Quick answer

Design once at 3000 × 3000 pixels, square, in RGB, with no transparency. Export as a JPEG (or PNG if you need sharper text) and keep it under the file size limits your host enforces — most directory feeds cap the artwork around 512 KB, while some newer specs accept larger files. Save a layered source file separately so you can re-export for video, print, or a rebrand without rebuilding the design from scratch.

If you only remember one thing: a single 3000 × 3000 RGB JPEG with no alpha channel is the format that travels best across every major podcast directory.

Why this checklist matters

Cover art is the only image listeners see before they decide to press play. It shows up as a 3000-pixel square on a desktop, a 120-pixel thumbnail on a phone, and roughly a 55-pixel notification icon in some apps — all from the same source file. That range is wider than almost any other creator asset, and getting the export settings right once saves rework every time you change something later.

This guide is a decision checklist, not a design tutorial. It assumes you already have (or are about to make) a cover and need to know:

  • which size, format and color profile to export
  • how to handle the file size limit
  • what to keep in your source file archive
  • how to keep the artwork portable if you migrate hosts, repurpose it for video, or scale up to print

The export spec most directories accept

Major podcast directories publish very similar requirements. The numbers below are the ones the Transistor, Captivate, Apple Podcasts, and Moda spec pages converge on:

Setting Value
Dimensions 3000 × 3000 px (minimum 1400 × 1400 px)
Aspect ratio 1:1 square
Color mode RGB
Resolution 72 dpi (screen value; pixels are what matter)
Format JPEG or PNG
Transparency None — solid background, no alpha channel
Max file size Often 512 KB via RSS feed; newer specs may accept more

A note on DPI: it doesn’t change how the image looks on screen. What matters is pixel dimensions and color space. If a designer hands you a 300 dpi file, you can flatten it to 72 dpi without losing quality — but you should not downsample the pixel count below 3000 × 3000 unless the file is too large to upload.

Decision 1: JPEG or PNG?

Both formats work. The right choice depends on what your design contains.

JPEG (usually the better default)

  • Smaller file size, which helps you stay under the 512 KB cap
  • Works everywhere
  • Slight compression artifacts on hard edges, fine gradients, or small text

PNG

  • Lossless, sharper text and crisp icons
  • File size balloons fast on detailed art — a 3000 × 3000 PNG with photography or textures can easily run into several megabytes
  • Useful if your title is tiny and you need every pixel of legibility

A practical rule of thumb: design and archive in a lossless format (PNG or your editor’s native file), then export the upload-ready copy as a high-quality JPEG. Only fall back to PNG if you cannot get the JPEG to look clean.

Decision 2: RGB vs CMYK

Always export in RGB. Podcast directories, apps, social platforms, and the open web all display in RGB. CMYK is a print color space; if your editor leaves it set to CMYK, your colors will look duller and slightly shifted on screen, and some upload pipelines will reject the file outright.

If you ever need a print version (merch, conference signage, a book cover), convert a copy to CMYK separately. Don’t try to make one file do both jobs.

Decision 3: Staying under the file size limit

The 512 KB ceiling is the most common reason cover uploads fail. Two knobs control it: format choice and pixel dimensions.

Order of operations when the file is too big:

  1. Re-export the JPEG at 85–90% quality.
  2. If still over the limit, drop to 75–80% and visually check edges and text.
  3. If still over, reduce pixel dimensions. Going from 3000 × 3000 down to 2400 × 2400, or even 2000 × 2000, often fits without visible quality loss at the sizes directories actually display.

The Transistor help page recommends 1500 × 1500 as a fallback if all else fails, but staying as close to 3000 × 3000 as you can preserves sharpness on retina screens and tablets.

Decision 4: Designing for the safe area

Your cover will be cropped, overlaid, and resized in ways you can’t fully predict. Apple publishes a Show Cover template with an inner safe area because the play button, subscription badges, and labels can sit on top of your art in the player UI.

Practical safe-area rules:

  • Keep the show title inside roughly the central 80% of the canvas.
  • Avoid critical detail in the outermost ~10% border.
  • Test the design at three sizes: full (3000 px), thumbnail (~300 px), and notification icon (~55–120 px).
  • Avoid text that disappears at thumbnail size — if your subtitle becomes unreadable below 300 px, remove it from the cover and put it in the show description instead.

Decision 5: Source file archive habits

The export JPEG is the deliverable; the source file is the asset. Most regret from rebrands and migrations comes from a missing source file.

What to keep, in a clearly named folder:

  • Layered editor file (PSD, AI, Affinity, Sketch, or Canva link) with all type, logos, and effects editable.
  • A flattened full-resolution PNG as a master.
  • The RGB JPEG you uploaded, plus a CMYK version if you’ve made one for print.
  • A short text file noting the fonts used (with licenses), color values (hex), and the date of the latest version.
  • Episode artwork files, if your host supports per-episode art — they follow the same spec, so they belong in the same archive.

Name files by purpose rather than by version number: cover-art-v3-RGB-3000.jpg is more useful six months later than final-final2.jpg.

Decision 6: What if you move hosts?

Your cover art lives in your RSS feed as the channel-level image tag. When you migrate to a new host (Buzzsprout to Transistor, Captivate to a self-hosted RSS setup, etc.), the new host re-bundles the same image into the new feed, and directories generally keep displaying the existing art until they re-cache.

What that means practically:

  • You do not need to re-export a new image just to move hosts.
  • You do need a copy of the file you can re-upload, with the exact same dimensions, so directories don’t reject a misformatted replacement.
  • If you ever change the artwork itself, treat it as a relaunch: new file, new dimensions check, and be aware some directories treat cover changes as a soft reset for recommendations.

This is where the archive habit pays off — you can hand a new host the same 3000 × 3000 RGB JPEG without re-editing anything.

Decision 7: Repurposing for video, social, and print

The same 3000 × 3000 art can stretch further than most podcasters expect, if you kept a clean source file.

  • YouTube or video podcasts: YouTube wants a 16:9 thumbnail (typically 1280 × 720), not a square. Re-export from the source file with a wider composition, or use the square cover as a corner bug over video.
  • Social profile images: Most platforms crop to a circle. Build the source file so the central safe area works as a circle — no text right at the edges.
  • Episode artwork: Follows the same 3000 × 3000 spec, so a single template with variable type usually covers both show and episode art.
  • Print (business cards, posters, merch): Convert a copy to CMYK at 300 dpi, vectorize logos when possible, and re-check color — RGB-to-CMYK shifts can be noticeable on saturated backgrounds.

If your source file uses linked fonts or external images, embed or outline them before sending the file to a vendor, or you risk missing-asset errors.

Quick checklist before you upload

  • Canvas is 3000 × 3000 px, square
  • Color mode is RGB
  • Background is solid — no transparency, no alpha channel
  • Title is legible at 300 px and still readable at ~120 px
  • No Apple logos, hardware, or explicit imagery
  • Exported as JPEG (or PNG if needed for sharpness)
  • File size under your host’s limit (often 512 KB)
  • Source file saved with editable layers, fonts noted, and color values documented
  • A flattened PNG master stored alongside the export JPEG

FAQ

Can I just upload a 1400 × 1400 image and skip the 3000 px step?

Apple accepts 1400 × 1400 as the minimum, but the 3000 px version looks noticeably sharper on retina screens, tablets, and desktop players. Most directories also resize from the file you upload, so a smaller source stays small everywhere.

Do I need different artwork for Spotify and Apple Podcasts?

No. The same 3000 × 3000 RGB JPEG works across Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, and the other major directories. You only need a separate file if you also post episodes as video.

Why does my cover look blurry on Spotify?

Usually because the source file was uploaded below 1400 × 1400, or because the original was compressed too aggressively to fit under the size limit. Re-export from the layered file at the largest pixel dimensions that still fit the file size cap.

Should I include the host name on the cover?

Only if it’s a co-branded show. Most directories display the host and title as separate metadata under the artwork, so doubling up clutters the design and reduces thumbnail legibility.

How often should I re-export or update the cover?

Re-export whenever your editor, fonts, or export settings change. Re-design only when the show’s positioning genuinely shifts — every cover change is a small brand reset for returning listeners.

Sources