How to Sync Christmas Lights to Music: 9 Steps to Wow the Neighborhood

While anyone can hang Christmas lights and put illuminated reindeer in their yard, it takes an extra jolly person to go one step further. Learn how to sync Christmas lights to music to take things to a new level of festiveness. 

Your choreographed display will have cars driving by all the way until the new year—but we won’t judge if you keep your merry masterpiece up longer than that. Follow the steps below to program Christmas lights to music. 

Prepping to Make a Christmas Light Show

Before you haul out the tub of holiday lights (and the 6-foot snowman you bought on clearance last year), you should handle a few tasks first. Follow these steps to set your light show up for success.

How to Make a Christmas Light Show That Syncs to Music 

Now that you’re properly prepared, it’s time to learn how to make a Christmas light show that syncs to music. From “Jingle Bells” to “Silent Night,” your choreographed Christmas display will light up the neighborhood with cheer. 

1. Decide on the Scale

If you’re going to learn how to make a Christmas light show, you need to know the lingo. A “channel” is a string of lights you can control individually. You’ll need to map out how many channels your light show will have. 

For example, you might have one channel of Christmas lights on a tree trunk, one draped over a bush, and one over your garage. In this scenario, you would have three channels total, which is a great place to start if you’ve never synced Christmas lights to music before. 

However, you can have as many channels as you want (and are willing to program). If you’re going all out and have a larger house (over 2,500 square feet) aim for up to 64 channels. If your house is smaller than that, 32 channels should work well. 

2. Get Your Equipment Ready 

Depending on what you already have, and your exact light display, you’ll likely need the following items: 

• LED or incandescent Christmas lights 

• Outdoor extension cords

• Hanging materials (screws, hooks, nails, duct tape)

• Hammer/power drill

• Holiday decorations

• Lawn ornaments

• Ladder

• Computer

• Light show software

• Control system 

• Speakers

3. Buy a Light Show Control System

Whether you want to hang Christmas lights on windows or deck out your entire house and lawn, you’ll need a control system that hooks up to your computer to make it happen. 

You have three options:

• Fully built light show system: If you’re new to programming Christmas lights to music, this is your best bet. It’s ready to go right out of the box—no assembly or soldering required. ($20–$25 per channel)

• Light show kit: This option requires more technical knowledge and skill, and you’ll need to solder the components onto the control board yourself. ($15 per channel)

• DIY light show control system: You’ll need advanced engineering and programming skills for this option. It involves buying the controller, purchasing or making the solid state relays (that enable your lights to dance to music), and soldering the components onto the control board. ($5 per channel) 

4. Select Your Software 

The second step in learning how to make a Christmas light show that syncs to music is to select your software. This tool is how you’ll be able to program each channel of lights to dance to music (including fading, twinkling, shimmering, and turning on/off). 

Look for beginner-friendly software like Light-O-Rama, Vixen, and Animated Lighting. Before buying or using the software, ensure it can handle the number of light channels that you plan to set up. 

While some software does come with a fee, you can find plenty of free, open-source options online as well. Just keep in mind that you may need to pay to use their light sequences, and some are more complicated than others. 

5. Design Your Holiday Light Show

You have countless options when designing your show, from a dazzling display of lights to a herd of animatronic reindeer. 

Here are some common Christmas light show decorations and where they work best: 

• Net or mini lights: Bushes, trees, fences, windows, walls, and other landscaping components 

• Icicle or C-series (traditional bulb) lights: Roof, ceiling, gutters, deck railings 

• Mini wire trees with lights: Yard, driveway, window

• Large wire trees with lights: Yard, driveway, window, porch, roof 

• Blow molds/wireframe decorations: Yard, driveway, roof, porch 

• C9 Christmas lights (large/traditional look): Outlining roof, doors, fences, and trees

If you’re too busy on the technical side of things to spend time decorating, hire a handyperson to hang your holiday lights. 

6. Program Your Christmas Lights

Now, it’s time to program your light show. While this is the most complicated portion of the project, it can also be pretty fun. You get to choose the songs and choreograph the beats to music—but give yourself ample time to complete this step. 

The more channels you have, the more complex programming will be. You’ll want at least a few months to complete this step to ensure your show is ready by December. Follow the directions on the software you chose for exact instructions. 

7. Choose Your Audio Method 

A significant component of making a Christmas light show is the audio. Check out the two options below to decide what's right for you.

Speakers

While many people use speakers, you’ll want to do so mindfully to avoid upsetting the neighbors. After all, one can only take so much “Santa Baby” before they turn into the Grinch.  

Here are a few tips for using speakers for your Christmas light show:

• Talk to your neighbors beforehand to let them know you’re planning a holiday light show that involves playing music outdoors. 

• Come up with a nightly schedule (and volume level) that works for everyone to avoid issues. 

• Observe “quiet time” hours in your neighborhood when music should not be playing, especially if you live in an HOA community.

• Buy outdoor speakers that are dust- and water-resistant. 

FM Broadcast

If you (or your neighbors) aren’t too into the idea of holiday music blasting throughout December, you can broadcast your music over an FM frequency instead.  

Follow these tips to broadcast your light show over the radio: 

• Buy an FM transmitter and set the frequency to the radio frequency you want to use. 

• Choose a station that isn’t already being used in your area.

• Keep it close to home—you cannot legally broadcast music more than 200 feet from the transmitter without a license, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

Here’s a look at roughly how many songs you’ll need to fill your Christmas light show playlist for up to two hours.

8. Test Your Light Show

Once you’ve hung your Christmas lights and set up your controller, it’s time for your Clark Griswold moment. (Let’s hope it goes better for you.) If all the lights work, but the choreography or audio isn’t synced up properly, there’s likely a programming error. Troubleshoot accordingly. 

If you run into issues, there are helpful forums and instructional videos online for each Christmas light software that can help walk you through the basics. 

9. Promote Your Show 

Many people go out of their way to see Christmas light shows around the holidays. But if you live on a quiet street, they may miss out on all your hard work. 

Here are a few ways you can spread the word: 

• Put a sign in your yard with the hours your holiday light show will run and the FM frequency (if applicable).

• Post the information on local community pages and social media accounts.

• Submit your holiday show information to local news and newspapers for publication. 

• Create a website for your Christmas light show. 

• Text friends and family and ask them to share with the community. 

• Consider adding a donation box to collect money for a charity—this is a great way to generate local buzz for your show and raise funds for a deserving organization. 

Tips for Syncing a Christmas Light Show to Music

Now that you know how to make a Christmas light show sync to music, check out the tips below to help things run smoothly—and safely—all holiday season long. 

• Get started early: Depending on the complexity, you’ll need anywhere from two to six months to complete your light show. 

• Buy outdoor lights and extension cords: Safely power your Christmas lights by buying lights and extension cords that have been rated for outdoor use.  

• Plug lights into GFCI outlets: Ground fault circuit interrupters help protect your home and family. The outlet will automatically shut off power to your lights to help prevent electric shock if it senses wet conditions. 

• Keep kids and pets safe: Watch kids and pets around the electrical components, and keep them safely inside during show hours due to increased traffic in your neighborhood. 

• Practice ladder safety: Ask a friend to help when you’re working on a ladder, and keep either two feet and one hand or two hands and one foot on the ladder at all times. Face the ladder when ascending or descending to avoid accidents and injuries. 

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro 

If programming Christmas lights to music isn’t exactly your mug of eggnog, consider hiring a Christmas light installation pro instead. On average, professional Christmas light installation costs $400, but you’ll pay more to sync it to music. 

While you’ll save money by DIYing, programming lights is a time-consuming task. By hiring a pro, you’ll free up your time for holiday parties, Christmas movie marathons, and sugar cookie baking. Weigh the pros and cons to decide what’s right for you.