So... you have an idea for a podcast. You had that lightbulb💡moment, the great “aha!”. Now it’s time to get your voice out there.

But Wait

You still need a podcast title, description, recording equipment, guests, cover art… plus a ton of other small, yet critical details. And yes, this all ties into successful podcast promotion.

Let us help by guiding you through what is one of the most important aspects of a podcast (at least according to our design department).

The Cover Art.

Your podcast cover art, otherwise known as album art, is likely the first representation of your show, and it's incredibly impactful. When done right, you might gain new listeners just from the artwork alone. Get it wrong, and your podcast may struggle with ad spots, attracting listeners, or even getting featured on Apple Podcasts.

A successful cover tells a story about your podcast before anyone tunes in. Your podcast cover art creates a mood, sets the tone, and promotes your brand. On the flip side, an unsuccessful cover might scare someone off or negatively represent your brand.

The title, style, colors, and fonts are the key elements of your cover art. These all work together to create a cohesive design.

Deciding on a Title

Should you put your name on the cover? Do you need a subtitle? How long should your title be?

Choosing a title is the first step in creating your cover art and plays a crucial role in podcast promotion. The title sets the tone for your podcast and, using certain keywords, will allow your audience to find you. You don’t want a three-sentence-long title that no one will read, or a one-word title that doesn’t relate to or explain your show at all. You need to find that perfect sweet spot between impact and descriptive… while keeping search in mind.

Style or Stylized

The style of your cover creates the “vibe” or “feeling” that people experience as they view it. There are many styles to choose from: photos, custom illustrations, or text-based designs, for example. Some hosts opt for covers featuring their own image front and center, while others go in a different art direction entirely.

Whatever style you choose, make sure it aligns with your content. For instance, if your podcast is about processing grief, a Halloween-style grave may come off as insensitive. Or, if your podcast is about watercolor techniques, a photo of a cow wouldn’t be a good fit.

Choosing Your Colors

Colors have a lasting impact. Keep in mind that your cover will be displayed as a small thumbnail on platforms like Spotify, where the main color might be the first thing that grabs someone's attention. A bright pop of red can stand out, while softer browns might convey relaxation.

Color theory also matters. For example, red can be fiery and passionate or evoke horror. Blue can be calming or signal technology and science. The colors you choose, along with your style, help establish the feel of your artwork and contribute to the effectiveness of your podcast promotion.

Fonts, Fonts, and more Fonts

Fonts also greatly affect the feel of your cover art. The wrong font can overshadow your entire design, and not always in a good way. For example, a goofy bubble font would look quite odd next to a photo of a crying baby. And while juxtaposition can create an impact, it's not always what's right for your brand.

Using the example of cover art featuring a crying/screaming baby: a scratchy handwritten font could make it look like a horror show, while a letter cutout font might make it look like your show is about kidnappings.

• Do a quick title search. Make sure no one else is using your podcast title... please! A quick check on Apple Podcasts and Spotify can save you trouble later.
• DON’T STEAL DESIGNS - or we will find you!
• Keep it simple. No need to have everything and the kitchen sink on one cover. Basic is better than overdone. Remember: size is important.
• Test your cover at different sizes. Make sure your design is legible both in full screen, and a small thumbnail.
• Check out the competition and craft your design to stand out. If you’re making a true crime podcast, maybe you notice that many shows are already using red. Try blue or purple to differentiate your show.
• Follow Apple’s guidelines. If you plan to submit your podcast to be featured on Apple, they have specific guidelines you may want to consider when designing your cover art. For example, Apple does not allow weapons to be featured. So no knives, guns or nunchucks! Sometimes subtle illustrations or stylized images can make it through. But if you want to be on the safe side-avoid including weapons on your cover. Apple also dislikes the word “podcast” on covers—it’s redundant, anyway so try to avoid it.

Evergreen Podcasts support our shows! We help shows on our network, by offering design tips or even redesigning podcast cover art. We know this can be a delicate process and our design team works diligently with creators to bring their cover art dreams to life.

Common edits we make are to expand the margins, remove extra elements, and clean up guidelines. Often, we also recreate cover art for higher resolution images.

Sometimes fixing up a podcast cover is a quick job, other times it’s hours of taking apart elements and painstakingly stitching them back together (new and improved). A few examples of the most common edits we make to covers include

• Removing the word podcast and other extra copy

• Increasing margin space

• Simplifying details

• Editing kerning and leading (the space between the letters and lines)

Here are some examples of podcast covers we have upgraded.

We also design podcast cover art from scratch! To learn how, check out our blog on How to Design a Podcast Cover. From true crime and bridal shows, to baseball legends and racing, we create covers for all categories of podcasts. Here are a few of our favorites!

When in doubt, log out of canva, put down your pen, and hire a professional. There is no substitute for an experienced designer.