[Seoul=AP/Newsis] Mariah Carey / Photo=Newsis
According to the Financial News, Mariah Carey (55), the singer of the song “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” which has become synonymous with Christmas season music, is estimated to earn tens of millions of won annually from this one song.
On the 25th (local time), the U.S. economic media outlet CNBC, citing Billboard’s estimates, reported that Carey is estimated to have earned between $2.7 million and $3.3 million (approximately 3.94 billion to 4.82 billion won) from this song alone in 2022.
While Carey and the record label have never disclosed the specifics of the song’s copyright contracts, making it difficult to determine exact earnings, these figures are primarily from song downloads and streaming. Including TV specials and broadcasts could increase Carey’s earnings even further.
The media outlet predicted that the actual income Carey has recently earned may be even greater, as the song’s popularity has not waned but has instead increased every Christmas season for 30 years since its release in 1994.
Meanwhile, global music streaming service Spotify announced that this song has recently surpassed 2 billion streams, marking the first time a Christmas-related song has achieved this milestone. Since 2016, the song has consistently taken the number one spot in streaming every Christmas on Spotify.
George Howard, a Berklee College of Music professor and former president of the independent record label Rykodisc, estimated that this song generates $2 million to $4 million (about 2.92 billion to 5.84 billion won) in revenue annually. He called it a “money machine” and “an incredible phenomenon.”
The music industry law firm, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, estimated the song’s annual music sales at $3.4 million, projecting total earnings over 30 years to be around $103 million (about 150.3 billion won). Experts also expect the song to continue generating revenue for years to come.
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