Christmas Music Playlists for Businesses
If you are looking for the ultimate Christmas playlist for your retail store or restaurant, we have got you covered. Whether you're setting the mood for cozy coffee shop vibes or decking the aisles of your retail store, through RetailWave Technologies’ partnership with Spotify-backed company Soundtrack you’re in good hands.
There are playlists with festive tunes available off the shelf tailored to any setting, from restaurants, coffee shops and bars to hotels and grocery stores. Find our favourite Soundtrack Christmas Music Playlists below.
About RetailWave Technologies
RetailWave Technologies import and install wireless audio loudspeakers across South Africa. These highly specialised speakers distribute the sound over 360° using unique, patented technology and create a constant and homogeneous sound. Our music curation is offered in partnership with Soundtrack, a Spotify-backed company through which our customers can access to the world's biggest music catalogue with 100 million songs enabling them to legally play the music they want to play, while the software cloud solution provides full control.
Can you link your own streaming service to your business?
No. Consumer streaming services like Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, and YouTube don’t have the necessary licenses in place for use in a commercial setting. If you do publicly stream music from a consumer streaming services in your business, you are breaking the law.
This is why it is important to use a commercial music streaming service like Soundtrack takes the hassle out of music licensing and ensures all the necessary licenses are in place.
Christmas Music Playlists per Business Type
Click on one of the buttons below to go straight to the Christmas Music Playlist recommendations for your business type:
Best Christmas Music Playlists for Retail Stores
Music has the ability to enhance your brand but when the wrong songs plays in your environment, this can just as well be damaging to your brand. Imagine visiting a show room, and being welcomed by groovy music - what a different experience that would be! And this is not just about the feeling music gives you, research has backed this up too: 40% of customers stay longer in a business when they like the music. More important for meeting business goals, is that sales increase on an average by 37% when a store plays music that fits the brand.
This just emphasises the importance of choosing the right playlist. Luckily, when you sign up for music curation, you get access to many different playlists that suit your needs. These are some examples of Christmas Music Playlists suitable to play in retail stores:
Store Christmas Playlist
The first Music Playlist that has been curated especially for retail stores, is called Store Christmas. This playlist includes some of the biggest holiday hits of all time, spanning decades of the most well-known and popular Christmas music. Think Last Christmas by Wham!, and some oldies but goodies by Cher, Elvis Presleyz and Nat King Cole. These classics are interwoven with contemporary Christmas hits by Kelly Clarkson, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Michael Bublé to name a few. With this playlist you will set a festive and heartwarming atmosphere in your store.
X-Mas Pop Playlist
If you are looking for modern Christmas music, this is the playlist for you. Every instantly recognisable Christmas song by the stars of pop are included. From Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, to Frosty the Snowman to Santa Baby, they’re in there! Perfect if you want to get your customers in a good mood and swaying while shopping.
Holiday Indie Playlist
Some stores are more edgy, quirky or artistic. These festive indie tracks will please your bohemian customers, with songs by Lily Allen, The Boy Least Likely To and She & Him
Best Christmas Music Playlists for Restaurants
The eternal struggle in the hospitality industry is to create a vibrant atmosphere, but not an overwhelming one. There are some key challenges that make it even more difficult to strike this balance.
The competing sounds (from clinking cutlery, chatter, laughter, to sudden bursts of noise, likely due to a dropped glass), all contribute to a fluctuating soundscape. Noise levels also differ depending on time of day, type of clientele and number of patrons.
At RetailWave Technologies we have the right knowledge and technology to strike this much-needed balance. By strategically placing speakers, and adjusting music volume based on occupancy, noise levels, and zones, we have the technology sorted. The next step is to choose the right music genre and tempo that complement the restaurant's ambiance and cuisine. By focussing on these two aspects, we can find the sweet spot and make sure the music enhances the atmosphere without becoming intrusive or overwhelming.
Creating a harmonious soundscape means guests are able to enjoy their dining experience. Did you know that 81% of patrons notice the background music in restaurants? More importantly, 55% value when a restaurant plays music they like. With our curated music playlists, we help you keep customers happy and coming back for more.
These are some examples of Christmas Music Playlists suitable to play in restaurants:
Restaurant Christmas Playlist
With all the essential Christmas pop songs, this playlist include both upbeat tunes like Chris Rea’s Driving Home for Christmas and Britney Spears’ My Only Wish (This Year) as well as slower classics such as Whitney Houston’s One Wish (for Christmas) and Silent Night performed by Teddy Swims to balance it out.
Jingle Bell Rock Playlist
If you’re looking for uptempo classics from the ‘40s through to the ‘60s, including Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? and U2’s Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) and other legendary songs by The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, and Bryan Adams, you don’t need to look any further and put the Jingle Bell Rock Playlist.
Navidad en Español Playlist
South African restaurants often serve international dishes. And if you’ve got tapas on your menu, why not bring the right ambiance by playing Christmas music in Spanish? This playlist includes both authentic originals, as well as English classics sung in both Spanish and English, going from Santa Claus is coming to town in the one verse, to Santa Claus llegó a la ciudad in the next.
Best Christmas Music Playlists for Bars
As South Africans we love going for a drink at the pub. Whether it’s rugby, soccer or cricket, sports games are best watched together and with a beer in hand. But even after the game many linger for another few drinks. Refreshing the music played in your bar and ensuring the right tracks are played at the right time are directly linked to the spending patterns of your patrons. The music you play can bring them in more often, make them stay later, and even influence how much they eat and drink.
If you’re not convinced yet, here are some stats to help you think differently: 85% of patrons think it’s important for bars to play music they enjoy. The general statistic that 40% of people will stay longer at businesses when they like the music playing there, helps in a bar as well: the longer people stick around, the more drinks are sold.
Volume matters too: after the game, don’t be afraid to turn up the volume a little bit. Scientific research shows that loud music causes people to drink more. On average, bar-goers order one more drink in noisy bars than they would at bars playing music at a normal volume.
Now that you know to play music (and at a decent volume), we are left with the question of what music to play. These are some examples of Christmas Music Playlists suitable to play in bars:
Bar Christmas Playlist
Including Christmas rock ‘n roll and pop classics by U2, Johnny Preston and The Debonaires, patrons will be rocking it out until lst rounds are called.
Christmas Party Playlist
Featuring pop icons like Britney SPears, Ariana grande and Taylor Swift, this playlist will keep the festivities going well into the not-so-silent night.
Christmas Jazz Playlist
Not all bars are the same, and if you are running a cocktail bar, upscale lounge or are looking for a more relaxed, but sophisticated atmosphere than your typical bar-turns-club, this playlist will be your best bet. It intertwines classic Christmas tunes with the sophisticated elegance of jazz.
Best Christmas Music Playlists for Hotels
In hotels 72% of shoppers notice the background music, and 49% value when a hotel plays music they like. A hotel should be a home-away-from-home, and what better way to make your guests feel at home, than to play good quality background music, with carefully curated playlists? This Christmas season, take inspiration from the playlists below:
Hotel Christmas Playlist
Wrapping classic holiday cheer in smooth sophistication, this play list is great for your foyer, as it brings a warm, inviting vibe to your hotel. The playlist features legends like Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Norah Jones, and Tony Bennett. It’s festive, but classy, and just jazzy enough to impress.
Holiday Hits Playlist
The playlist name is a giveaway - this playlist gets your hotel guest into the festive season mood with all the big and well-known Christmas zones across genres. Artists like Taylor Swift and Coldplay feature, but also Stevie Wonder, Bing Crosby and Céline Dion feature on this playlist.
Christmas Piano Playlist
If you are looking for elegant piano music to play in areas such as the hotel lobby, this is it. The instrumental versions of Christmas classics will bring a joyful but unintrusive festive atmosphere. This playlist contains no lyrics.
Best Christmas Music Playlists for Coffee Shops
In coffee shops 83% of shoppers notice the background music , and 62% value when a supermarket plays music they like. Most importantly for sales in this critical time of year, is that when shoppers like the music, they spend 40% more time in your shopping aisles.
Café Christmas Playlist
This playlist provides laid-back Christmas songs with artists such as John Legend, OneRepublic and Dolly Pattern featured. Using this playlist ensured you create a warm and festive ambiance in your café this holiday season.
Christmas Chill Playlist
If your aim is for your patrons to escape the hustle and bustle of the season, and to chill out a little, this playlist featuring soothing and laid-back beats will provide that relaxed atmosphere you are looking for.
Cozy Christmas Jazz Playlist
The smooth sounds of jazz infuse the Christmas spirit with this playlist. Be sure to create ozy vibes by playing these instrumental takes on Christmas classics such as Deck the Halls and It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Best Christmas Music Playlists for Grocery Stores
Both your shoppers and staff will spend a decent amount of time in your grocery stores this festive season, and so it’s more important than ever to curate a music playlist that will be loved by both. Again, the stats speak for itself: 72% of shoppers notice the background music in grocery stores, and 35% value when a supermarket plays music they like. Most importantly for sales in this critical time of year, is that when shoppers like the music, they spend 40% more time in your shopping aisles.
Traditional Christmas Playlist
Christmas is all about traditions, so why not have a playlist that brings up nostalgia? These songs are perfect mix of jazz, soul and rock ‘n roll will help shoppers get through their Christmas shopping list.
Christmas Crooners Playlist
Classics by Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole will warm your shoppers’ hearts while they stock up on festive treats. With warm vocals and timeless melodies, shoppers will be transported from your shopping aisle to nostalgia and festive cheer.
80s Christmas Playlist
Say what you like about the eighties, but it was a great era for music. Iconic ‘80s hits from Queen, Prince, Madonna and Bryan Adamas will energise shoppers and employees alike. These hits have stood the test of time and will evoke a feeling of festive joy.
Quality of the Sound
Even with the right playlist, unless you have a good audio solution, you have not reached your goal. RetailWave Technologies import and install wireless audio loudspeakers across South Africa. These highly specialised speakers distribute the sound over 360° using unique, patented technology and create a constant and homogeneous sound. Like the sound of that? Contact us today for a free planning consultation and experience the difference!
