A Guide To Podcast Cover Design
Even when it comes to the artwork on podcast covers, first impressions matter. One of the things that might assist lure listeners in is the cover art. To get listeners into your fantastic podcast, you must stand out from the thousands of others in your industry.
You must thoroughly comprehend what podcast cover art is to appreciate why it is such a crucial component of a podcast.
What is the cover art for a podcast?
A podcast cover art is a piece of visual art that introduces your podcast channel to the public. The directories where listeners may learn about your broadcast have it posted. You could be perplexed given that you must also post a podcast logo because most people would presume they are the same thing.
To be clear, a Podcast logo can be used more flexibly in many materials, including podcast cover art, whereas a Podcast cover art serves just to represent your Podcast channel. The logo can be used to advertise the podcast’s commercial endeavors, such as when you plan to sell merchandise.
Specs for Podcast Cover Art: Size & Dimensions
It’s time to delve into the specifics of how you can make amazing cover art for your podcast now that you have a thorough understanding of what podcast cover art is. Naturally, the size of the podcast cover graphic should be your priority. Apple Podcasts is the most well-known directory, but there are others like Spotify, Google Podcasts, and TuneIn. It’s important to know the proportions of the cover art for each podcast directory to make sure it looks beautiful and will help draw listeners.
According to Apple Podcast, the minimum picture requirements are 1400 x 1400 pixels; however, for the majority of platforms, a standard cover image of 3000 × 3000 pixels is advised. The cover image must be in either PNG or JPEG format. Images must be in the RGB colorspace and 72 dpi resolution. The picture can be compressed to make it more suitable for mobile devices.
There is also the requirement that the cover image is square-shaped. As a result, the image looks good on both broad and tall screens. Although the square frame might be challenging, this creative limitation guarantees that the cover art will seem attractive on displays that rotate both vertically and horizontally.
Industry Standards for Creating Awesome Podcast Cover Art
Here are some excellent guidelines to assist you in making sure that your podcast cover art will work to your advantage:
1. Let the design’s focal point be your content.
Know exactly what your material is about, what the issue is about, and who your target audience is. To avoid confusing the listeners, the main design should be related to the content. This is also one of the finest methods to give listeners a quick overview of your podcast so they know what to anticipate from it right away.
2. Consider the audience.
You ought to know who your ideal listeners are by now. You may create cover art that appeals to your listener persona by learning about them. The cover art should be created in a way that the target audience can understand and enjoy, much like the text should be written for a certain audience.
3. Less is More.
The cover art will be simpler to comprehend and recall if the design is kept clean and uncomplicated. Avoid the urge to overwhelm your composition with distracting items. Remember that you only have a few precious seconds to catch the audience’s attention with your cover art, so opt for a simple, streamlined design rather than one that seems crowded.
4. Give the Edges Some Room.
When a cover art element is too close to the edge, the play progress bars frequently hide it. A large margin would guarantee that the entire picture is always able to be appreciated. A buffer around the edges is crucial since certain platforms may automatically crop the image to fit the player.
5. Verify that the design is in dark mode.
After dusk, the majority of devices and platforms automatically turn the screen to dark mode. The best thing to do is to check to see whether your cover art design will still look fantastic on a grey or black backdrop.
6. Consider Your Branding Carefully.
Never forget that your podcast is a representation of your brand. Because of this, branding should be consistent across all content types and your cover art. The tone and voice used should be consistent with the brand. To draw in the same audience as your target, the colors and design aesthetic must also correspond to your branding. Additionally, you have the choice of including your podcast’s slogan and logo to help your existing listeners recognize it.