How To Create A Killer Podcast Cover Art in 2023

Creating attention-grabbing cover art for your podcast is a general rule of thumb in podcasting. Why? You might ask; that’s because it’s what your listeners skim through first before listening to your audio. Cover art highlights your listeners the kind of audio content they should be expecting. That being said, podcast cover art says so much about your podcast. It’s what your listeners use to judge how valuable your podcast will be – more like judging a book by its cover.

Download the first chapter of The Storytelling Series: Beginners’ Guide for Small Businesses & Content Creators by Obehi Ewanfoh.

1. Ensure Your Cover Art Meets A Directories Requirements

You don’t want to create a podcast that won’t fit in a directory where your listeners can engage with your content. Shaping your cover art to meet directory requirements is vital; it’s how your podcast gets optimized.

All podcast directories have specific requirements, but some of the requirements are similar.

For example, Apple’s requirements are;

• A maximum of 3000 x 3000 pixels resolution and a minimum of 1400 x 1400 pixels resolution.
• Needs to have a resolution of 72 dpi

• Must be a JPEG or PNG file.
• And have RGB colorspace.

This format ensures your podcast works better with mobile devices and computers because your listeners have different devices they use in listening to a podcast.

2. Use Captivating Images

To get more listeners for podcast streams, you need to attach eye-catching images to your cover art. People are more driven to listen to a particular podcast when the image fitted in the cover art gives visual appeal.

Of course, we are all drawn to look at a picture when we find it appealing to the eyes. That’s exactly how great and captivating cover art images draw listeners to listen to a particular podcast.

Therefore, make your cover art impressive by attaching pictures using graphic elements and beautiful colors. And you can get high-resolution images from Shutterstock  and Pexels.

3. Use Nice Readable Fonts

Using readable fonts is very important as the image. When you use quality fonts, your listeners will easily glance through your theme and probably the topic of your podcast.

To get that right, use at least two font styles. Recommended are  Serif fonts and Sans Serif fonts. Your goal is to use fonts that align with the tone and topic of your podcast.

But while looking out for the best fonts, always ensure not to crowd your cover art with a bunch of text. Keep it simple and readable that way, your cover art will get its visual push.

4. Avoid Using Lengthy Words

Your cover art is a blog where lengthened words are used. No! The write-ups there are meant to be short and simple.

Your potential listeners will avoid looking at your cover art which is their first (touchpoint), when lengthy words are written In the cover art.

Avoid using verbose words and focus on keeping your title as simple as possible so your audience can quickly grab what the content is all about.

Let all the lengthy words be in the description where your listeners will gain further information about the podcast.

5. Communicate the subject of your podcast

Clarity on the style of the podcast is deemed important as it helps your listeners know what they should be expecting from a particular podcast. It’s like selecting a niche for your podcast and crafting cover art that represents the message you deliver.

For example, if your podcast is based on nutrition, your cover art should contain food images with crisp colors. If you talk about fashion trends, your cover art should contain a fashion image that relates to what you do.

Here are some tips for effectively communicating the subject of your podcast to your audience:

1. Develop a clear and concise elevator pitch: Your elevator pitch should clearly and concisely communicate what your podcast is about and what makes it unique. This should be no more than a sentence or two, and should be easy to understand and memorable.
2. Use a descriptive podcast title: Your podcast title should be descriptive and informative, giving your audience an idea of what your podcast is about. It should be easy to remember and ideally include relevant keywords that will help your podcast appear in search results.
3. Write a compelling podcast description: Your podcast description should provide more detailed information about what your podcast is about, what topics you cover, and what listeners can expect to gain from listening. Make sure to highlight any unique or interesting aspects of your podcast.
4. Use social media effectively: Use social media to promote your podcast and communicate its subject to your audience. Make sure to include your elevator pitch and a brief description of what your podcast is about in your social media profiles.
5. Feature guest interviews and collaborations: Featuring guest interviews and collaborations with other podcasters or experts in your field can help expand your audience and communicate your podcast subject to a wider audience.
6. Include calls to action in your episodes: Include calls to action in your podcast episodes that encourage listeners to subscribe, leave a review, or share your podcast with others. This can help increase awareness of your podcast and attract new listeners who are interested in your subject matter.

6. Use a podcast cover art template

Many podcasters lack experience in graphics design, while others are time-strapped that they can’t start creating cover art from scratch. This stress has been cut down with the availability of podcast cover art templates you will find on websites such as  Tailor Brands, Canva, etc.

All you need to do is rewrite your texts to fit your podcast’s topic and tone, change the colors and insert a good image. Remember, these can be done swiftly without graphics design knowledge.

7. Be Consistent In Branding

Brand consistency is a surefire way your listeners can easily trace your podcast on any platform it’s published – more reason you have to be consistent in branding your podcast.

The best way to be consistent in branding is to use the same logo, text and color on your website or social media platforms on your podcast cover art. That way, your listeners can easily recognize your podcast wherever it’s represented.

Here are some tips for remaining consistent in your podcast branding:

1. Develop a clear brand identity: Start by developing a clear brand identity for your podcast. This includes things like your podcast name, logo, tagline, and overall tone and style. This will help establish a consistent brand identity that your listeners will recognize and remember.
2. Create brand guidelines: Once you’ve developed your brand identity, create brand guidelines that outline how your brand should be presented across all channels. This includes guidelines for your podcast artwork, social media graphics, and any other visual or written content.
3. Use consistent colors and fonts: Use consistent colors and fonts across all of your branding materials. This will help establish a visual identity that is easily recognizable and consistent across all channels.
4. Use consistent language and tone: Use a consistent language and tone across all of your content, including your podcast episodes, social media posts, and any other written content. This will help establish a consistent brand voice that your listeners will come to recognize and trust.
5. Maintain a consistent posting schedule: Stick to a consistent posting schedule for your podcast episodes. This will help build anticipation among your listeners and establish a routine for when they can expect new content from you.
6. Engage with your audience consistently: Finally, engage with your audience consistently across all channels. Respond to comments and messages promptly, and maintain a consistent tone and voice when communicating with your listeners. This will help build a strong relationship with your audience and reinforce your brand identity over time.

8. Retest Your Cover Art

As you must have known, your listeners access your podcast through different devices. When you create your podcast cover art by meeting the directories requirements, ensure to retest the podcast using different devices before publishing to avoid mistakes.

Concluding On How To Create Killer Podcast Cover Art

A cover art, always remembers, is the first thing listeners come in contact with before the actual podcast. When your cover art is not eye-catching, there are chances you could lose potential listeners.

By following these steps I highlighted, you can create an attention-grabbing podcast cover art that will keep your fan base growing.

Download the first chapter of The Storytelling Series: Beginners’ Guide for Small Businesses & Content Creators by Obehi Ewanfoh.