On March 30 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Michael Bublé, who is vying for Mariah Carey’s Christmas title, sings onstage at the 2025 JUNO Awards at Rogers Arena.
It’s starting to resemble Michael Bublé season.
Over the past few years, the pop-jazz artist from Canada has dominated Christmas music, largely due to his multiplatinum-selling 2011 album “Christmas.” Bublé surpasses Mariah Carey, the singer who has long been referred to as the “Queen of Christmas” and has received at least $60 million in streaming royalties for her rendition of “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
However, have a look at these statistics: Bublé’s recordings, which include holiday favorites like “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” “Holly Jolly Christmas,” and “White Christmas,” have received 752 million streams so far this month, according to data exclusively given to MarketWatch by the IQ Research & Analytics Group of CAD Management, a music consulting firm based in New York.
While Carey’s 692 million streams aren’t bad, they still fall short of the Canadian crooner’s. According to CAD Management, Bublé will have 9% more streams than Carey by the end of the month.
Those streams are equivalent to actual money, and yes, singers do get paid by Spotify (SPOT) and similar platforms. A study conducted by the British SEO firm Dark Horse estimates that Bublé’s yearly holiday streaming success will bring in GBP11.8 million, or $15.9 million.
Of course, when their music is played in a variety of ways, including streaming, composers are also compensated. “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which she co-wrote in addition to recording, is advantageous to Carey.
However, if Bublé can be crowned the new king of Christmas music, what makes him so?
Let’s start with the obvious: He has good vocals. Additionally, he packages his music to have a sophisticated, modern appeal, particularly his holiday stuff.
According to Delilah, the well-known radio DJ, Bublé is a staple of her Christmas show.
She said, “His stuff is beautiful,” to BourseWatch. “He can take a song that’s been played to death, and his arrangements make it fresh but always true to the spirit of the song.”
However, it’s equally crucial that Bublé doesn’t rely solely on one holiday song, as Carey has essentially finished “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Bublé’s full seasonal library, which includes both lighter and mournful songs, effectively wins the holiday music competition.
“The little elf, Bublé, has been very busy.” Bill Werde, Syracuse University’s Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries
According to Bill Werde, director of Syracuse University’s Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries, it is crucial for how people listen to holiday music. For the majority of holiday revelers, it’s about the songs, as in plural, rather than the song itself.
“More often than not, they’re hitting play on a playlist or they’re playing an album,” Werde stated.
Werde claimed that Bublé’s success over the season extends beyond the breadth of his Christmas repertoire. It also discusses how Bublé uses a plethora of media appearances, including podcast interviews and even a performance at the Vatican, to market himself over the holidays.
“Bublé has been a busy little elf,” Werde remarked.
Following a performance at the Vatican on December 6, Pope Leo XIV shakes hands with Michael Bublé.
Entertainment publicist Aaron Crisler of Nashville, Tennessee, concurs. “Michael has done an incredible job from a public-relations angle of endearing himself to his audience and gaining new fans,” he stated.
It’s not a given that everyone enjoys Bublé. The renowned composer Philip Springer, who co-wrote the popular holiday song “Santa Baby,” told MarketWatch that he didn’t agree with Bublé’s approach to the tune, changing “Santa baby” to “Santa buddy.”
Springer went on to say that he likes traditional crooners like Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra better than Bublé. “I was never a big fan,” he remarked.
Others, however, beg to differ. “I feel that he has a reverence for these old songs,” Diana Bernal, a resident of Los Angeles, said. She plays Bublé’s songs on repeat throughout the holidays.
Although Bublé’s staff were unable to immediately react, he has stated months before the holiday season officially begins that he believes holiday music should be appreciated.
He stated, “We should start listening to Christmas music in June,” in a recent podcast interview.
He acknowledged, of course, that it might not negatively impact his financial situation if we did. “It would be great for my streaming revenue,” he replied.
