Cover Art Requirements for Spotify, Apple Music and Other Stores
- 02 Nov 2026
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Your cover is the first thing a listener sees, and it is also one of the most common reasons a release is sent back for changes. Streaming stores share a set of artwork rules, and following them saves you days of delays.
Technical requirements
- Square format. Design your cover as a square. Stretched or heavily non-square images are flagged.
- High resolution. Create the artwork at 3000 x 3000 pixels for the best results on every platform. SpaceMedia accepts covers from 500 pixels on the shortest side and prepares a square delivery file, but a large original always looks better.
- Supported files. JPG, JPEG, PNG or WebP, up to 36 MB.
- Sharp, not pixelated. Avoid upscaled screenshots or compressed images from social media.
Content that stores reject
- Streaming platform logos or names, and phrases like "Available now" or "Listen on".
- Website addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and social media handles.
- Barcodes or QR codes.
- Tracklists, or words like "Single", "EP" or "Album" on the cover.
- Copyrighted characters, brand logos, screenshots or photos of famous people you do not have permission to use.
- Blank or nearly empty images.
Text on your cover
You can include your artist name and the release title. If you do, they should match the metadata of the release exactly. Avoid adding extra artist names, dates or promotional text.
Tips for covers that stand out
- Design for a small screen. Most people see your cover as a small square on a phone. Bold shapes and strong contrast work better than fine detail.
- Keep a consistent style. A recognisable look across singles helps listeners connect your releases.
- Use images you own. Take your own photos, commission an artist or use material with a licence that allows commercial use. Keep proof of permission.
Final checklist before you upload
- Square, at least 3000 x 3000 pixels, sharp.
- No logos, links, handles, barcodes or store names.
- Any text matches the artist name and title.
- You own or have licensed every element.
Once your cover is ready, create your release on SpaceMedia. Our quality review checks artwork before delivery, so issues are caught before they reach the stores.
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SpaceMedia delivers music to a broad and changing network of streaming, download, social, and music-identification platforms. This can include major services such as Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, SoundCloud, Tidal, Pandora, Boomplay, Anghami, iHeart, JioSaavn, KKBOX, NetEase Cloud Music, Tencent, Qobuz, and other supported partners.
The exact network can change as platforms update territories, rules, and delivery requirements. SpaceMedia gives you access to supported distribution channels, but no distributor can guarantee that every platform will accept every release in every country.
Most major streaming services do not let every artist upload music directly. A distributor like SpaceMedia delivers your audio, artwork, metadata, and rights information to supported platforms so your release can appear on services such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, TikTok, and others.
Create an account, choose the plan that fits your needs, upload the final release files, review the details, and submit. SpaceMedia reviews Free submissions within 5 business days, Premium submissions within 2 business days, and Label submissions within 1 to 2 business days. Store publishing happens afterwards.
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Only submit music you fully control for Content ID. Tracks with uncleared samples, non-exclusive beats, royalty-free loops used by many creators, public-domain recordings, or disputed rights may be rejected or may cause claims that need to be resolved.
Submit your release through SpaceMedia and choose distribution to social music platforms where available. Eligible releases can be delivered to platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and other supported social or short-form music services.
Once delivered, each platform decides how the music appears, how long processing takes, and which features are available in each territory. Use accurate metadata and clean audio to reduce avoidable delivery issues.
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This gives new artists a way to start releasing music before paying for a yearly plan. Premium and Label add more primary-artist capacity and tools. All standard plans include 100% of standard DSP royalties.
Yes. In many cases you can transfer existing releases to SpaceMedia while keeping them live, as long as you submit the same metadata, audio, artwork, UPC, and ISRCs where available.
Keep the old release live until the SpaceMedia delivery is live and matched correctly. Removing the old version too early can interrupt availability or make stores treat the transfer as a new release instead of matching it to the existing one.
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