{"id":3560,"date":"2018-06-20T22:52:29","date_gmt":"2018-06-21T02:52:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.snappa.com\/?p=3560"},"modified":"2024-08-13T17:27:06","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T21:27:06","slug":"podcast-cover-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snappa.com\/blog\/podcast-cover-art\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Create Amazing Podcast Cover Art"},"content":{"rendered":"

Podcasts are a purely auditory experience, so it’s all about listening. Visuals have nothing to do with it, right?<\/p>\n

While this may seem like the case, that’s actually really far from the truth. The cover art that users see, after all, is the first real experience that they have with your content. And long before they decide to listen, they’ll look at that artwork and it may even influence whether or not they stick around long enough to read the description of your podcast, let alone download it.<\/p>\n

We all know this to be true. We eat with our eyes first, which is why restaurants strive to have Instagram-worthy dishes, even though the taste is what really matters most. Cover art for your podcast is no different, and it should be valued accordingly.<\/p>\n

Also worth noting is that when users are browsing through different platforms featuring a large number of podcasts, they’re looking for something to catch your eye. If your cover art really doesn’t entice them, they’ll scroll right past.<\/p>\n

In this post, we’re going to go over podcast cover art best practices and answer any questions you may have, in addition to showing you exactly how to create it even if you don’t have any design experience.<\/p>\n

The Technical Requirements For Each Platform\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you’re like most podcasters, you don’t just want to list your podcast on your site; you also want to have it listed through iTunes or Google to increase visibility and maximize downloads. Fortunately, most technical requirements are now consistent across the biggest podcast directory platforms, making your life a little easier.<\/p>\n

What are the Podcast Cover Art Dimensions?<\/h2>\n\"Podcast\n

The podcast cover art dimensions are 3000 x 3000 pixels<\/strong>, which is an 1:1 aspect ratio. In general, you should be using JPG or PNG files\u00a0and if you’re creating podcast cover art, it should have a minimum of 1400 x 1400 pixels. You also need to be utilizing RGB color space<\/a> for best results.<\/p>\n

Ideally, in order to optimize for mobile devices, you should compress your image files.<\/p>\n

Podcast Cover Art Best Practices <\/span><\/h2>\n

Now that we’ve taken a look at the technical, we can focus on the more creative aspects of podcast cover art. This can both be more fun and a little overwhelming, but before you get started creating, take a close look at these best practices.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Choose Vibrant & Contrasting Colors<\/span><\/h3>\n

Pops of vibrant colors in your podcast cover art will unsurprisingly and literally help your podcast listing stand out from all the others. This is particularly true if you’re highlighting these colors by using a contrasting color scheme.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let’s look at the example below. The first podcast’s cover art is dark and difficult to make out. It doesn’t jump out at you at all. In the middle, the bright yellow art is a better option. It’s the one all the way on the right, however, that most effectively catches your eye long enough for you want to read more. It’s logo is most distinct, and it’s brought into clear focus with the contrasting yellow-orange against the soft grey-black background.<\/p>\n\"podcast\n

Keep Branding in Mind <\/span><\/h3>\n

Your podcast cover art, whether you realize it or not, will be an important part of your branding. Is your podcast sharp, edgy, and smart? Incorporate that into the artwork. Is it serious, or funny, or artistic, or simplistic? Create cover art that reflects that, and you’ll have a better chance attracting the right audience.<\/p>\n

If your podcast is an extension of your business, make sure that the branding lines up, too. Use similar color schemes and text, and place a branded logo somewhere on the image.<\/p>\n

Be Mindful of Text <\/span><\/h3>\n

You can absolutely use text in your cover art. In fact, it’s often a good strategy to list the name of your show (or its initials) in the artwork. That being said, there’s a couple things to keep in mind with text:<\/p>\n