Podcast Cover Art: Best Practices To Make It Stand Out

A podcast is primarily audio, but that doesn’t mean you should underestimate the power of visual elements to capture the attention of your audience. When it comes to luring first-time listeners, nothing beats a podcast cover art that leaves an invaluable impression.

Most people will likely judge your podcast by its cover art even before listening to an episode. That’s why you must get it right and make it pop off the page. It’s more than just a photo. All the elements — font, colors, style, and design — must work together perfectly to tell your unique story.

So how do you create a high-quality podcast cover art that sets you apart from the rest? Here are some ideas and best practices you can adhere to. Read on to learn more about how you can come up with podcast artwork that gets listeners excited about your show.

Follow Size Requirements

First things first: know your specs and play by the rules. Apple’s size requirements are the gold standard. For size and file types, Apple requires:

• Square, 3000 pixels by 3000 pixels. 
• 1400 pixels by 1400 pixels is the minimum for Apple Podcasts. 
• Resolution: 72 dpi.
• Color space: RGB.
• File type: PNG or JPEG.

These can apply to Google Podcasts, Spotify, and other platforms. Keep in mind that these guidelines can change in an instant so make it a habit to keep up to date with Apple’s online guide.

You wound want your podcast cover art to look great no matter what size it is or what device your audiences are using to view it. That’s why you need to come up with a design that scales. Try resizing your artwork and scale it to 30 pixels by 30 pixels. If your podcast cover art still looks great and clean and is easy to read, then it’s good to go.

Have A Clear and Consistent Design

No matter the genre or them of your podcast, your cover art should look the part. The design elements of your podcast cover art must match the tone of your show and help audiences understand what the show is about.

Make sure that your podcast cover artwork is consistent with the rest of your branding across all your online platforms. It’s best to use the same logo, images, fonts, and colors that you use on your social media channels. This will make your podcast cover art look more professional and easily identifiable to your listeners. 

Pick Attention-Grabbing Colors

Don’t be afraid to play with bold, vibrant, and eye-catching colors. High-contrast color combinations will make your podcast cover art stand out from the crowd. The most common ones include contrasting whites, blacks, yellows, and grays. But be wary of using too many colors that may be too much for the eye to handle. 

Keep The Text Simple But Witty

Less is more when it comes to the texts that will complement your podcast cover art. Don’t bore your listeners with too much content and paragraphs that are way too long. 

Try to let your graphic or image do much of the work. It’s best to use the podcast title as the main headline. You can include subheadings, but make sure that they are short and punchy. 

Also, your cover art must be readable in small sizes so avoid using small text and intricate fonts. Whatever font you choose, make sure it’s consistent with your brand imaging.

Choose The Right Images

Veer away from microphones, headsets, and other images related to podcasts that are already passe. These graphics won’t get your audiences curious about your show. Do your research and come up with scroll-stopping images that will cleverly convey your tone and style. 

Always use high-resolution images to make your podcast cover art look very professional. People will overlook or ignore your cover art if it’s blurry, grainy, or skewed to odd proportions. 

Leave Spaces Around The Edges and In Between Words

A cluttered podcast cover art is a big no-no. Give your artwork some breathing room by leaving some free space in between words and around the edges. Even if your cover art gets trimmed or cut off by accident during your show, it will remain intact for your listeners. 

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to achieving an awesome podcast cover art, but it should have the perfect mix between “on-brand” and “in-style.” 

The sky’s the limit when it comes to creative inspiration so work within a wide range of art styles and digital design methods. Use these best practices to turn your vision into reality and make your listeners want to click “play.”