Campaigning to the Beat: How Kamala Harris Used Music Marketing to Mobilize Voters

The Overview:

Today is it—it’s Election Day. After a year of intense campaigning, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump find themselves in what many consider the most tightly contested presidential race in modern times. According to the latest NBC News poll , both candidates are deadlocked at 49% support among registered voters, with only 2% of voters still undecided. Amid this virtually tied race, voter issues remain hyper-divided: Harris holds a significant lead on abortion rights, while Trump maintains an edge on economic concerns and immigration—a combination that has even the most seasoned political pollsters uncertain of the election’s outcome.

As we at Beats + Bytes sit back and watch the votes come in (if you haven’t voted yet, check out the information you need to know HERE ), our team reflected not only on what this moment means in American history but, in true Beats + Bytes fashion, on how music has once again played a significant role in campaign strategies, particularly for Vice President Kamala Harris as she makes her bid for the White House.

If you look back at early U.S. elections, music has always been a powerful political tool, especially campaign songs that inspire, energize, and convey shared values to voters. In one of America's first presidential campaigns, George Washington’s supporters repurposed God Save the King to feature Washington’s name, signifying a new vision of leadership. Fast forward to the Great Depression era, and Franklin D. Roosevelt used Happy Days Are Here Again to instill optimism amid economic hardship. Ronald Reagan’s 1984 campaign famously adopted Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A ., though Springsteen later distanced himself from the endorsement due to the song’s complex social themes. In 1992, Bill Clinton’s choice of Fleetwood Mac’s Don’t Stop projected hope for the future. Over time, music evolved beyond background ambiance, becoming a vital messaging tool that rallies supporters, forges emotional connections, and builds unity within campaigns.

Yet, as campaigns increasingly turn to music to help push political messaging in the digital age, this practice has sparked significant legal and ethical challenges. Many artists now seek greater control over how their work is used politically, often objecting to unauthorized uses that imply unintended endorsements. The 2020 campaign highlighted this tension, with Eddy Grant suing Trump for using Electric Avenue without permission. In the 2024 race, Trump has faced similar disputes, notably with Isaac Hayes’ estate , which recently won a court order preventing Trump’s campaign from using the iconic Hold On, I’m Comin’ at rallies after it was played over 130 times without permission. Hayes’ son, Isaac Hayes III, emphasized the importance of defending artists' rights, noting that “protecting my father’s legacy” remains essential. Like Grant and Hayes, artists such as Neil Young, the Rolling Stones, and Adele have taken a stand, arguing that unauthorized use can damage their songs, estates, and brand reputations.

Given the complex legal, ethical, and strategic challenges surrounding music in political campaigns, many of our readers have reached out to the Beats + Bytes team for insights on how music—especially in the Harris campaign—was strategically used to engage voters nationwide, with a particular focus on swing states. To help answer those questions, we drew on data from Chartmetric and Similarweb , along with our own original research, to analyze the impactful role music has played in this high-stakes election.

Here’s a list of the questions we received and the research our team conducted to address the inquiries shared by our Beats + Bytes community:

Q1. What copyright issues did the Harris campaign need to navigate to successfully use music in their political campaign?

Contrary to popular belief, politicians cannot freely use any music in their campaigns, whether for live events or within campaign-produced content. Music use in political activities is governed by strict copyright laws, typically involving three main rights: public performance rights and synchronization licenses for both the composition and the master recording. Here’s a clear look at these rights and their role in political campaigns:

• Public Performance Rights: These rights govern the use of music played at campaign events like rallies, whether through recordings or live performances. Public performance rights allow rights holders to control where and how their music is played publicly. In the U.S., these rights are managed by organizations such as ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR, which issue “blanket licenses” to venues and commercial spaces. These licenses allow venues to legally play any music covered by the license for public performance. However, political events face additional restrictions. Even if a campaign uses a licensed venue, like Trump’s campaign at Madison Square Garden or Harris’s at the United Center, standard blanket licenses don’t extend to political events. Campaigns must secure a “political campaign blanket license” from a PRO, such as ASCAP or BMI , specifically for use at rallies. These licenses function similarly to typical blanket licenses but with a crucial difference: once a campaign secures one, the PRO notifies rights-holders, giving them the option to opt out if they don’t want their music associated with that campaign. Additionally, these licenses are typically event-specific, meaning campaigns need a separate license for each rally. For large campaigns holding multiple rallies, this process becomes logistically complex and costly.
• Synchronization and Master Use Licenses: To use music in campaign content like videos, social media, and ads, campaigns must obtain synchronization licenses for both the song’s composition (its lyrics and melody) and the master recording. Each use requires separate agreements for each right, which can involve complicated negotiations. Securing these sync licenses requires campaigns to not only settle on price but also ensure that each rights holder involved in the song agrees with the usage and its context. If even one rights holder objects due to personal beliefs, it can block the entire sync agreement.

Campaigns often delegate this work to a digital team, music supervisor, or specialized sync agency. These experts manage the complex negotiations and maintain relationships with rights holders, ensuring swift and compliant use of music for fast-paced campaign needs. By outsourcing, campaigns can meet licensing requirements without disrupting content production schedules.

Q2. Kamala Harris’ official campaign TikTok Channel, HarrisHQ seems to have used a lot of music alongside their content. How did that content impact the visibility and overall reach of her campaign content?

The Harris Campaign’s official TikTok channel, HarrisHQ, has heavily incorporated music into its content. To provide context on this, the Beats + Bytes team analyzed every post made by the Harris team throughout October. Out of 75 pieces of content, 31 posts (or 41%) featured full, partial, or remixed versions of major recordings like Independent Women, Pt. 1 by Destiny's Child, She Knows by J Cole, and WILDFLOWER by Billie Eilish. For those interested, we've compiled the full list of songs used in October HERE .

Digging deeper into these music choices reveals some interesting trends. Using Chartmetric data, we were able to see that nearly 60% of all songs used on the HarrisHQ channel were Hip-Hop tracks, reflecting a strong genre preference. Additionally, the average listenership of the artists synced with her TikTok content leans female—a deliberate choice aligning with the campaign’s strategy to engage more female voters. The demographic breakdown also highlights that Gen Z and Millennials were a clear target, with approximately 58% of the audience for these artists falling within those age groups.

Q3. The Harris Campaign also seemed to get a lot of endorsements from artists across genres. How did these endorsements impact her campaign and is there any data to suggest that the endorsements helped Harris make inroads in the key swing states??

Using Billboard's tracker of Kamala Harris' music endorsements, we found that 83 artists—including prominent names like Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, and Beyoncé—have endorsed her presidential candidacy. Leveraging Chartmetric data, the Beats + Bytes team analyzed the fanbases of all 83 endorsers, uncovering key insights into the audiences Harris has connected with through these endorsements. Here’s a summary of our findings:

• The average fanbase size among Harris’s endorsing artists was approximately 66.9 million, underscoring the vast reach and influence these figures bring to her campaign. This extensive network provides Harris with a powerful channel to engage a broad and diverse audience.
• Our analysis reveals that the fanbase reached through these endorsements is predominantly female, with about 61.0% identifying as female and 38.9% as male. This demographic tilt supports Harris's targeted efforts to engage female voters, a vital constituency that her campaign has prioritized in mobilization efforts.
• Harris’s endorsers have also expanded her influence across varied age groups. Among the 18-24 demographic, females comprise 24.9%, while males represent 10.1%. In the 25-34 age bracket, 22.5% are female and 15.9% male. These numbers reflect the effective engagement of younger, predominantly female audiences, amplified through the artists’ fanbases.
• Racial demographics reached through these endorsements show substantial diversity, with an average audience composition of 55.4% White/Caucasian, 19.9% Black/African American, 14.7% Hispanic, and 10.0% Asian. This spread illustrates Harris's reach across multiple racial communities through her endorsement network.
• Artists like Glorilla, Patti LaBelle, Monica, and 2 Chainz demonstrated strong connections with Black audiences, each with over 50% of their fan bases identifying as Black. For the Hispanic demographic, Marc Anthony, Luis Fonsi, and Ricky Martin had similarly strong influence, with over half of their fans identifying as Hispanic. These artists have played a significant role in amplifying Harris’s message to Black and Hispanic communities, crucial segments of her supporter base.

Check out the full data set HERE for more insights.

Q4. How did Kamala Harris’s use of Beyoncé's "Freedom" in her first official campaign ad impact the song’s visibility and consumption? What kind of impact did the song inclusion have in terms of elevating the campaign message?

Music has long been central to American political campaigns, enhancing messages and building connections with voters. From Abraham Lincoln’s 1860 use of “Lincoln and Liberty” to Hillary Clinton’s selection of Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” in her 2016 race against Donald Trump, campaign theme songs are chosen to amplify a candidate’s identity and inspire supporters.

Kamala Harris’s choice of Beyoncé’s “Freedom” not only taps into this tradition but also highlights how these songs can become powerful cultural symbols—pushing tracks to the forefront of public consciousness and, at times, into the pages of history. This partnership marks Beyoncé’s first official association with a political campaign and has renewed attention to a track originally released on her 2016 Lemonade album. The Beats + Bytes team found that, since the release of the first political ad featuring Beyoncé’s “Freedom” on July 21, 2024:

• Spotify streams for "Freedom" surged nearly 9%, with over 7.2 million additional plays.
• Shazam counts for the song increased by 12%, totaling more than 77,000 new searches.
• YouTube views rose by 13%, adding 1.7 million views.
• Radio airplay grew by 44%, with over 4,300 new spins on U.S. stations.

These metrics underscore the strategic impact of music in campaigns, illustrating how Harris’s use of a cultural anthem not only engages and motivates supporters but also repositions an artist’s work within the broader cultural dialogue.?Check out the full data set HERE for more insights.

Q5. It was reported that Taylor Swift’s endorsement drove a lot of traffic to Harris’ campaign site post her endorsement of Harris. Did any other artists make as meaningful of an impact in terms of driving visibility to the site??

Taylor Swift’s endorsement brought significant traffic and visibility to the Harris campaign website. Using exclusive data from Similarweb, the Beats + Bytes team identified three key moments where artist endorsements notably boosted site traffic for Harris (see full graph below):

1. Megan Thee Stallion's Rally Performance (July 30): Megan’s performance led to a substantial spike, with 709,813 visits—up 28.6% from the daily average—and 580,237 unique visitors, a 19.7% increase. This surge highlights Megan’s ability to engage a young, diverse audience for the campaign.
2. DNC-Related Artist Endorsements (August 20-22): During the Democratic National Convention, endorsements from artists like Lil Jon (Aug. 20) and Pink (Aug. 22) significantly boosted site visibility. Pink’s performance alone drew 1,112,984 visits and 950,363 visitors, with increases of 101.7% and 96.0% above average, respectively.
3. Taylor Swift’s Endorsement (September 10): Swift’s endorsement generated the most dramatic increase, with 1,509,086 visits (173.5% above average) and 1,311,033 unique visitors (up 170.4%). Her endorsement resonated deeply with her fanbase, driving exceptional engagement.

These examples underscore the powerful role that artists can play in elevating visibility for essential political touch points like a candidate’s website, which serves as a key hub for policies and positions.

Q6. Were any insights to suggest that supporting Harris negatively impacted an artist?

When an artist takes a political stance, they risk alienating some fans who may hold differing views, a challenge amplified for superstar artists with broad, politically diverse audiences. These artists face a unique decision: can they afford to lose, or are they willing to distance, a segment of their fanbase? For instance, when Beyoncé endorsed Kamala Harris and allowed her campaign to use her music, some fans withdrew their support. This choice led to tangible shifts in her metrics, with her Instagram following dropping by nearly 4 million (a decrease of about 1.31%) and her Spotify Monthly Listeners falling by 12.25% (see graphs below).

However, for one of the world’s highest-earning artists, this dip is likely viewed as a temporary fluctuation rather than a lasting impact. Beyoncé’s enduring influence and cultural significance suggest that her brand can withstand such shifts, especially during a politically charged season. Additionally, history shows that, for high-profile artists, fan engagement often rebounds post-election as audiences return to the familiarity of their favorite music, putting political differences aside. As political fervor fades, it’s expected that fans who may have felt temporarily alienated will resume streaming her music and engaging with her work.

Q7. What key lessons can other political campaigns learn from the Harris campaign's approach to using music, and are there additional ways her team could have further optimized this strategy?

The Harris campaign’s innovative music strategy offers a compelling case study in leveraging cultural influence for political engagement. Collaborating with artists like Megan Thee Stallion, Pink, and Taylor Swift, the campaign strategically tapped into music’s unique ability to drive awareness and create emotional connections with diverse voter groups. Each of these artist endorsements wasn’t incidental; they were carefully chosen to align with Harris’s core messages, resonating with key demographics across various platforms. For instance, Taylor Swift’s endorsement spurred a remarkable 173.5% surge in site visits, reflecting the power of popular musicians to mobilize audiences in ways few mediums can.

Music choices like Beyoncé’s Freedom acted as thematic extensions of Harris’s platform, reinforcing messages of resilience and unity. Data from Chartmetric showed that since Freedom was incorporated in campaign ads, streams increased nearly 9%, with radio airplay rising by 44%—a testament to music’s role in amplifying campaign narratives. Unlike actors or influencers, musicians bring a raw authenticity to their endorsements, making their voices impactful and resonant with audiences. This strategy was especially visible in battleground states, where artists like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry used music to connect with women voters on election eve.

Future campaigns could optimize similar strategies by diversifying music genres, engaging younger audiences through streaming partnerships, and hosting interactive events like virtual concerts with endorsing artists. The Harris campaign’s use of music ultimately transformed it from background entertainment into a powerful, message-driven tool that reached and mobilized voters. This approach has set a precedent, proving that music can be a strategic asset in political campaigns with lasting impact on voter engagement.

Editor’s Note: The Beats + Bytes team extends our gratitude to our data partners, Chartmetric and Similarweb , as well as to our research assistant for this project, Sydney Scott , Founder of Who's Next UP?