The Best Podcast Cover Artwork

There are three main considerations when creating podcast artwork:

1. Does it meet the technical specification?
2. Are images and text readable when scaled down to thumbnail size?
3. Does the artwork reflect the podcast subject matter?

Let's look at each of these in turn.

Technical Requirements

Size matters: your artwork should have a 1:1 ratio (i.e. a square) and have a minimum width & height of 1500px and a maximum of 3000px.

If you're uploading artwork via the PodSpot web app, we'll automatically crop and scale your artwork for you.

Text & Image Legibility

Although your artwork might look wonderful when it's viewed full size on a high resolution monitor, that's not how your listeners will be viewing it. Your artwork will appear in a variety of different sizes across a variety of different contexts. For example, when your podcast appears in search results on a mobile phone, it will be scaled down to a thumbnail, typically just 50 pixels wide and high.

For this reason it's important to choose a "focus element" for your artwork; an element that will translate well, regardless of size. This can be either an image or text, but it must remain legible.

It's important to note that some elements will be lost at smaller sizes, and that's perfectly acceptable. Your job is to structure your artwork with this in mind, so that it's only supplemental information that's lost.

Style & Content Fit

Whilst it might seem that style is subjective, the truth is that the preconceptions of a potential listener affect your chances of getting noticed. If you are mindful of this, you can turn it to your advantage.

If your podcast is about electric vehicles, putting an image of a bagel on the cover will reduce the chance of a listener being able to understand the context by looking at your artwork.

It's also worth being careful that your artwork matches the tone of your podcast. Are you casually chatting with friends during an evening? Or are you interviewing peers from your network about a business topic?

If your artwork sets the expectation correctly, your new listeners are far more likely to find they have landed on something comfortable to listen to and become loyal listeners.

Recap

• Make sure you meet the techincal requirements
• Think about a "focus element" which will translate well at small sizes
• Use genre preconceptions to your advantage
• Use artwork to communicate the casual/formal nature of your podcast and you'll be far more likely to draw the right audience