Why you Should Release a Christmas Single
Why not? T’is the season to be jolly… and make some extra cash by releasing a Christmas single or two. This is the busiest time of year for all retail businesses and it shouldn’t be any different for bands and musicians. People love Christmas songs! Three of the all time top 10 singles are Christmas songs... Radio stations across the world play only Christmas songs the whole month of December. Spotify users have created over 18 million Christmas themed playlists.
And there really aren't that many Christmas songs. When people go searching for their favorite Christmas classic, your version might pop up. They might like it and feel inclined to check out the rest of your catalog.
If you're thinking that a Christmas single doesn't quite fit your vibe... does it fit Ozzy Osbourne, Snoop Doggy Dog or Alice Cooper...?
So, with all your reservations out of the way... let's jump to it. We've created a neat little infographic outlining the timeline to pull off a Christmas single release in record time.
Full infographic at the bottom of this article.
How to Record, Manufacture and Promote a Christmas Single in 3 Weeks
Of course you should have started planning your holiday promotions in May… but for those of us who have a tendency to procrastinate, here is a crash course in how to get it done in three weeks.
Week 1: Rehearse, Record, Mix & Master
Start by picking out a song or two that you want to record. Make sure it is public domain (here is a list of public domain holiday songs) or obtain a mechanical license from Songfile or Easy Song Licensing. If you wrote an original holiday song - great!
Rehearse the song(s) before going in the studio. Whether you are recording yourselves in your rehearsal space, or in a professional studio, being well rehearsed and making sure everybody knows their parts will save you a lot of time once you hit the record button.
Hire a professional engineer to mix and master your song(s). If you need help with this stage, you can find many studios and engineers online who can do this remotely. Our mastering suite can take care of the mastering for you.
Week 2: Graphics & Manufacturing
Create your graphics using a graphics program like Photoshop or Illustrator or an online service like Canva.com or Pixlr.com. Make sure you use the graphics templates provided by your manufacturing company to avoid delays in the manufacturing process. Place your CD order online and upload your files. Duplication runs are quicker to manufacture than replication runs, so keep that in mind when planning your timeline. Duplication vs. replication is explained in our FAQ if you would like to learn more.
Week 3: Promote
Actually this should start in week 1.
How to promote your new Christmas single is only limited by your imagination. Here are a few suggestions to get your creative juices flowing:
- While you are rehearsing and recording, snap pictures and video snippets and post to your social media sites to let your fans know what is in the works, and give them a glimpse behind the scenes.
- Release drafts of your graphics to your social media outlets and website to keep the momentum going.
- Email your fans once a week with updates on how the process is going, info on when and where they can buy your new Christmas single and when and where they can see you perform it live.
- Write a press release and send it to your local paper announcing your new holiday release.
- Contact your local radio station and ask them to play it. • Update your online store to prominently display your new single and make it easy for your fans to buy it directly from you.
- Talk to your local record store, book store, trinket store and coffeeshop to see it they will let you place a small counter display of your CDs near their checkout.
- Plaster your town with posters.
Now, have some eggnog and pat yourself on the back. You just pulled off a CD release in record time. And next year, all you have to do is promote it and reorder more copies. ☺️
Embed this infographic on your own site by copying and pasting the code below
<p><strong>Please include attribution to atomicdisc.com with this infographic.</strong><br /><br /><a href='https://www.atomicdisc.com/blogs/news/is-it-too-late-to-record-a-christmas-single'><img src='https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0144/1912/files/How-to-release-a-Christmas-single-in-3-weeks_ba165d24-1260-46e7-b3cd-a51a48ee3d62.png?v=1540927417' alt='How to release a Christmas single in 3 weeks' width='900px' border='0' /></a></p>
If you have any comments, suggestions, questions or general input about this, we would LOVE to hear it in the comments section below!
Infographic by Ari Raska