Podcast Cover Art Size and Design: What Apps Require

Your cover art is the first thing a listener sees, and it is often the only thing they see before deciding to tap. It is also the most common reason a podcast is rejected by a directory. The rules are simple once you know them.

The technical rules

• Square. The image must have the same width and height.
• Between 1400 by 1400 and 3000 by 3000 pixels. Apple Podcasts requires this range, and other directories accept it too. Aim for 3000 by 3000 so your art stays sharp on large screens.
• JPEG or PNG. Other formats, such as WebP or HEIC, may be refused.
• RGB colour. Artwork saved in CMYK, which is for print, can look wrong or be rejected.
• A web address anyone can open. Your host stores the image and puts its address in your feed. Directories fetch it, so it cannot sit behind a login.
• A reasonable file size. A file of a few hundred kilobytes loads quickly. A huge file can make apps slow or time out.

Design for a tiny size

Your 3000 pixel image will be shown at about the size of a postage stamp in many places. Design for that:

• Keep the title big and short. If someone cannot read the name at 55 pixels wide, it is too small.
• Use strong contrast between the text and the background. Pale grey on white disappears.
• Use few elements. One face, one clear shape or one simple graphic works better than a collage.
• Keep important things away from the edges. Apps round or crop the corners differently.
• Avoid tiny taglines. They become a blur. Leave them in your description.

Do not use anything you do not have rights to

Stock photos, fonts and logos all have licences. Use images you made yourself or have a licence to use for commercial publishing. Directories do remove shows for borrowed artwork, and it is much easier to fix before you launch.

Do not put the wrong things on it

• No web addresses, social handles or calls to action.
• No claims such as "number 1" or "best podcast".
• No other brands' logos, including the logos of directories.
• Nothing that breaks a directory's content rules, such as graphic or offensive imagery.

Episode artwork is optional

Most shows use the same cover art for every episode, and that is fine. If you want an image for a single episode, give it the same size and format rules, and check it in an app before you rely on it.

Before you publish

1. Export the image as a 3000 by 3000 pixel JPEG or PNG in RGB.
2. Shrink a copy to about 100 pixels wide and check that the title is still legible.
3. Upload it in your show's settings, and check your feed shows it.

OnlyCasts checks the size of your cover art when you run the feed check on the Distribution page and tells you what to change if it does not fit, so you find out before a directory does.