Inside Music Curation: Merry Clipsmas

Why holiday music still moves the needle

In this month’s Inside Music Curation, the Feed.fm team unwrapped their latest seasonal obsession: holiday music for short-form content. With the launch of Feed Clips, FMG is bringing the same licensed music expertise and curatorial precision to UGC tools that it’s known for in fitness and wellness. 

“Short-form video has become the default language of social,” said Eric "Stens" Stensvaag. “And music has changed a lot in how people discover and experience it.” That shift is part of what inspired Feed Clips, which launched with a robust collection of licensed holiday tracks built for digital greetings, social posts, and other in-app moments.

A holiday catalog that doesn’t scroll forever

If you’ve tried browsing music libraries on TikTok or Instagram, you’ve seen the problem. Infinite scroll, limited organization, and the same five tracks showing up in every video. Feed Clips is built differently. It’s curated and clearly segmented, so creators don’t have to dig.

Stens broke down the Christmas music collection into five segments:

• Christmas classics: Timeless artists like Otis Redding and Bobby Darin
• Christmas carols: Traditional sing-alongs like We Three Kings
• Christmas pop: Iconic voices like Kelly Clarkson and Kylie Minogue
• Deep cuts: Left-field picks, including Kodak Black’s “Slay Like Santa”
• Trans-Siberian Orchestra: Heavy-hitting instrumentals built for drama

From nostalgia to virality

The curation is strategic. As Mike pointed out, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree came out in 1958 and finally hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2023. “Sixty-five years later, so many people used a clip of it that it shot to the top. It’s wild,” he said. The connection between music and memory isn’t just emotional. The results show up on the charts.

That’s where Feed.fm analytics come in. Feed Clips gives product teams and marketers real-time data on what’s resonating, whether users lean toward the comfort of Bing Crosby or the chaos of Kodak Black. “This lets our customers understand their users and dial in their offering based on real behavior,” said Melissa.

What the team is spinning

The episode wrapped with a round of holiday favorites from the FMG team:

Eric "Stens": A Charlie Brown Christmas — “It’s nostalgia and musicianship in one. My wife loves it and now my son does too.”
Melissa: The Home Alone Soundtrack — From 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree to John Williams original score
Mike: Maybe Next Year — “An acoustic Christmas murder ballad that still shows up in playlists 15 years later. 

What curators and brands can learn

Great holiday music connects users to a specific feeling. That moment when the snow falls, or the tree lights flicker, or someone hits send on a video card. Feed Clips gives brands a way to support those moments with licensed music that fits the vibe and clears the legal hurdles.

And for UGC apps looking to compete culturally this season, the absence of holiday music isn’t just noticeable. It’s a miss.

Feed.fm makes it easy to show up for those moments, with licensed music, smart curation, and a Unified Music System that’s built for engagement.

Want to soundtrack seasonal moments with licensed music?

Explore how Feed Clips helps your brand meet the moment.

📺 Subscribe now to tune in next month for another behind-the-scenes look into the world of music curation.