Cover Art Requirements for Spotify, Apple Music and Other Stores

Your cover art should be a square image of at least 3000×3000 pixels, in RGB color, saved as a high-quality JPG or PNG. It must be sharp, and it can't include website addresses, social handles, prices, store logos or anything misleading. Any text on it has to match your release's artist name and title. Get these right and your artwork will pass the stores' checks.

Here's the detail behind each rule, and a checklist to run before you upload.

Technical requirements

Size: square, at least 3000×3000 px

Stores display artwork everywhere from tiny thumbnails to full-screen players and in-store banners. That's why the industry standard is a perfect square of at least 3000×3000 pixels. Not 2999, and not a rectangle.

• Start your design at 3000×3000 or larger. Upscaling a small image afterwards doesn't add detail. It just makes blur bigger.
• If you're working from a photo, check that the original is large enough before you crop it to a square.

Color: RGB

Streaming stores display images on screens, so the file should be in RGB. CMYK files (the print color mode) can be rejected or displayed with shifted colors. If your designer also makes vinyl or CD artwork, ask for a separate RGB export for digital.

File format: JPG or PNG

Export as a high-quality JPG or PNG. Avoid layered files (PSD), PDFs and animated formats for your main cover. Keep the file size reasonable: distributors often set a maximum, so check yours.

Sharpness

The image must not be blurry, pixelated or stretched. Zoom to 100% and look closely at edges and text. Common causes of rejection are low-resolution photos, screenshots, and logos pasted in from a small web image.

Content rules

Every store has its own content guidelines, and they change over time. Always check your distributor's and the stores' current rules. These are the rules that apply almost everywhere:

No URLs, social handles or contact details

Don't include website addresses, @handles, email addresses, QR codes or phone numbers. Artwork is not an ad for your socials.

No prices, store logos or promotional text

Leave out prices, "new", "exclusive", "available now", and logos of Spotify, Apple Music or any other store or service. Stores don't want artwork that looks like an ad or suggests a partnership that doesn't exist.

Text must match your metadata

If there's text on the cover, it has to match the artist name and release title you entered. If the cover says "Midnight Drive" but the release title is "Midnight Drive EP" or "Night Drive", expect questions. You don't need text at all, but if you have it, it must be consistent.

No other artists' names unless they're credited

Don't put another artist's name on your cover unless they're credited on the release, like a featured artist. Using a famous name to attract attention is misleading, and stores reject it.

Nothing misleading

The cover can't imitate another artist's artwork, pretend to be an official release from someone else, or suggest content that isn't on the release (like "includes bonus tracks" when it doesn't).

No explicit or offensive imagery

Pornographic content, graphic violence and hateful symbols are not accepted. Stores have different thresholds for nudity and mature themes, and rules differ by country. If you're unsure, pick a safer option: a rejection delays your release.

Respect copyright

Use images you created, commissioned or licensed. A photo you found online, a movie still or a brand's logo can lead to a takedown, even if the release was accepted at first.

Avoid unrelated brands and trademarks

Logos of brands you don't own or have permission to use can get artwork rejected. Clothing logos visible in a photo are usually fine, but a big trademark placed as a design element is not.

Designing artwork that works at every size

Passing the rules is the minimum. Good cover art also works:

• Test it tiny. Shrink your cover to the size of a thumbnail on a phone. Can you still recognize it? Can you read the title?
• Use bold, simple shapes. Fine detail disappears at small sizes.
• Keep text short and large, or skip it.
• Keep a family look across a series of singles so fans recognize your releases.
• Check it in dark mode and light mode apps. Very dark or very white edges can blend into the background.

Checklist before you upload

1. Square, at least 3000×3000 pixels
2. RGB, JPG or PNG, high quality
3. Sharp at 100% zoom: no blur, pixelation or stretching
4. No URLs, social handles, QR codes or contact details
5. No prices, store logos or promotional text
6. Any text matches the artist name and release title exactly
7. No other artists' names unless credited on the release
8. Nothing misleading, explicit or infringing
9. You own or licensed every image on the cover
10. Still recognizable as a small thumbnail

What happens if your artwork is rejected

A rejection usually just means you need to fix the file and resubmit. That's another reason to submit weeks ahead: a rejected cover shouldn't cost you your release date. See the release timeline checklist for how much buffer to leave, and metadata mistakes that get releases rejected for the text side of the same problem.

Key takeaways

• Minimum 3000×3000 px, square, RGB, JPG or PNG.
• Keep promotion off the cover: no links, handles, prices or store logos.
• Text on the cover must match your metadata.
• Store rules change, so check the current guidelines before you design.

Artwork review at Stillmore Group

Stillmore Group requires artwork of at least 3000×3000 pixels, and the team checks every cover along with the metadata and audio before a release goes to the stores. If something needs fixing, we'll ask for changes so you can resubmit, rather than finding out from a store. New to distribution? Start with how to get your music on Spotify, Apple Music and every other store.