Pad Your Holiday Playlist (For Free!)

December 01, 2011

Confession: I started listening to my Holiday tuneage around October when everyone else was putting up fantastic blogs about Halloween parties and telling spooky stories. I know, you’re scandalized, right? Yes, I admit it; I secretly hummed carols under my breath, choking them into Top 40 hits when caught. What? No! That wasn’t The First Noel! You misheard!

I’m a bit infatuated with perfecting and expanding my playlist. A five year endeavor, I’ve discovered that I enjoy odd, alternative, non-traditional, and traditional-revised Christmas, Hanukkah, and Winter Music.

MCPL, as always, is a FANTASTIC source for sampling new bands and music! (I suggest in 2012, that you start placing your holds in September: the odd looks are worth not having to wait to get your hands on new sounds.)

Feel like you've listened to every CD on the shelf? (WOW!) Check out these tips to discover new albums and add songs to your collection for free (and legally, to boot!)

1. Start at the Christmas Albums by Year Wiki. (Don’t worry, we’re not writing a college paper, so Wikipedia’s a-okay!) This is a great way to see a very eclectic list of titles released this year and in years past.
2. Check out Mistletunes (a pretty cool blog updated, frankly, faster than I can keep up with it!) You'll find news about paid and free holiday releases.
3. Band Camp is another great website where famous and unknown groups alike can post and price their own music. You will find a ton of stuff completely for free if you look for it. I will say, some of it is a little bizarre, maybe even too bizarre for me—but rummage! You’ll definitely find a gem.
4. Publicity companies have been known to put together compilations of holiday music from the bands they have signed—completely for free! XO Publicity’s XO for the Holidays is now in its 4th volume and is available for download.
5. Never discount Amazon.com either. ‘But Mariah, you said free? I want my money back on this blog!’ No worries, Amazon.com has an entire page of free music, which is currently filled with Holiday songs of all sorts. You can also listen to 30 second snippets from tracks on paid albums.
6. BONUS: Check out the homepages of your favorite artists! Bands have been known to release songs and even entire Holiday EPs for free to fans.

Forming the perfect playlist is an ongoing struggle. You filter things out, add new things in, listen to a LOT of music that may or may not be to your taste, and sometimes you get so fed up with the whole process that you go back to the radio—but don’t give up!

Good luck to you, and definitely comment back with your secret finds!

Oh, by the way, you heard me right this time, I AM humming The First Noel!

Happy Holidays,

Mariah H.
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