Cover Art Size Checker
Drop in your album or single cover and see its dimensions, ratio, file size and format against the requirements each platform publishes. It runs on your device, so the image is not uploaded.
The cover is done. Melodious turns the song into a music video — See the music video maker
What each platform says, and where it says it
These numbers were read from each platform's own help page and checked on 2026-10-11. Where a page gives no file size limit, the table says so rather than guess. Pages we could not open (several distributor help centres refuse automated requests) are left out rather than filled in from memory, so a distributor you use may ask for more than is listed here.
| Requirement | Size and shape | Format | File size | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spotify cover art | square, 640 to 10,000 px each side | TIFF, PNG, JPEG | Not stated | support.spotify.com (2026-10-11) |
| Apple Music album cover art (provider guide) | square, at least 1,400 px each side, 3,000 px recommended | JPEG, PNG | Not stated | help.apple.com (2026-10-11) |
| Apple Music for Artists cover art | square, at least 4,000 px each side | JPEG, PNG, GIF | Not stated | artists.apple.com (2026-10-11) |
| Apple Music playlist cover art (curators) | at least 3,000 px each side | PNG | Not stated | help.apple.com (2026-10-11) |
| Amuse cover art | square, 1,400 to 6,000 px each side | PNG, JPEG | Not stated | support.amuse.io (2026-10-11) |
| Bandcamp album art | square, at least 1,400 px each side | Not stated | Not stated | get.bandcamp.help (2026-10-11) |
| YouTube album art (label and distributor partners) | square, 1,400 to 4,098 px each side | PNG, JPEG | Not stated | support.google.com (2026-10-11) |
| YouTube video thumbnail | 16:9 (recommended), width at least 640 px, 3,840 x 2,160 px given as the resolution | JPEG, PNG | Up to 50 MB | support.google.com (2026-10-11) |
| YouTube Shorts thumbnail | 9:16 (recommended), height at least 640 px, 2,160 x 3,840 px given as the resolution | JPEG, PNG | Up to 50 MB | support.google.com (2026-10-11) |
| Spotify Canvas (JPG option) | 9:16, 720 to 1080 px tall | JPEG | Not stated | support.spotify.com (2026-10-11) |
Four worked examples
Each case below is the checker run on a file with these properties, with the same rules table the tool uses. Open the tool and drop in your own file to get the same breakdown for it.
3,000 x 3,000 px, PNG, 4.2 MB
An export from a design tool at the size most guides recommend.
Meets what it states for 8 of 10: Spotify cover art; Apple Music album cover art (provider guide); Apple Music playlist cover art (curators); Amuse cover art; Bandcamp album art; YouTube album art (label and distributor partners); YouTube video thumbnail; YouTube Shorts thumbnail.
- Apple Music for Artists cover art: 3,000 x 3,000 px is below the minimum: the source asks for at least 4,000 px on each side.
- Spotify Canvas (JPG option): 1:1, the source asks for 9:16.
1,500 x 1,000 px, JPEG, 620 KB
A landscape photo dropped in without cropping.
Meets what it states for 2 of 10: YouTube video thumbnail; YouTube Shorts thumbnail.
- Spotify cover art: Not square: 1,500 x 1,000 px is 3:2, the source asks for 1:1.
- Apple Music album cover art (provider guide): Not square: 1,500 x 1,000 px is 3:2, the source asks for 1:1.
- Apple Music for Artists cover art: Not square: 1,500 x 1,000 px is 3:2, the source asks for 1:1.
- And 5 more in the tool.
640 x 640 px, JPEG, 90 KB
A small square, the sort that gets saved from a social post.
Meets what it states for 3 of 10: Spotify cover art; YouTube video thumbnail; YouTube Shorts thumbnail.
- Apple Music album cover art (provider guide): 640 x 640 px is below the minimum: the source asks for at least 1,400 px on each side.
- Apple Music for Artists cover art: 640 x 640 px is below the minimum: the source asks for at least 4,000 px on each side.
- Apple Music playlist cover art (curators): 640 x 640 px is below the minimum: the source asks for at least 3,000 px on each side.
- And 4 more in the tool.
1,280 x 720 px, JPEG, 310 KB
A video thumbnail, not cover art.
Meets what it states for 2 of 10: YouTube video thumbnail; YouTube Shorts thumbnail.
- Spotify cover art: Not square: 1,280 x 720 px is 16:9, the source asks for 1:1.
- Apple Music album cover art (provider guide): Not square: 1,280 x 720 px is 16:9, the source asks for 1:1.
- Apple Music for Artists cover art: Not square: 1,280 x 720 px is 16:9, the source asks for 1:1.
- And 5 more in the tool.
How to check your album cover size
Drop your cover art onto the box above, or choose the file. The checker reads the file on your device and shows its pixel dimensions, aspect ratio, file size and format, then runs those numbers against each published requirement below and tells you which ones the file meets and which it does not. Open any row for the detail and the link to the page it came from.
Format is read from the contents of the file, not from its name. A file called cover.png that is really a JPEG is flagged, because an uploader that looks inside the file will see what the checker sees. If the browser cannot open your file (TIFF and HEIC only open in some browsers), you get a plain message and a suggestion, not a blank result.
Album cover size: what the sources actually say
People search for album cover size expecting one number, and most guides answer 3,000 x 3,000 pixels. That is a good working size, but it is not what every source states. Spotify's help page gives a range of 640 to 10,000 pixels on each side. Apple's provider guide gives a minimum of 1,400 with 3,000 recommended, while Apple's page for artists asks for at least 4,000. They are all square.
The table above lists each one with its source and the date we read it. If you are exporting a master once and want it to travel, go square and at least 4,000 pixels, as an RGB JPEG or PNG, and keep the original design file for anything larger. If you only need to clear a minimum, the checker shows exactly which sources your file clears.
Cover art size, shape, format and file size
Four properties come up again and again. Shape: album and single covers are square, 1:1. Size: each source sets a minimum and some set a maximum, per side. Format: JPEG and PNG are named by nearly every source that gives a list, with a few adding TIFF or GIF. File size: most of the cover art pages give no limit, so the tool reports your file size as information and only fails a file where a source states a cap, as the YouTube thumbnail page does.
Some things the sources state cannot be read from a file in a browser. Spotify asks for an sRGB colour space with no embedded colour profile or orientation metadata, and Apple says CMYK images are not accepted. The tool lists these under each row as stated by the source but not checked, and warns when it can see a CMYK JPEG or a PNG with an alpha channel.
Thumbnails and Canvas are not cover art
Three rows in the table are not album covers. A YouTube video thumbnail is 16:9 and a Shorts thumbnail is 9:16, with the resolution the page asks for and a file size limit that depends on the device you upload from. A Spotify Canvas can be an MP4 or a JPG and is a vertical 9:16 visual that the page says should be between 720 and 1,080 pixels tall. They are here because the same image often ends up in all of these places.
This tool checks stills only; a looping Canvas video needs its own checks. For the thinking behind cover sizes, our guide to album cover size and dimensions goes through what gets artwork rejected.
What this checker does not do
It checks files against the requirements as they were written on 2026-10-11. Platforms change their pages, and distributors add rules of their own that are not listed here, including limits on text, logos, barcodes and prices on the artwork. It cannot judge whether a cover is good, whether you hold the rights to the images in it, or whether a store will accept it. Treat a pass as "the numbers match what the source states", not as an approval.
It also does not edit your design. The square copy button crops the largest centred square and resizes it, which is a quick fix for a nearly-square image. A cover that needs the layout reworked should be fixed in your design tool and exported at the right size.
From a finished cover to a finished video
A cover is one picture. A release often needs more, such as a visualizer clip, a lyric video or a full music video. The audio visualizer turns a track into a moving visual in your browser, and the guide to making an album cover covers the design side.
When the song should have scenes, characters and a story, the AI music video generator storyboards the track and renders it to your audio. It is paid, from $19/month, and you see the cost before anything renders.
Frequently asked questions
What size should album cover art be?
Square, and large. There is no single number across every platform, which is why checking against each rule is useful. The Spotify help page gives a range of 640 to 10,000 pixels on each side. Apple's provider guide gives a 1,400 pixel minimum with 3,000 recommended, and Apple's page for artists asks for at least 4,000. A square master at 3,000 pixels or more clears the first two, and 4,000 clears all three.
Is 3000 x 3000 a requirement?
Not on the pages we checked. 3,000 x 3,000 is a recommended size in Apple's provider guide and the figure most guides repeat, but Spotify's own help page states a range instead, and Apple's page for artists asks for more. Treat 3,000 as a safe working size and let the table on this page show what each source actually says.
Why do Spotify and Apple Music give different numbers?
They are different documents written for different audiences. One is a general cover art page, another is a guide for providers who deliver files in bulk, and another is for artists. Each states its own minimum, and the minimums do not agree. That is why the tool lists each source with the date we read it instead of merging them into one answer.
Does the cover have to be square?
For album and single cover art, yes: every cover art page we checked asks for a square, 1:1 image. Video thumbnails and Canvas visuals are different jobs with different shapes, 16:9 for a YouTube video thumbnail and 9:16 for a Shorts thumbnail or a Canvas still, and the tool checks those separately.
What file format and file size does cover art need?
The formats named on the pages we checked are JPEG and PNG, with TIFF on Spotify's page and GIF on Apple's page for artists. File size limits are mostly not stated: the cover art pages for Spotify, Apple and Bandcamp give none, and the tool says that plainly instead of inventing a cap. A distributor may set its own limit, so check theirs before you upload.
Is my cover art uploaded when I check it?
No. Your browser reads the file, measures it and draws the preview on your device, and the page never sends the image anywhere. You can confirm in the network tab of your browser, or switch off your connection once the page has loaded and it keeps working. That matters for artwork you have not announced yet.
Why does it say my file is a different format from its name?
The tool reads the first bytes of the file, which is how an uploader sees it, rather than trusting the extension. A JPEG renamed to .png still has JPEG contents, and a platform that looks inside the file will treat it as one. Re-export from your editor in the format you want instead of renaming.
Can I enlarge a small cover to reach the minimum?
You can, but the pages we read tell you not to. Spotify says not to upscale, and Apple's provider guide says not to increase the size of a smaller image to reach the minimum. Enlarging adds pixels, not detail, and the result looks soft. The honest fix is to go back to the original design file and export it larger.
What does the square copy button do?
It crops the largest centred square out of your image, resizes it to the size you choose and saves it as a JPG or PNG, all inside your browser. It is a quick fix for an almost-square image, not an editor, so check the crop before you submit it. If the copy would be larger than your image, it warns you first.
Cover art checked. Now give the song moving pictures
Attach your track and describe the look. An AI director storyboards it scene by scene and renders it to your audio. Plans from $19/month.
Start your videoMore tools: Album name generator · Song title generator · Audio visualizer · Spotify royalty calculator · Band name generator