The Universal Spec That Works Everywhere
3000 × 3000 px
Square · JPEG or PNG · RGB colour mode · Max 10MB
Platform-by-Platform Specifications
| Platform | Min Size | Max Size | Format | Colour Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spotify | 3000×3000px | 10MB | JPEG/PNG | RGB |
| Apple Music | 3000×3000px | 10MB | JPEG/PNG | RGB |
| JioSaavn | 3000×3000px | 5MB | JPEG/PNG | RGB |
| Amazon Music | 3000×3000px | 10MB | JPEG/PNG | RGB |
| Gaana | 3000×3000px | 5MB | JPEG/PNG | RGB |
| Wynk Music | 3000×3000px | 5MB | JPEG/PNG | RGB |
| Deezer | 3000×3000px | 10MB | JPEG/PNG | RGB |
| YouTube Music | 3000×3000px | 10MB | JPEG/PNG | RGB |
| Tidal | 3000×3000px | 10MB | JPEG/PNG | RGB |
What Will Get Your Artwork Rejected
- Image smaller than 3000×3000px — the most common rejection reason
- Non-square image (any aspect ratio other than 1:1)
- CMYK colour mode — always use RGB
- Including streaming platform logos (Spotify logo, Apple Music logo, etc.)
- Including website URLs or social media handles (e.g. @yourname, yoursite.com)
- Pricing information or "free download" text
- Explicit sexual content
- Third-party brand logos without permission
- Blurry, pixelated or low-quality images
- TIFF, BMP, GIF, WebP or any format other than JPEG/PNG
Design Tips That Actually Get You Noticed
Passing the technical spec check is the minimum. Good cover art that gets added to editorial playlists, shared on social media, and remembered by listeners is a different standard entirely.
💡 Design for 40px, not 3000px
Your cover art will appear at thumbnail size (40–60px) on mobile apps most of the time. Open your design at that size — is the key visual element still readable? A face, bold text, or a single strong shape works. Complex detailed illustrations become mud at small sizes.
💡 High contrast beats beautiful detail
The cover arts that stand out on playlist screens have extreme contrast between foreground and background. Light subject on dark background (or vice versa). Pastel-on-pastel, or complex photographic compositions with no clear focal point, disappear in a sea of album art.
💡 Use a safe zone for text
Keep all text within 10% margin from the edges. Some platforms overlay "Explicit" badges or track information on corners of your artwork — text too close to edges gets obscured.
💡 Check it in greyscale
Your artwork should be legible even in greyscale. This ensures it works on smart speakers with e-ink displays and in any low-colour environment.
Free Tools to Create Cover Art
Has pre-built 3000×3000 album art templates. Free tier sufficient for most artists.
Adobe quality, free tier available. Better typography control than Canva.
Professional standard. Essential for photo-based artwork.
Best for illustration-based or graphic design artwork. Free tier available.
FAQ: Cover Art for Music Distribution
What size should music cover art be?
3000×3000 pixels minimum, saved as JPEG or PNG in RGB colour mode. This single spec works across every major platform — Spotify, JioSaavn, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Gaana and all others.
Can I use text on my album cover art?
Yes — artist name and track title are fine. You cannot include: streaming platform logos, social media handles, website URLs, pricing, or explicit content.
What format should music cover art be?
JPEG (.jpg) or PNG (.png). JPEG for photo-based artwork, PNG for designs with sharp edges or text. Avoid TIFF, BMP, GIF or WebP.
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