Skip to main content

From Paul McCartney to Mariah Carey, this is the best holiday music

If you’re looking to snuggle up with a cup of eggnog by the fire, you need the perfect soundtrack to take you to full holiday bliss. But with so many middling covers, terrible originals, and generally corny tunes in the genre, it can be tough to find the kind of music that will really put you in the holiday spirit.

Never fear: We’ve scoured the web and our editorial staff for the best holiday music of all time. From jazz-tinged holiday classics to modern pop masterpieces — with everything in between — our holiday playlist is sure to bring about some seasonal cheer, no matter what your taste in music is.

Above, you’ll find our annually updated playlist with the best holiday music to stream in 2018. Speaking of which, if you’re a fan of great new playlists, don’t forget to subscribe to our Spotify page for the playlist of our weekly picks, as well as numerous other exciting musical compilations.

Not sure which streaming service is best for you? Check out our post about the best music streaming services, or go in-depth and learn the differences between Apple Music and Spotify to better weigh your options.

In need of some fresh gear to listen to your favorite tunes? We’ve got you covered there, too. Whether you’re in the market for the best Bluetooth speakers, an affordable and great-sounding pair of headphones, or a gorgeous high-fidelity pair of speakers for a dedicated listening room, we checked out all of the finest audio gear on the market and can give you solid recommendations no matter your listening habits.

And don’t stop with just the best holiday music. We also have lists of the best Netflix movies and best Netflix shows to stream, as well as what’s new on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO, providing you with plenty of brand-new media to binge watch, should you get the urge.

Heck, while you’re curled up by the fire and jamming out, check out our annual Holiday Gift Guide, which is sure to give you some great ideas to celebrate your family and friends this winter season.

Parker Hall
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Parker Hall is a writer and musician from Portland, OR. He is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin…
How to download music from Spotify for offline listening
How to download music and podcasts from Spotify: The downloads folder.

If you're a Spotify Premium user paying that premium Spotify fee, chances are you've taken at least some time curating playlists, liking songs, and using the platform's easy-to-use (and recently revamped) user interface to discover new and old music.

But sometimes all that music or your favorite podcasts aren't available if you find yourself without an internet connection to stream them from — like on a long plane ride or weekend camping trip in the sticks. That's where Spotify's offline listening feature comes in handy, allowing you to download playlists, albums, and podcasts through its desktop and mobile apps so you can still rock out while you're off the grid.

Read more
How to switch from Spotify to Apple Music
Spotify and Apple Music transfer on a smartphone.

Spotify is the world's most popular music streaming service for a reason. It has a massive catalog of music and podcasts, is full of cool music discovery and sharing features, and is really easy to use.
However, with its recent price increase and the fact that it still hasn't joined most of its peers in offering a hi-res audio quality option, you may be considering jumping ship for its closest competitor, Apple Music, which counts lossless hi-res tracks, mind-bending spatial audio, Dolby Atmos Music tracks, and a catalog that rivals Spotify's among the many attractive reasons to switch.

But there's one problem: you’ve spent a lot of time creating playlists and marking songs and albums as your favorites in Spotify. Is it worth the switch? Will all that hard work be lost in translation?

Read more
The best laptops for music production, chosen by experts
best laptops for music production

The world has gone pretty far when it comes to the processing power that we carry around with us, and if you're big into music production, then you're the luckiest of all. Some of the best laptops on the market have high-end CPUs for relatively low prices, which means that if you want to do music production on a laptop, you have a huge number of choices. Of course, that does also mean that it can be hard to navigate and pick the best laptop for your budget and needs, which is why we've done the legwork for you. We've collected our favorite picks below in various categories so that you can pick them with ease. Plus, we've even thrown in a quick guide on what to look for so that if you don't find what you want here, you can check out these other laptop deals for alternatives.
The Best Laptops for Music Production

Best overall laptop for music production:
Best Windows device for music production:
Best portable laptop for music production:
Best large-screen laptop for music production:
Best for 2-in-1 laptop for music production:

Read more