the most impactful.
In the rush of ordering stock, organizing schedules, and managing marketing, your holiday music program requires careful consideration. That’s why it’s important to start thinking about your holiday music ahead of time.
“Ironically, when the sun’s out in the summertime is when brands should start thinking about the holidays because they’re such a big part of the year,” Rachel explains. “Many do prepare ahead of time, but music can sometimes be an afterthought, which leads to a last-minute rush around November.”
Preparation also allows brands to implement musical programs that take their customers on a journey that builds gradually from early November before reaching a peak in late December.
“My advice would be to decide what you want your experience to be. Chopping and changing mid-season isn’t the best in-store experience,” Rachel advises. “Some of our clients may decide to have Holiday Pop at 50% playing in November and then switch to just the classics in December so, you can change, but plan that change so it’s not disrupting the customer. At Mood, we can help you define what that looks like. We have systems in place that help you customize your programming to ensure a seamless holiday experience.”
Find the perfect blend of holiday and standard programming
While it might be tempting to play Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” on repeat as soon as Thanksgiving is over, less is often more when it comes to holiday music. This can be especially true if brands want to limit their programming to holiday classics with near-universal recognition.
“The number of holiday favorites that resonate with everyone, especially globally, is relatively small,” Rachel continues. “When you have a more restricted selection of tracks in your program, it’s important to find a balance and avoid causing dissatisfaction among employees and returning customers. But it is possible to achieve that festive feeling without reaching oversaturation.”
The best way to avoid fatigue is to gradually increase the percentage of holiday programming played over time. Brands can soft launch holiday music in mid to late November with up to 25% seasonal tracks, prioritizing winter themed tracks rather than carols or novelty songs, before scaling up to 50% as they enter December. Ideally, you should only switch to 100% holiday music in the final few days to build up to the big day.
Choose a holiday music theme or concept
Planning a holiday music program is about much more than individual tracks. The exact mix will always depend on the atmosphere you’re hoping to create. Mood offers 26 holiday programs and five rights-managed, spanning genres and themes as diverse as Soulful, Hawaiian, Country, and Classical Holiday. Each infuses a space with a distinctive feel, from the warm and laidback tone of our instrumental programs to the pop and soul mix in our Cashmere Holiday program.
“Think about what your holiday campaign is and what you want the in-store experience to be,” Rachel recommends. “What atmosphere are you trying to create? How do you need your holiday music to resonate with your customer base and how are you intending to utilize it during that period?”
Mood’s holiday offering can reshape itself to suit any experience or desired environment. Whether they’re looking for an ethereal winter theme or an upbeat pop program, brands can curate a holiday experience that is right for them.
Design holiday music programs by daypart
Any in-store music experience, no matter the time of year, should reflect the day-to-day needs of a business. Retail stores and hospitality venues attract different customers at different times of the day, have different levels of footfall, and have different expectations of their employees. These ebbs and flows can be replicated in a brand’s holiday music program.
“With hospitality, dayparting is really important. An early morning breakfast sitting is very different to a vibrant evening experience. In that case, you might have warm acoustic covers during the day before transitioning into a more electronic, lounge vibe after dark,” explains Rachel.
In contrast, a retail store looking to keep its employees’ energy high and keep the lines moving in busy periods might prefer a consistently upbeat playlist throughout the day.
Supermarkets with a broad customer base can also tailor their audio environment based on demographic, creating a soothing atmosphere during early mornings when the shopper profile tends to be older, before weaving in more contemporary tracks as the day unfolds.
Align with location and audience
Holiday music should appeal to your brand’s target audience. This can be challenging for those operating globally and looking to provide a consistent audio environment in stores or restaurants located around the world. Each country – and each generation – has different holiday songs that resonate.
The best way forward is to look for the things that unite your customers. This may mean pursuing a more thematic program. Cozy, warm, and familiar songs can put people at ease and encourage them to spend more time in-store. However, that approach isn’t right for everyone; a high fashion brand wanting to curate a specific image, for example, may wish to embrace a program that is more explorative and intriguing.
“There are quite a lot of things that unite us and are recognizable to all,” Rachel adds. “And then you have the tracks that can be incorporated to give local nuance.”
Work with a music supervisor
A dedicated music supervisor can translate your brand, its values, and your intended experience into music, and then devise a strategy on how to implement it.
The Mood team spends months discussing tracks and analyzing current trends, as well as considering cultural sensitivities, to curate holiday programs that have widespread appeal.
That’s why working with a music supervisor on your holiday music can provide a level of trust and peace of mind that is very welcome when peak season starts.
If a music supervisor isn’t in your budget for now, there are certain questions you can ask yourself to help shape your holiday programs. Consider how holiday music can enhance your in-store experience while reflecting your brand identity. It’s also worth thinking about how the music you choose may impact customer sentiment and what they will remember after leaving your store.
Seek solution harmony
Holiday music programs rarely operate in a vacuum. Music is an important aspect of the overall in-store experience, but it’s not the only touchpoint to consider. Messaging, visuals, and special initiatives can all be tailored to work in harmony with a brand’s musical experience.
Music can be used alongside messaging, for example, to forge closer connections with employees and customers. Why not invite them to choose their favorite holiday song to add to the program and share that story to humanize your brand?
“It’s tempting to think of each solution as an item to check off rather than considering how they all work in unison – and that combined impact can be really powerful,” says Rachel.
Ready to find a holiday music program that hits all the right notes? Chat with our team today.
Author: Rachel Newport
Rachel’s career has moved through nearly every corner of the music industry —production, artist development, PR, broadcast, and now brand experience. She started out in production before her love of music pulled her into artist development and PR, where she built a track record securing features for artists across national and international media.
From there, she crossed over to the other side of the industry, taking on the role of Head of Music at national music TV channel Subtv. There, she combined her production background with her ear for music to shape a fresh sound and viewing experience for the channel.
Along the way, Rachel co-founded a rock night and a PR company, and DJ’d the odd club night and festival.
These days, Rachel leads Global Music Supervision at Mood Media. She’s shaped the in-store sound for a wide range of brands — from retail and hospitality to QSR and automotive — leading a global team through client pitches and music programming, helping brands find the sound that best tells their story.
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