Your podcast’s cover art is the first thing potential listeners see, so it’s important to get it right. Like a book cover or movie poster, it sets the tone and can make a big difference in whether someone decides to give your show a listen or mindlessly scroll past.
But creating great cover art isn’t as simple as choosing a template; it’s about making sure it reflects your podcast’s style and stands out against the increasingly saturated podcast landscape.
The good news is that you don’t have to be a pro designer to create effective podcast art. With the right approach and a bit of attention to detail, you can craft cover art that reflects your podcast’s brand and draws in the right listeners.
To help you do just that, check out our complete guide for podcasters, which includes:
- Sizing requirements
- Design tips
- Examples of podcasts doing it right
- Design platforms and websites with templates
Podcast cover art sizing
When launching your podcast, you’ll want to distribute it across multiple platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and possibly even YouTube. Each platform has specific size requirements for cover art, meaning a one-size-fits-all approach won’t always work.
If you don’t optimize your artwork accordingly, you risk awkward cropping, pixelation, or poor-quality visuals that can diminish your podcast’s professionalism.
Most podcast hosting platforms will have you upload your show’s cover art and episode art directly to the platform, so you won’t need to resize across listening apps. However, not all platforms will do this for YouTube Podcasts, so you’ll want to be aware of their specifications.
Here’s a breakdown of the key specifications for major podcast platforms:
Apple Podcasts cover art requirements
- Size: 3000 x 3000 pixels
- Format: JPEG or PNG
- Resolution: 72 dpi
- Aspect Ratio: 1:1 (square)
- Color Space: RGB
Spotify podcast cover art requirements
- Size: Between 640 x 640 pixels and 10,000 x 10,000 pixels
- Format: JPEG, PNG, or TIFF
- Resolution: Highest possible
- Aspect Ratio: 1:1 (square)
- Color Space: RGB
YouTube podcast artwork requirements
- Size: 1280 x 1280 pixels
- Format: JPEG, PNG, or GIF
- Resolution: High-quality
- Aspect Ratio: 1:1 (square)
- Color Space: RGB
If you’re not uploading via a standard RSS feed, you’ll want to be aware of the requirements for YouTube thumbnails, which are:
- Size: 1280 x 720 pixels, with a minimum width requirement of 640 pixels.
- Aspect Ratios: 16:9
Consider your content
Before diving into the design process, take a step back and define what your podcast is about. Your cover art should visually capture the essence of your show — its topic, tone, personality, and value proposition.
Your podcast’s cover art is likely a listeners’ first impression of your show, so this is your opportunity to give them a glimpse of what to expect.
A strong cover design aligns with the core identity of your podcast. If your show is personality-driven and features a well-known host, it may make sense to highlight that. Or if you have a podcast logo or image/motif central to your content, then it makes sense to feature that in the heart of your design.
For example, SmartLess, hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett, features a playful, illustrated version of the trio, emphasizing the humor and camaraderie that define their conversations. Similarly, Michelle Obama’s podcast prominently showcases a warm and inviting portrait of the former First Lady, reflecting the show’s personal and insightful nature.
If your podcast centers around a specific niche, industry, or topic, the imagery should reinforce that theme. Take Crime Junkie, for instance, which uses dark, mysterious tones to evoke intrigue and suspense, mirroring the true crime genre.
For branded podcasts, incorporating brand elements — like company colors, logos, or fonts — can be an effective strategy. A Better Way to Money keeps it simple and sleek, using Northwestern’s signature colors and typography to reinforce its credibility and establish brand recognition right off the bat.
Think of your listeners
Now it’s time to think about who will be listening to your show. Understanding your audience allows you to create cover art that resonates with them and captures their attention amidst the 5 million other podcasts available.
Developing a listener persona is a valuable step in this process. Saying you’re speaking to “middle-aged, educated women” isn’t enough. Consider these attributes when defining your ideal podcast listener:
- Demographic details – like age, gender, location
- Pain points
- Lifestyle
- Motivations
- Social media habits and preferences
- Online and offline interests
- Hobbies
- Income
- Education
- Market size
Trying to cater your cover art to a broad audience may seem like a good strategy, but it can lead to generic artwork that fails to stand out. Instead, honing in on a specific listener profile allows you to craft visuals that will immediately appeal to your target audience (and then your show’s content will entice them to stick around).
For example, if your podcast caters to young creatives, using bold colors and dynamic typography may help convey energy and innovation. On the other hand, a finance or leadership podcast aimed at professionals might benefit from a sleek, minimalistic design that signals credibility and expertise.
Test your design for scalability
Podcast listeners access shows across a variety of devices, from smartphones and tablets to desktop computers and smart speakers. Your cover art must be versatile enough to look great across all screen sizes and resolutions.
Additionally, your podcast’s branding will likely extend beyond listening apps. You might use your cover art in several other formats, such as:
- Social media profile pictures and posts (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn)
- YouTube thumbnails
- Website banners and blog features
- Email newsletters
To ensure readability and clarity, use a large, bold font that remains legible even when scaled down. A good practice is to test your cover art at a small size, such as 55x55 pixels, to confirm that all elements remain distinct and recognizable.
For instance, take a look at the Spotify Podcast Charts. You can see just how small podcast cover art can get, which covers stand out, and what elements are hard to distinguish.
Don’t overcrowd your podcast cover art
Simplicity is key when it comes to designing podcast cover art. We understand the temptation to want to reveal more about your show, but these details will just get lost or even risk overwhelming the listener.
Instead, we suggest focusing on one or two core elements — like a bold image or clear typography — to make a lasting impression.
A great example of minimalism in podcast cover art is The Daily by The New York Times, which utilizes a bold, gradient background with simple yet striking typography to create an instantly recognizable look.
To maintain clarity across different platforms, keep these design principles in mind:
- Limit text: Aim for five words or fewer to ensure readability
- Use negative space wisely: Avoid cramming too many elements together
- Stick to a few colors: Choose two or three primary colors for a clean aesthetic
- Avoid excessive details: Intricate designs may become unclear when scaled down
- Leave space at the bottom: The bottom fifth of your cover may be obstructed by play buttons in podcast directories, so avoid placing critical text there
Don’t discount the color wheel
Color is one of the most powerful tools in design, setting the tone for your podcast and subtly communicating its personality to potential listeners. Whether you want your cover art to feel energetic, calming, authoritative, or fun, your color choices play a major role in achieving that effect.
Understanding color relationships
Let’s take it back to elementary school art class. Yes, the color wheel.
A great way to select a strong color palette is by using the color wheel, which helps designers create visually appealing and meaningful combinations. Here are three key approaches:
- Analogous colors: These are colors that sit next to each other on the color wheel and create a sense of harmony. They’re often found in nature, making them feel balanced and professional. For example, the podcast HBR IdeaCast uses shades of blue and green, reinforcing its reputation as a trusted source of business insights.
- Complementary colors: Colors that sit opposite each other on the wheel provide a high-contrast, attention-grabbing effect. This is ideal for shows with bold, dynamic personalities. The Office Ladies podcast places the hosts in blue and orange, making the cover art pop while maintaining a fun and inviting feel.
- Triadic colors: This involves three evenly spaced colors on the wheel, creating a balanced but vibrant look. The Sporkful, a podcast about food, uses a mix of red, yellow, and blue to convey energy, excitement, and playfulness.
The psychology of color
Different colors evoke different emotions and associations, so it’s important to align your choices with the mood and message of your podcast.
- Warm colors (red, orange, yellow): These convey energy, passion, and excitement. A true-crime podcast like Crime Junkie might use deep red to evoke urgency and intrigue.
- Cool colors (blue, green, purple): These create a sense of calm, trust, and sophistication. A wellness podcast like Calm Pills uses soft blue tones to reinforce relaxation and mindfulness.
- Neutral colors (black, white, gray, beige): These exude professionalism and timelessness. Many business and finance podcasts, such as From Dollar One, use minimalistic dark/neutral tone designs to convey authority and clarity.
Closing notes on colour schemes
For branded podcasts, sticking to your company’s established color scheme reinforces brand identity and consistency across marketing materials. If you’re starting fresh, opt for colors that stand out and provide contrast to ensure your cover art remains eye-catching across different platforms.
Here are a few practical tips:
- Avoid using too many colors: Stick to two or three primary shades for a cleaner look
- Contrast: Ensure text contrasts well against the background for readability
- Gradients or subtle textures: This adds depth without overwhelming the design
- Dark Mode: See how your design looks against a dark background to make sure it appeals to audiences in Dark Mode
Make your podcast cover art text clear and readable
Too much text can make your podcast cover art appear cluttered and hard to read — especially in smaller formats like mobile podcast directories. To keep your design clean and effective, follow a minimalist approach, prioritizing only the most essential text elements:
- Podcast title: The focal point of your design, ensuring it’s highly readable
- Social proof elements or logos: If applicable, add a small logo or award badge to build credibility
- A tagline (if relevant): A brief, catchy phrase can reinforce your podcast’s theme
- Host name(s): If the host has name recognition, including it can add value
Your podcast title should be the most prominent text element, with supporting elements that complement rather than compete. However, don’t feel pressured to include every possible text element.
If the host isn’t widely recognized, it’s better to prioritize a strong title and visual design. You can always incorporate the host’s name in future iterations as your podcast grows in popularity.
Choosing the right font
A key part of displaying the above information is choosing the right font.
Regardless of whether your font is bold and modern or decorative and stylized, readability is key. Here are some font tips for maximizing readability in podcast artwork:
- Sans-serif fonts: Clean, modern, and highly legible (e.g., Montserrat, Open Sans, or Futura).
- Serif fonts: Can add sophistication, but should be used sparingly to maintain clarity (e.g., Playfair Display or Merriweather).
- Handwritten or decorative fonts: Can work well if they align with your podcast’s theme, but should remain easy to read (e.g., Pacifico for a casual feel, or Bebas Neue for a bold statement).
While this may seem limiting, readable fonts do have a lot of variation. For example, The True Crime Garage uses a gritty, stencil-like font that fits its crime theme, making it instantly recognizable. Meanwhile, How I Built This with Guy Raz keeps it simple with a bold, easy-to-read font, ensuring clarity at any size.
Resources for creating podcast cover art
Now that you understand a bit more about what goes into creating podcast cover art that stands out, let’s dive into some tools that can help you bring your cover art to life – regardless of your budget.
DIY design tools
If you’re creating your cover art on a budget, there are many beginner-friendly graphic design tools available. These platforms offer customizable templates, drag-and-drop features, and stock images to make designing simple, no matter your design experience.
- Canva: A go-to for many podcasters, Canva offers a vast selection of templates tailored for podcast cover art. Its free version includes hundreds of fonts, icons, and stock images, while the Pro version unlocks premium elements and branding tools.
- Adobe Express (formerly Adobe Spark): This free tool provides pre-made templates, intuitive design features, and seamless social media integration, making it a great option for quick and polished cover art.
- Fotor: A lesser-known but powerful alternative, Fotor offers AI-driven design tools and ready-made templates for podcast artwork.
- VistaCreate (formerly Crello): A design tool similar to Canva, VistaCreate has a variety of customizable templates, plus access to thousands of royalty-free images and animations.
- Desygner: A user-friendly tool with a library of podcast templates, Desygner allows for easy customization and supports mobile editing.
Where to find free and premium templates
If you prefer to start with a template and customize it, these resources offer a range of designs suited for podcasts:
- Envato Elements: A subscription-based service with high-quality, professionally designed podcast templates.
- Creative Market: Features unique podcast cover templates designed by independent creators.
- Etsy: A marketplace to find affordable, one-of-a-kind podcast cover templates from independent creators.
Hiring a professional for podcast cover art
If you prefer to work with an experienced designer, these services connect you with professionals specializing in podcast artwork:
- 99designs: A crowdsourcing platform where multiple designers submit concepts, and you choose the final design.
- Fiverr: A budget-friendly marketplace where freelance designers offer podcast artwork at varying price points. Be sure to check reviews and portfolio samples before hiring.
- Upwork: Connects podcasters with freelance designers for custom cover art and branding.
Judging a podcast by its cover
Your podcast cover art is the first thing potential listeners will see and can determine whether they hit play or scroll past. Plus, a well-designed cover helps build your podcast's identity and attract the right audience.
Remember, less is often more, especially since your cover will appear in various sizes across different devices. If it’s too cluttered or hard to read, it won’t do your podcast justice.
Ultimately, your podcast cover art should reflect your podcast’s personality and draw in your desired listeners, so keep them in mind at all stages of the design process.
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