Some critics praised Swift's self-written material and wished the EP had been longer, but others disliked the country-pop makeover of the Christmas classics.

[citation needed] For the release, Swift and Big Machine Records partnered with Target, who exclusively distributed the EP in the United States.

[3][4] On October 6, 2009, the EP was re-released by Target and made available as a digital download on the iTunes Store and Amazon.com, both making minor adjustments to its cover art and removing Sounds of the Season: from the title, leaving it as simply The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection.

"Silent Night" is a Christmas carol cover that is musically performed differently, replacing the instrumentation from piano to acoustic guitar; Swift's vocals are also faster than traditionally recorded for the song.

[9] She then performed "Christmases When You Were Mine" on November 29, 2007, in St. Charles, Missouri, at the Family Arena, as part of her set for WIL's Jinglefest 2007, and "Santa Baby" in Bloomington, Minnesota, at the Mall of America on December 8, 2007.

[18] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic rated the album three stars and said its songs were "all crisp, cheerful arrangements that are suitably seasonal but also faithful to her bright country-pop.

"[20] Dan Maclntosh of Country Standard Time concluded, "Swift is a fine singer, who finds ways to inject sincere emotion into every line she sings.

"[7] In the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Kellie B. Gormly commented that the EP was "sweet" and highlighted the "deeply spiritual" track "Christmas Must Be Something More" as a standout.

[21] David Yonke in The Blade said that he wished the EP had been longer, and selected two tracks as highlights: "Christmases When You Were Mine" ("a mature, wistful ballad") and "Santa Baby" ("a sassy wink-and-a-nod").

[22] A review in the Deseret News by Scott Iwasaki complimented Swift's self-penned songs and said the EP overall was fine, with the exception of "Silent Night", which he found heavy on the arrangement.

[23] Jonathan Takiff from the Philadelphia Daily News disapproved of the "fiddle and pedal steel-flavoring" makeover of the Christmas classics, but praised Swift's original tracks with "the high gloss".

[29] Following its 2009 re-release, The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection re-entered the Billboard 200 at number 20, its peak, and extended its run on the chart to 24 weeks.