Every year, starting in September/October, our phones begin to ring off the hook with the same request...
"I'm doing a Christmas album. Do I need to license the songs?"
Many people assume that Christmas songs are public domain. A lot of Christmas songs ARE public domain, but a lot of them are not and require a mechanical license. The good news is, if your Christmas cover song needs a license, we can take care of that for you.
"Well, which songs are public domain, and which songs aren't?"
If the song came out before 1927, you're in good shape. Generally, if the song has been around for over a century, it is more than likely public domain. You can search a public domain database to be sure, or you can shoot us an email to be safe.
Below, we've listed the status of our most requested Christmas songs to help you navigate which ones you will need to obtain a mechanical license for.
Popular Public Domain Christmas Songs:
Angels We Have Heard On High
Come All Ye Faithful
Deck the Halls
The First Noel
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Jingle Bells
Joy to the World
The Nutcracker Theme
Silent Night
Twelve Days of Christmas
We Three Kings
Popular Christmas Songs Requiring Licenses:
Blue Christmas
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)
Feliz Navidad
Frosty the Snowman
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Jingle Bell Rock
Little Drummer Boy
Mary Did You Know
Rocking Around the Christmas Tree
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Silver Bells
White Christmas
Winter Wonderland
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Don't see a Christmas song you're looking for here? Contact us at hello@affordablesonglicensing.com or give us a call at 323-776-6475 and we'll let you know what your next steps are.
Putting together a Christmas album and need some backing tracks? Daywind.com has an assortment of Christmas accompaniment tracks for you to lease.