16 December: WRITING FOR THE HOLIDAY MARKET

🎄 WRITING FOR THE HOLIDAY MARKET 🎄

### Magesongs Songwriting Series — December 2026

What makes a Christmas song so memorable that people want to hear it year after year?

Every holiday season, familiar songs return to our radios, playlists, shopping centres and family celebrations. Some were written decades ago, yet they continue to connect with new generations of listeners.
But what makes these songs last? Is it the melody, the lyrics, the memories they bring back, or something deeper?

And with so many Christmas songs already written, is there still room for something new?

Join award-winning songwriter and songwriting mentor Jacques Gentil for a free, live and interactive workshop exploring the creative opportunities and challenges of writing songs for Christmas and the wider holiday market.

Whether you're interested in writing traditional Christmas songs, contemporary festive pop, spiritual and inspirational music, or songs about family, love, hope and togetherness, this workshop will help you discover fresh ways to approach a familiar season.

### What we'll explore

🎄 What makes a great holiday song? — Understanding why some songs become seasonal favourites while others are quickly forgotten.
🎵 Finding fresh ideas in familiar themes — Writing about Christmas, love, family, giving, hope and celebration without repeating the same old expressions.
🎄 Traditional versus contemporary Christmas songs — Understanding the differences between religious, secular, nostalgic and modern holiday music.
🎵 Writing memorable melodies and choruses — How to create the warmth, excitement, reflection or celebration that listeners associate with the season.
🎄 Lyrics that capture the holiday spirit — What type of imagery, storytelling and emotion that would make your songs feel personal and meaningful, and how not to repeat clichéd imageries.
🎵 Writing for different audiences — Exploring songs for children, families, churches, performers and commercial audiences.
🎄 The business of holiday songwriting — Understanding seasonal release timing, opportunities and why Christmas music has a relatively short promotional window each year.
🎵 Learning from successful holiday songs — Exploring familiar Christmas classics alongside contemporary approaches to seasonal songwriting.

### Can you still write an original Christmas song?

Absolutely!
Christmas songwriting doesn't have to be limited to sleigh bells, snowflakes, Santa Claus and decorated trees. It's been done.
Some of the most meaningful seasonal songs explore the human experiences behind the celebrations: remembering loved ones, coming home, finding hope, sharing kindness, celebrating faith or simply being together.
And for songwriters in Australia and other Southern Hemisphere countries, Christmas arrives in summer, opening up different settings and storytelling possibilities. How to approach them in the hope of still making a great Christmas classic?
The challenge isn't finding something that hasn't been written about before. It's finding a fresh and meaningful way to say it. We'll explore how to do that.

### Who should attend?

This workshop is for aspiring and experienced songwriters, lyricists, composers and anyone interested in exploring the creative possibilities of Christmas and holiday music.
You don't need to have written a Christmas song before. Just bring your curiosity, your ideas and your love of songwriting.

### Workshop details

📅 Wednesday 16 December 2026
🕢 7:30 PM – 8:45 PM AEDT (Melbourne/Sydney time Daylight Saving)
💻 Online via Zoom — Live and Interactive
🎟️ FREE to attend

### About your presenter

Jacques Gentil is an award-winning Australian songwriter, music publisher and founder of Magesongs School of Songwriting.

His achievements include being named the ASA/APRA Australian Songwriter of the Year 2013 and winning the 2026 Commonwealth Song Contest with his composition Should Words Fail, representing Australia.

Through Magesongs, Jacques has mentored aspiring and established songwriters for over two decades, sharing practical knowledge gained through songwriting, recording, music publishing and working with other musicians.

### Join us for our final workshop of 2026!

Whether you dream of writing the next Christmas classic or simply want to create a meaningful song for the people you love, this workshop offers inspiration, practical advice and fresh ideas to take into your songwriting.
Let's finish the year by celebrating the music that brings people together.

MAGESONGS SCHOOL OF SONGWRITING
Write Better Songs