Have you ever asked yourself how much money Mariah Carey earns from her Christmas hit: “All I Want For Christmas Is You”? Here’s the answer!
Mariah Carey’s 1994 classic, “All I Want for Christmas Is You”, has become a holiday anthem. It’s so popular that it’s hard not to wonder how much money Carey earns annually from this Christmas hit.
Estimates from Billboard indicate that the song profited $2.7 to $3.3 million in 2022 from streaming and downloads alone. However, these figures don’t include other revenue sources, such as TV specials.
Exact numbers are hard to confirm because Carey’s royalty agreements with her record label and publishers are private. However, experts like Natasha Chee, a music, entertainment and intellectual property attorney at law firm Donahue Fitzgerald, point out that: “Whatever it is, it’s a lot of money“.
A 30-Year Money-Making Machine
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” has generated massive revenue since its release, estimated at $103 million over its 30-year lifespan and $3.4 million a year, according to Manatt, which created Billboard’s royalty calculator.
Its streaming numbers are equally impressive. Spotify reports that the song has surpassed 2 billion streams globally and has been the Nº1 song globally on Christmas Day each year since 2016, making it the first holiday track to achieve this milestone. In 2023 alone, U.S. streams of the song increased by 49% compared to 2019, highlighting its growing popularity.
How Much Money Does Carey Get Paid For “All I Want For Christmas Is You”?
The music royalty system is complex, with revenue split among contributors such as writers, performers, producers, and record labels. Carey, however, benefits from multiple streams of income because she co-wrote, co-produced, and performed the song.
These multiple roles mean Carey earns royalties both as a songwriter and as the performer. Songwriting royalties are shared with her co-writer, Walter Afanasieff, and the song’s publishers, including Universal Music and Sony Music. Performance royalties, which account for the majority of the revenue, are split between Carey and her label.
Whenever a song plays in a TV, Radio, or a cover version is played publicly, the song’s writers and publishers get the royalties. Since Mariah is one of the writer and producers, she gets some of that royalty. According to ASCAP, a performing rights organization, over 150 performers have covered the song. So, “she’s getting paid six ways to Sunday“, said George Howard, a professor at the Berklee College of Music and former president of Rykodisc, an independent record label.
In 2022, Billboard estimated that the song generated $8.5 million globally in combined revenue from recording and publishing. Here’s how Carey’s earnings might look:
- Recording Revenue: the master recording brought in $5.3 million. Carey likely earned $1.9 million of that, while her label, Sony, kept $3.4 million.
- Publishing Royalties: these totaled $3.2 million. Assuming Carey and Afanasieff split the royalties evenly, her share ranged from $795,000 to $1.6 million, depending on her publishing deal.
The song’s financial success will continue for decades. According to Chee, copyright law for works published after 1978 remain protected for the author’s lifetime plus 70 years. In the case of a joint work like Carey’s song, the copyright lasts until 70 years after the last co-author’s death. This means Carey’s estate will benefit from the song’s royalties long after her lifetime, ensuring its place among timeless holiday classics like Jingle Bells.