The Goal of Podcast Cover Art

When designing your podcast cover art, keep this in mind:

Any listener who views it should know exactly what the show is about, and the tone the content will be delivered in before they ever listen. 

This obviously works in tandem with the title of the podcast, so take the above goal into consideration when titling your show as well.


Graphics

I know that having your photo on the cover art is a tempting proposition, however, I have mixed feelings on this. 

Like using your name in the title, it’s great for your existing audience to be able find you. But, if the point of the show is to grow that audience by reaching new listeners, the photo of someone they don’t know as the main element of podcast cover art isn’t going to intrigue them to click through and check it out. 

On the other hand, I TOTALLY get that especially when it comes to certain niches, like medical and health-related information, for example, listeners probably want to know who they’re listening to, and that a photo builds trust and relatability.

The same reasoning holds true if one of the main goals of your show is to develop your personal brand.

Personally, I think it’s more likely for someone to listen first based on an eye-catching & descriptive title and cover art, and then want to find out more about you (and head to your website), than see your photo on the artwork and be enticed to listen. 

This is totally up to you of course, and both options are valid. 


Color

There are a couple of opposite approaches here that can each work, depending on the style of your show.

For both approaches, I typically like to browse through the category of whatever show I’m launching looking for the common colors for that genre (there is typically a trend).

Once you've got an idea of the general palette your show's artwork will be displayed against, you have a couple of options.

  1. The first option is to go with a design that blends in with the other shows in your niche. This can help listeners identify with a show because it feels like it fits with the other content in the genre that they already interact with. To some extent, this is a way of signaling that you're trustworthy to them. 

  2. The second option is to base the color palette of the artwork around colors that will stand out against those common colors, thus catching browser's eyes as they scroll through similar shows. This can be very effective if the tone of your show is rebellious and challenging to the existing culture of your niche. 


Text

I’m a fan of BIG, eye-catching, easy to read text that clearly spells out what the show is about, with any images or artwork playing a supporting role in setting the tone of the show. 

Remember, that in all aspects of the cover art and title, CLARITY is more important than artistry (although there’s room for that as a supporting element of course).



iTunes Cover Art Specifications

  • Minimum 1400x1400px, maximum 3000x3000px (but make sure it’s legible at 100x100px as it may appear small in some apps)
  • 72 dpi
  • JPEG or PNG
  • RGB colorspace

Examples of Cover Art I Like