{
  "id": 600977,
  "title": "The Success Behind Live Session Band ‘Free Cover’: ‘People Want to be Happy’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/the-success-behind-live-session-band-free-cover-people-want-to-be",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-11T20:23:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Billboard",
    "slug": "billboard",
    "url": "https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/success-free-cover-venezuela-live-session-band-interview-1236310240/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Free Cover, a live music project founded by Alejandro \"Neg\" Barrera and Daniel \"Chompa\" Bracho, has gained widespread success in the music industry since its inception in 2017. The duo, both Venezuelan musicians, noticed a lack of high-quality live performances on YouTube and television, prompting them to create their own content. Their first video, a test run, quickly gained traction and eventually became a viral sensation, amassing nearly 40 million views as of today. The project has since expanded beyond Venezuela, featuring international artists such as Karol G, Los Rabanes, Rey Ruiz, and Grupo Niche. Free Cover's creative process involves collaborating closely with artists to create a 15-minute medley of their favorite songs, often recording the performances in outdoor or theater settings with large, enthusiastic audiences. The videos are uploaded monthly, generating substantial views and revenue through YouTube, sponsorships, and platforms like Spotify, TikTok, and Instagram. The project's success has led Barrera and Bracho to dream of working with renowned Latin artists such as Olga Tañón, Elvis Crespo, Juanes, and Carlos Vives, all in hopes of continuing to bring joy and happiness to their viewers.",
  "summary": "The Venezuelan project has gathered many artists, such as Nacho, Grupo Niche, Ilegales and Bacilos.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}