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One Month of Work for One Video – How Nicoletta’s Song Covers Are Made

  • Evgeny Rygin
  • May 31
  • 3 min read

Updated: Jun 28

The COVID pandemic in 2020 hit the music industry hard. Nicoletta, too, suddenly found herself facing the cancellation of over 30 scheduled concerts, studio sessions, and projects. In addition to losing direct contact with her audience, this also meant a significant financial setback.


Determined to stay connected with her fans, Nicoletta launched her own YouTube channel. Since then, she has been releasing carefully produced cover videos on a regular basis. This became both a creative way out of the crisis and a new bridge to her community.

 

Nicoletta Rosellini studio

🎧 The Production Process: A Balancing Act of Passion and Effort


There’s much more behind each of Nicoletta’s videos than meets the eye – from careful planning to technical work and financial involvement.


  • Vocal Recordings: Nicoletta records her vocals in a home studio she built herself. Simple songs take about a day to record. More complex ones with layered backing vocals may take up to a day and a half. In some cases, additional sessions in external studios are needed.


  • Instrumental Production: The music behind the vocals, such as guitars, keyboards, or orchestral arrangements, is performed by professional musicians. Depending on the style of the song, Nicoletta works with different instrumentalists who create custom backing tracks. These services are an essential part of the process and must also be paid.


  • Mixing and Mastering: Once the recordings are complete, experienced audio engineers take care of the mixing and mastering. Mixing means balancing the different audio tracks, while mastering gives the song its final polish so it sounds great on all devices, from headphones to loudspeakers. This part of the process usually takes four to eight days and may take longer if revisions are required.


  • Video Production: Filming, cutting, and editing usually take place in Nicoletta’s home studio. One full day is typically needed just to set up and record, and editing can take several more hours depending on the complexity.


  • Distribution: After audio production is finished, it usually takes another three to four weeks for the song to be published on streaming platforms such as Spotify or Amazon Music.


From the start of production to release, more than four weeks of work are often needed for a single video!


Nicoletta Rosellini recording

💸 The Financial Reality: Why Fan Support Matters


Despite the effort involved, most cover songs bring in little to no revenue.


  • YouTube: Many covers cannot be monetized at all, because all ad revenue goes directly to the original copyright holders. For some songs, the revenue is split. Only original compositions or very old public domain songs, such as traditional folk music over 100 years old, can be fully monetized. Even in these cases, earnings are extremely low.


  • Streaming Services: Platforms like Spotify, Deezer, and Amazon Music provide very little financial return. Spotify pays around 0.003 to 0.005 US dollars per stream, which equals about 3 to 5 dollars per 1,000 streams. And Spotify is still considered one of the better-paying platforms. Since 2024, songs must reach at least 1,000 streams per year to qualify for payment. All earnings are also subject to tax, meaning only a small portion of the production costs can be recovered.

 

🤝 Making It Happen Together: Your Support Makes a Difference


Even with these challenges, Nicoletta continues to release a new cover video every month on her YouTube channel. Each video is selected and supported by her community on Ko-fi. Fans can not only help fund the production, but also vote each month on which song will be covered next.


Every bit of support makes a difference. Whether through a donation on Ko-fi, sharing the videos, or simply liking and commenting, it helps Nicoletta continue creating high-quality music. She puts her heart, time, and personal funds into every release. This is not about commercial success, but about passion for music and connection with her audience!


If you would like to support her, here’s how:




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