It’s safe to say that last year’s Christmas left a lot of us with a resting Grinch face. However, this year, with call for greater optimism, the ghosts of Christmas past will hopefully not be returning. With Summer 2021 coming to an end, we are entering the stages of swapping the sunshine and cocktails for log fires and blankets, preparing ourselves and getting the stage set for the most wonderful time of the year. However, is it too early to be thinking of Christmas?

When should you start playing Christmas music?

Playing Christmas music in October would seem out of place. However, introducing the Christmas joy steadily gives time for customers and staff alike to adjust. Large retailers tend to release their Christmas adverts around the 5th of November and according to google trends search terms like “Christmas music”, start to see a rise in mid-November, peaking at the 13th of December. For many, Christmas songs are a large part of the overall experience. By gradually increasing your festive playlists in this time frame, you can deliver a build-up of anticipation for the big day whilst also keeping in touch with staff and customer’s wants and needs.

Diversify your playlists

It can be very tempting to press shuffle and let the likes of Mariah and Wham! do the rest. However, you could spend a little extra time this year and think about the atmosphere and tone you want to set within your business.  We now have accessibility to countless Christmas songs in different genres. Businesses can easily mix different styles of Christmas music that bring a unique, tailored experience for your customers - curated by you. Furthermore, diversity in your playlists is not just beneficial for your customers but for your employees too – trust us, by December 31st they’ll be singing your praises!

Offering a variety of music for staff during the Christmas break could indeed offer them a break from Christmas. If you own a café and would like to create a relaxing, quirky ambience, would your employees potentially prefer listening to some relaxing festive jazz instead? Don’t allow your staff to become claus-trophobic and dare to be different with your music this Christmas.

Schedule for different parts of the day

Just as with your everyday background music usage you should consider what songs are suitable for different parts of the day. Caffé Nero do this extremely successfully, “We use music to change the atmosphere so, like all good retailers we split our day into parts… and you can actually feel the atmosphere change. More and more up-tempo as we go through the day so it has a huge influence.” Pablo Ettinger – Co-founder of Caffè Nero. (1)

Christmas music can evoke a range of emotions in us, and songs can vary substantially in their styles and genres. Whilst relaxing festive jazz might be nice in the morning, at peak hours having some Christmas chart toppers playing the most well-known songs could help to motivate and boost moral for your employees and encapsulate the festive spirit customers. Remember: your music choices can reflect your brand but they can also influence and appeal to early shoppers and last-minute-gifters alike. It can also help your workforce to remain engaged throughout the season of goodwill!

If you are going to introduce music this Christmas, or if you are already using music in your business, you’ll usually need a music licence. By purchasing TheMusiclicence you are supporting the future of music by helping to ensure its creators are fairly rewarded for their music. TheMusicLicence covers virtually all commercially released music available – millions of songs & recordings, including the most popular & well loved music, not just from the UK, but globally, allowing you to choose the music that reflects you and your customers this Christmas.

1.     pplprs.co.uk/caffe-nero-music/