Do you have to have a podcast logo? This may sound like a silly question — podcasts are about listening, after all — but your podcast artwork is likely to be the first way someone interacts with your podcast. That means that your logo could be the reason someone scrolls past and picks something else to listen to, or the reason they stop and press play.
I’m not saying to ignore the other parts of your podcast. It’s super important to have thoughtful content and good audio quality. However, you can have the most rockin’ podcast in the world, but if you don’t have a strong graphic that draws people in, you lose potential listeners before they ever get a chance to hear your material.
Think back to buying a book or CD, before all these things were digital. Maybe someone recommended a certain author or band, and that’s why you made a purchase… Or maybe you were convinced to buy because you were drawn in by some amazing cover art that convinced you to buy.
Your podcast logo needs to do the same thing.
When people are searching on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher or Google Podcasts, your logo will be their first impression of your podcast. What do you want to say to your potential audience?
Related: How to Choose The Right Podcast Name
Podcast Logo Requirements
If you have a podcast, there are several directories for listeners to find you: Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, TuneIn Radio, and Apple Podcasts (aka iTunes) are just a few. Of these, Apple Podcasts is the most important directory, because it’s the biggest and the most popular. If you have a podcast and want to gain listeners, you need to be on Apple Podcasts.
Part of getting listed on Apple Podcasts is ensuring that your podcast logo meets their specifications. According to Apple, your cover art must be…
- A minimum size of 1400 x 1400 pixels and a maximum size of 3000 x 3000 pixels
- 72 dpi, in JPEG or PNG format with appropriate file extensions (.jpg, .png)
- In the RGB colorspace.
- To optimize images for mobile devices, Apple recommends compressing your image files.
Take note of those pixel requirements! With original artwork, it’s easy to go over the limit and have your artwork rejected because it’s too large. Attractive cover art with appropriate specifications is required to make it into Apple’s featured sections, which can help your podcast reach larger audiences of new listeners..
Your Podcast Logo Should Give A Visual of Your Brand and/or Topic
Keep Branding in Mind
Your podcast logo should give viewers some idea of what your podcast is about. This way, you attract listeners who are interested in the subject matter and more likely to stick around. For example, if your podcast is about true crime, don’t make your cover art a happy-go-lucky photo of puppies. That’s just misleading. People interested in true crime won’t be likely to click. And people who want to hear about puppies are going to be disappointed.
Think about your content and what you are hoping to convey to viewers. Are you funny and witty? Or is your podcast all about serious political breakdowns? Do you discuss reality TV shows or business? Your brand and your content will determine your cover art.
If the podcast is a part of your business, be sure the branding lines up appropriately as well. It doesn’t have to be exactly the same if you want to distinguish the podcast. But similar themes, colors, and fonts can tie your podcast in with your brand. You can also include a branded logo of your business in the cover art.
Be Mindful of Text
Don’t be scared of putting text inside your podcast logo. It can be an excellent place to put the name (or an abbreviated version) of your show or your business. That cover art then does double-duty of giving potential listeners an idea of what the show is about and reinforcing the name. However, be mindful of how you use text within the image and beware of
- Using too much text
- Lots of photos and words that make the image busy
- Text that isn’t large enough to read on small phone screens
- Serif fonts. The small, detailed “feet” are harder to read on smaller screens.
Incorporate Storytelling
It depends on the podcast and the image, but sometimes a whole story can be told simply with the podcast logo. With limited text and a compelling image, you may start telling a story before a listener even clicks on your podcast. Some cover art manages to evoke powerful emotions and capture people’s attention simply with an image. In short, your logo art should draw people in.
Using Your Own Headshot
Incorporating a photo of yourself is a great idea. It will allow your listeners to put a face with your voice. Plus, it will boost your personal brand and/or your business.
Designing Your Podcast Logo
With some basic design skills and free programs, you can design a logo. If you’re not skilled in that area (don’t worry, I understand!), you can also hire someone else to do the work.
DIY: Use Design Tools
If you have design skills, then you can use a number of free programs online to create beautiful cover art. With these programs, you can quickly create custom logos with minimal fuss.
- Canva is my favorite design tool because of its features and total ease of use. It’s simple to drag and drop into the custom templates to create a fantastic-looking image in just minutes. You can play around with adding in stock images and clip art, with a range of free and paid options. Lots of the images only cost $1, and you don’t pay for them until you download the podcast logo. Then it’s yours!
- Desygner is a graphic design software that has thousands of templates and images to create stunning cover art. You can also view what kind of art other people have created by using the Explore option, which can be helpful to inspire your own logo.
- Stencil is another graphic design tool with free and pro options. The free option allows you to create up to 10 images a month. Or for $108/year, you can create 50 images a month and have access to over 1,000 professional templates.
- Snappa is user-friendly software with an impressive library of over 3 million photos, icons, and graphics that you can choose from and a number of professional-looking templates. Snappa is nice because you can search for free images, while on Canva free and paid images appear together with no way to filter for only free.
You can watch the full step-by-step Canva tutorial on how to create a podcast logo on the Wit & Wire YouTube Channel:
Outsourcing
If you’re in that group of people that can’t design to save their life (stick figure artists, unite!) then you can always hire someone else to do the work. There are two websites that dominate the freelance field.
- Upwork allows you to publish a task with your requirements and candidates apply to do the work. This requires an up-front time commitment to review tons of candidate applications as well as checking out their portfolio and review, but it is a great solution for finding lots of freelancers interested in the work and hearing their ideas if you aren’t clear on what you want yet.
- Fiverr is a gig marketplace, and you can find many designers willing to create podcast cover art. This is a good option if you’re clear on what you want, but make sure to choose someone with a lot of positive reviews.
When creating a podcast, the audio isn’t the only thing to worry about. A creative podcast logo can mean the difference between someone scrolling by and pressing play.
Keep these tips in mind when creating or outsourcing your artwork. Soon you’ll have an amazing logo that draws people in and reflects your brand.
Melissa Guller is the founder of Wit & Wire, where we help everyday experts become profitable course creators. She previously worked full-time for Ramit Sethi, Teachable, and General Assembly. Today, she shares simplified tech tutorials and modern marketing strategies through our blog, YouTube, and Wit & Wire Weekly newsletter
