Album Cover Size Guide: Spotify, Apple Music & More

For a practical cross-platform master, create your album cover as a square RGB image at 4000 × 4000 pixels and export a high-quality JPG. That size meets Apple Music for Artists' current minimum guidance and gives your distributor room to create smaller delivery versions for other services.

Platform rules can change, and most independent artists deliver through a distributor rather than uploading artwork to every service separately. Always check the current rules from your distributor before release.

The safest album cover master file

• Canvas: 4000 × 4000 pixels
• Aspect ratio: 1:1 square
• Color: RGB
• Format: high-quality JPG unless your distributor requests another format
• Content: artwork must fill the square without added borders
• Text: check spelling and keep important lettering away from the extreme edge

DPI metadata is far less important for streaming than pixel dimensions. A 4000 × 4000 image has the same on-screen pixel count whether the file says 72 DPI or 300 DPI. Use 300 DPI when a print supplier specifically requests it.

Apple Music cover art size

Apple Music for Artists currently says cover artwork should be at least 4000 × 4000 pixels, square, and in a supported image format. Apple also warns against low-quality or misleading artwork. Review the current Apple cover art guidance before delivery.

Spotify cover art size

Spotify releases usually arrive through a label or distributor, so the distributor's delivery specification is the rule you must follow. A 3000 × 3000 square image remains a common distribution standard, but a 4000 × 4000 master is a sensible starting point because it can be reduced cleanly.

Do not confuse the square album cover with Spotify Canvas. Canvas is a separate vertical visual shown in the mobile listening experience. See the Spotify Canvas size and requirements guide.

Other streaming services

Amazon Music, YouTube Music, TIDAL, Deezer, and other services receive most independent releases through distributors. Their accepted files and a distributor's upload form are not always identical. One high-resolution square RGB master helps you avoid repeated resizing, but you should still validate the export in your distributor dashboard.

What should appear on album cover art?

Use only visual elements you own or have licensed. If you include an artist name or release title, make sure it matches the metadata you submit. Avoid adding platform logos, website addresses, pricing, contact details, misleading badges, or text that can be interpreted as advertising.

A Parental Advisory graphic is not a substitute for marking a release as explicit in your distributor's metadata. Follow your distributor's policy for both the audio metadata and the artwork.

How to export clean cover art

1. Keep an editable source file with separate text and image layers.
2. Work on a 1:1 square canvas at 4000 × 4000 pixels.
3. Convert the final image to RGB if your source is in another color mode.
4. Export a high-quality JPG and inspect it at 100% zoom.
5. Check the artwork as a very small thumbnail.
6. Upload the file to your distributor early enough to fix a rejection.

Album cover thumbnail test

Most listeners first see cover art at a small size. Shrink your preview to roughly the size of a phone thumbnail and ask:

• Is the main subject recognizable?
• Does the contrast still work?
• Is essential text readable, or would the cover be stronger without it?
• Does the artwork look distinct beside other releases in the same genre?

Common artwork delivery mistakes

• Upscaling a small image: changing the dimensions does not restore lost detail.
• Stretching a rectangle into a square: crop or redesign instead of distorting the image.
• Using unlicensed photography or fonts: confirm commercial rights before release.
• Adding thin borders: they can look accidental or trigger delivery concerns.
• Saving only a flattened file: keep the editable source for corrections and future formats.
• Using one file for every visual: square cover art, Spotify Canvas, Stories, and YouTube thumbnails have different layouts.

Static cover versus motion artwork

Your static square cover remains the core release asset. Spotify Canvas uses a vertical 9:16 visual, while Apple Music motion artwork is delivered as separate video assets through participating distributors. Read what motion album covers are before building the rest of your campaign.

Get cover art prepared for release

Browse exclusive premade cover art for a ready-to-license design. Every premade artwork is sold once and removed from sale after purchase. For a fully original direction, order custom album cover design.