How much money does Mariah Carey make from ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’? ‘It’s a lot,’ music expert says

On December 22, 2024, CNBC published an article by Greg Iacurci on an estimate of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You?” song royalties. The article quotes Natasha Chee, Music & Entertainment Co-chair.

Excerpted from the article:

“Whatever it is, it’s a lot of money,” said Natasha Chee, a music, entertainment and intellectual property attorney at law firm Donahue Fitzgerald.

The copyright for works published after Jan. 1, 1978, generally remains intact for the author’s lifetime, plus 70 years after the author’s death, according to Chee of Donahue Fitzgerald.

In the case of a joint work with two or more authors, such as “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” the rule applies to the last surviving author.

That means Carey’s estate will likely rake in royalties for decades, until the song eventually passes into the public domain, she said. When that happens, the song would join the ranks of Christmas classics like “Jingle Bells” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” which can generally be freely shared and adapted.

Read the full article, How much money does Mariah Carey make from ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’? ‘It’s a lot,’ music expert says.