What is Artwork (Cover Art)?
Podcast artwork is the square image that represents a show in directories. It is the first thing a potential listener sees and is critical for branding and click-through rates.
Why Artwork (Cover Art) Matters for Podcasters
Podcast artwork, often called cover art, is the visual face of a podcast. It is the single most important factor in attracting new listeners as they scroll through directories like Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Technical standards usually require the image to be a square JPEG or PNG, between 1400x1400 and 3000x3000 pixels, and in RGB color space. Effective artwork needs to be legible even when shrunk down to the size of a thumbnail on a mobile phone. It should convey the tone and topic of the show instantly. Bad artwork—cluttered text, low resolution, or poor color contrast—can signal low production quality to potential listeners. Many directories will reject a podcast submission if the artwork does not meet specific file size or dimension specifications.
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Audiogram
An audiogram is a short video clip that combines audio from your podcast with a visual waveform and your cover art, creating shareable social media content that promotes your show.
Waveform
A waveform is a visual representation of audio that shows the amplitude (loudness) of sound over time. In podcasting, waveforms are used in audiograms and editing software to visualize audio.
Show Notes
Show notes are written summaries or bullet points that accompany each podcast episode, typically including key topics, guest information, timestamps, and links to resources mentioned in the episode.
RSS Feed
An RSS feed is a standardized XML file that contains information about your podcast episodes, including titles, descriptions, audio file URLs, and publication dates. It's how podcast directories and apps discover and update your show.