Mariah Carey’s December earnings in “All I Want for Christmas.”
It’s that magical time of year again! Gifts, fireplaces, baking, holiday decorations…and if you’re Mariah Carey, that means big royalty checks from a Christmas hit she wrote thirty years ago.
You’ve probably noticed that Mariah’s holiday anthem “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is everywhere from late November to Christmas Day. Good luck walking through a mall in December without hearing it on repeat. It’s featured in movies and holiday specials, and dominates streaming platforms. This kicks off Spotify’s “Christmas Hits” playlist, and guess what? Mariah’s festive photo is the cover of the playlist. By the end of 2019, the song racked up so many streams that it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Mariah’s first chart-topper in over a decade. It was also the first Christmas song to reach number one since “The Chipmunk Song” in 1958!
The craziest part? Mariah didn’t even want to write a Christmas song 30 years ago. When she and her co-writer finally sat down to create it, they created the lyrics and melody in less than 15 minutes. So how did this iconic Christmas song come about? And, more importantly, how much does Mariah earn each December and what is the total income from that?
All I want for Christmas = big royalty checks
In 1994, 24-year-old Mariah Carey was enjoying the success of her hit album, “Music Box.” This album would eventually sell 38 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time, more specifically the 32nd best-seller in music history.
At that time, Mariah was married to Tommy Mottola, chairman of Sony Music. As any good husband and record executive would do, Tommy was busy figuring out the best way for Mariah to continue her massive success. Even though she had just cemented her status as a top-tier R&B popstar, Tommy thought her next project should be… a Christmas album???
Mariah was totally against this idea. She thought a Christmas album was something artists did when they were ending their careers, not when they were just starting out. Historically, record labels would rush holiday albums to cash in on artists they thought were one-hit wonders or those who were trying to make one last ditch effort to become famous. It was either desperate or just plain weird that Mariah would then release a Christmas album.
His long-time collaborator, Walter Afanasieff, was on the same wavelength. They had just released what seemed to be the album of the decade. Mariah’s career was on fire. Why would they step back?
Tommy Mottola knew how to use words very well. Being Mariah’s husband definitely gave him extra weight, especially since he was a major player in the music industry. Plus, he had one more thing he expected from Mariah and Walter: he didn’t want them to just create an album full of covers. He called for at least one brand new original Christmas song. It might have seemed difficult, but Tommy understood that creating just one Christmas hit could generate a steady stream of royalties for years to come.
In the summer of 1994, Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff found themselves holed up in a studio at The Hit Factory in Manhattan, working on what would become the album “Merry Christmas.”
One memorable day in August, during one of these creative sessions, they began playing a “boogie woogie, rock and roll” riff, as Walter would later say. Mariah spontaneously composed some lyrics on the spot.
You could call it fate, luck, or maybe even a little divine inspiration. Regardless, in less than 15 minutes they had both the words and music to what would become the iconic “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”
Mariah’s album “Merry Christmas” was released on October 28, 1994 and sold 15 million copies worldwide, thanks in large part to the massive hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
To date, this single has sold over 16 million copies worldwide, making it the 12th best-selling single in music history and the best-selling Christmas song of all time. modern times.
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How much money did the song generate for Mariah?
This brings us to the main question of this article: how much does Mariah Carey make in royalties for “All I Want for Christmas Is You” every December? And what is the total amount of revenue generated from the song so far?
Let’s address the second question first. So far, “All I Want for Christmas” has earned at least $80 million in royalties. Mariah and her co-writer Walter, who also produced the track, pocket the majority of that money.
But what’s even more interesting is how valuable an asset the song has become. If the rights to the song were ever put up for sale, the price could reach 30 to 40 times his annual revenue. Now let’s move on to the first question:
How much does the song earn each year?
On the low end, Mariah earns around $600,000 in royalties from this track every December. In the higher segment, this figure can reach $1.2 million. So it’s safe to say that “All I Want for Christmas” brings in around $2 million to $4 million in royalties per year.
If we apply a multiple of 30 to the $2 million figure, this single song could be valued at around $60 million, majority owned by Mariah and Walter. That’s a nice increase for Mariah Carey’s $350 million net worth. When you add the $80 million the song grossed in total, it’s clear why this track is such a fantastic investment. Not too bad for just 15 minutes of work thirty years ago!
Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has become a beloved holiday classic, bringing joy to millions and earning her substantial royalties every December. Created in just 15 minutes in 1994, the song has since generated over $80 million in royalties, with Mariah earning up to $1.2 million a year during the holiday season.
With over 16 million copies sold worldwide, it remains one of the best-selling singles of all time. This festive anthem not only brightens up the holidays, but also continues to contribute significantly to Mariah’s impressive $350 million net worth. A real success story!