As the holiday season approaches, online radio stations have a unique opportunity to captivate their audience with the magic of Christmas. Preparing your Christmas radio is not limited to just playing festive tunes: it’s about creating an immersive, joyful, and memorable atmosphere that resonates with your listeners. Whether you’re a radio novice or a seasoned professional, here are different ways to prepare your station for the holidays, focusing on music, original content, web and mobile applications, and of course, seamless broadcasting adapted to all audiences.
1/ Festive Playlist
2/ Special Shows
3/ Jingles and Station Imaging
4/ Contests and Giveaways
5/ Holiday-Themed Content
6/ Collaborate with Associations
7/ Prepare for the New Year
1/ Festive Playlist
Music is the heart of any radio station, and the Christmas period demands a special playlist that embodies the spirit of the season. To get your station holiday-ready, here are a few ideas:
Christmas Classics
Timeless hits that have been broadcast throughout December, such as:
- All I Want for Christmas Is You
- Jingle Bell Rock
- Last Christmas
- O Tannenbaum (Mon beau sapin)
These beloved songs are sure to get your listeners into the festive mood! They can be integrated into different streams (jazz, classic, pop, etc.) depending on your radio‘s style.
Genre-Specific Christmas Music
Cater to your niche audience by selecting Christmas music that aligns with your station’s concept. For example:
- For a jazz or jazzy vibe, offer smooth and instrumental tracks
- For a pop station, focus on recent hits or oldies from the 80s/90s
- Funk, electro, or blues enthusiasts will appreciate original playlists
- Stations like Chérie, known for their zen and happy ambiance, can opt for romantic Christmas classics
This is the perfect way to dive into the Christmas spirit while staying true to your radio‘s identity.
New Christmas Releases
Many artists release new Christmas songs every year. Feature contemporary music from mainstream or independent artists (including in France) to keep things fresh. This is also a great opportunity to introduce new talents via your podcasts or mobile apps.
Include Your Listeners
Engage your audience by allowing them to request their favourite Christmas songs. This will increase engagement and create a personalized experience. Use social media, your applications, or your website to collect suggestions, and why not, make it a segment in a special “Your Favorite Christmas Sounds” podcast.
To activate snow on your radio website:
- Go to your Admin > Configuration
- Add the code in the javascript code field
Click on the dropdown menu below to display the code:
2/ Special Holiday-Themed Shows
Beyond music, creating radio shows and special holiday-themed broadcasts can make your content more lively.
Countdown
Anticipate the holidays with a daily or weekly countdown featuring festive songs, Christmas stories, fun facts, and classic, funk, or lounge selections. Regular broadcasting is essential for building audience loyalty.
Christmas Stories
Broadcast classic stories, original tales, or listeners’ memories on air. This helps strengthen the connection with the community while highlighting local traditions and shared experiences in town or with family. Consider recording some content as podcasts to be listened to again via your application or website.
Christmas Movie Soundtracks
Dedicate segments to the soundtracks of iconic Christmas movies. This is a great way to create an immersive cinema experience on the radio: from “Love Actually” to “Home Alone,” the hits from these films reach a wide audience. Host games around these cinema tracks, offer interactive quizzes, and why not, a special oldies show on 80s classics.
Interviews with Musicians and Celebrities
If possible, invite artists to talk about their Christmas memories, perform a song live, or promote their latest Christmas album. Whether it’s via an app, in the studio, or remotely, these exchanges can also become reusable content in a podcast or web replay.
3/ Jingles and Station Imaging
To fully embrace the festive spirit, give your station’s brand a fresh Christmas look by creating jingles, station IDs, and promotional messages on the holiday theme.
Festive Jingles
Customise your radio jingles with bells, chimes, or jazzy or lounge soundscapes. Whether you are a chérie, classic, or groove station, a consistent sound identity is essential to define the world of your Christmas radio.
Station Imaging
Record holiday-themed station IDs that remind listeners they’re tuned in to the Christmas version of their favorite station. Add a zen, happy, or even electro touch to suit your audience.
Radio Logo
Add a festive element to your logo during the holidays: Santa hat, snowflakes, garlands, etc. This strengthens the consistency of your communication across all your platforms (website, app, social media, etc.). Don’t forget to also apply it to the visuals of your audio and video streams for homogeneous broadcasting.
4/ Christmas Contests and Giveaways
Nothing boosts engagement like a good contest, and Christmas is the perfect time to spread joy through giveaways. Incorporate holiday contests to keep your listeners excited. This applies equally to radio, your application, and social media.
Contests
Offer daily giveaways: gift cards, cinema tickets, exclusive radio merchandise… or even subscriptions to web music platforms. Link prizes to participation: answering questions about Christmas, suggesting favorite songs, or voting for the season’s best hits. You can also call upon your local partners in town to sponsor the prizes.
Christmas Song Cover Contest
Encourage your listeners to record their covers of Christmas songs, in different styles.
5/ Create Holiday-Themed Content
Your digital presence is as important as your on-air broadcast. Make sure your Christmas radio world is also reflected on the web.
A Festive Website
Add visual elements: snow, decorations, garlands, Christmas banners… If you use RadioKing or a similar CMS, you can easily integrate effects via HTML code. Ensure your application also reflects this atmosphere — think of background images, festive colours, funk, oldies, or jazzy visuals, depending on your station’s tone.
To activate snow on your radio website:
- Go to your Admin > Configuration
- Add the code in the javascript code field
Click on the dropdown menu below to display the code:
Snow code
var snow_img = « data:image/png;base64,R0lGODlhGAAYALMAAP////z8/PHx8ezs7Nra2tnZ2djY2NfX19XV1c/Pz8PDwwAAAMDAwAAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAEAAAwALAAAAAAYABgAQAStkMlJq6Uqa8BB7ommeNbXCUACChejHOAwfGqXTUrd7XwfYoNEQhDacIotRorAUUhGS0LSCAgSj0gcEwQgQAeHz4AgTIRdMK9Mt1Mpxj9c5tpMnTQt0c2lT/JHe1B4eSqFIihlTiUZWx4EQSkhHooWHHQKW0MkFTmYIwM2UGaMCgJOOT2pqUU5hVefM6I7NyYmqh+eJWxCKJF7nJFHXiM6ppQVZDWKI0QJA37QLREAOw== »; var snow_no = 15; // Number of Snowflakes // Browser window size detection var snow_browser_width = window.innerWidth || document.documentElement.clientWidth || document.body.clientWidth; var snow_browser_height = window.innerHeight || document.documentElement.clientHeight || document.body.clientHeight; // Arrays for snowflake properties var snow_dx = []; var snow_xp = []; var snow_yp = []; var snow_am = []; var snow_stx = []; var snow_sty = []; // Create snowflakes and dynamically add them to the page for (var i = 0; i < snow_no; i++) { snow_dx[i] = 0; snow_xp[i] = Math.random() * (snow_browser_width – 50); snow_yp[i] = Math.random() * snow_browser_height; snow_am[i] = Math.random() * 20; snow_stx[i] = 0.02 + Math.random() / 10; snow_sty[i] = 0.7 + Math.random(); // Create an element
for each snowflake var snowflake = document.createElement(« div »); snowflake.id = « snow_flake » + i; snowflake.style.position = « absolute »; snowflake.style.zIndex = i; var snowImage = document.createElement(« img »); snowImage.src = snow_img; snowImage.border = 0; snowImage.id = « snow_img_ » + i; // Add the image to the snowflake snowflake.appendChild(snowImage); // Add the snowflake to the body element document.body.appendChild(snowflake); } // Function to start the snow animation function SnowStart() { for (var i = 0; i < snow_no; i++) { snow_yp[i] += snow_sty[i]; if (snow_yp[i] > snow_browser_height – 50) { snow_xp[i] = Math.random() * (snow_browser_width – snow_am[i] – 30); snow_yp[i] = 0; snow_stx[i] = 0.02 + Math.random() / 10; snow_sty[i] = 0.7 + Math.random(); } snow_dx[i] += snow_stx[i]; var snowflake = document.getElementById(« snow_flake » + i); snowflake.style.top = snow_yp[i] + « px »; snowflake.style.left = snow_xp[i] + snow_am[i] * Math.sin(snow_dx[i]) + « px »; } setTimeout(SnowStart, 10); // Restart the animation every 10 ms } // Function to change the snowflake image function SneSkiftImg(idi) { var newImg = document.getElementById(« snowpic_ » + idi).src; for (var i = 0; i < snow_no; i++) { document.getElementById(« snow_img_ » + i).src = newImg; } } // Start the snow animation SnowStart();
Festive Blog Posts
Feed your station’s blog with topics like “The Top 10 Christmas Hits,” “The Best Christmas Movies to Watch with Family,” or “The Evolution of Online Radio During the Holidays.” This improves your SEO and positions you as a music and radio expert on these subjects. You can also suggest playlists to listen to in your app or share on social media.
Christmas-Themed Visuals
Post festive visuals: song quotes, images of the team in the studio, town decorations, podcast excerpts, or behind-the-scenes videos. This content strengthens loyalty to your radio and highlights the human experience behind the broadcast.
6/ Collaborate with Local Charities or Businesses
The holidays are a time for solidarity. Your Christmas radio can play an active role in your town or region.
Charities
Collaborate with charities to support local actions: toy drives, campaigns for the homeless, donations for projects related to education or culture. Use your streams to relay messages, interview organizers, and encourage your listeners to get involved.
Sponsor Local Christmas Events
A partnership with a Christmas market, a jazz concert, or a cinema film screening can give real visibility to your station. Highlight your presence on-site via your apps, podcasts, or live streams.
Charity Concerts or Virtual Events
7/ Prepare for the New Year
Even though Christmas is the climax, don’t forget New Year’s Eve. It’s an opportunity to offer special programming and mark the transition between two years.
New Year’s Countdown
Create a special show in live or deferred broadcast, mixing a retrospective of the best hits, memorable radio moments, and a countdown to midnight. Integrate varied styles: electro, funk, classic, blues, to reach a wide audience.
Musical Year Review
Offer a top list of the year’s best tracks, according to your audience’s tastes. Classify them by style (jazz, pop, classical music, etc.). This is also a good time to look back at your best podcasts, contests, or successful shows.
Final Thoughts
Christmas is above all a time of joy, sharing, and connection. Thanks to carefully chosen musical programming (from pop to oldies, from jazz to lounge), engaging games, solidarity partnerships, and dynamic web content, your radio can become an unmissable point of reference for your listeners.
By relying on a well-thought-out strategy, a seamless application, optimized streams, and a strong music identity, you offer your audience much more than just a broadcast: a true Christmas radio experience.
