Lesson 14: Cover Art & Promo Assets

Make your podcast look as good as it sounds

Jun 06, 2025

Hey Besties,

You know what they say—don’t judge a book by its cover. But let’s be real: we all do it. With books, with people, and even with podcasts. Funny enough, in the world of audio, your show makes its first impression visually. Before anyone hears your witty banter, expert guests, or perfectly apropos theme music, they’re sizing up your show based on your cover art.

A great design can stop the scroll, drive clicks, and instantly make your podcast look professional—even if you’re still recording in your closet (no shame, my home studio is in the closet).

So let’s make sure your show looks as good as it sounds. A strong visual identity grabs attention, builds credibility, and sets you apart—whether you’re just launching your pod or thinking about giving your brand a much-needed glow-up.

Here’s how to stand out with eye-catching cover art and promo visuals:

🎨 Cover art 101: The non-negotiables

Your cover art is the album cover of your show—designed to stop thumbs mid-scroll on the podcast apps. Your logo is more flexible, used in other assets like merch, social media, or your website. Sometimes we use these words interchangeably, and they can be the same, but they serve different purposes.

Mood board – Scroll through the podcast apps and pick your favorite cover art in your category. Use these as inspiration and share them with your designer to help spark ideas and identify what works. Review your cover art against these designs once it’s ready to make sure it pops!
Size matters – Apple Podcasts and Spotify require a square image between 1400x1400px and 3000x3000px (preferably on the larger side, JPG or PNG). Your cover art needs to look crisp at full size and clear as a tiny thumbnail. Test it at postage-stamp size to be sure it still reads.
Legibility is key – Go with bold, clean fonts that are easy to read at a glance. If people have to squint, they’ll scroll right past. Prioritize clarity > cleverness every time.
Keep it simple – Too many elements or too much text will get lost in the noise (no pun intended). Choose one strong focal point, a simple, cohesive color palette, and let it breathe. If your podcast title is long, consider using an acronym or stylistic abbreviation for better readability at small sizes.
Avoid using your face—unless that is your brand – If you’re a recognizable figure or building a personal brand, go for it. Otherwise, abstract or symbolic art usually performs better and ages more gracefully. (That said, rules are meant to be broken if it serves your goals.)
Don't use images you don’t own the rights to – Yes, that means no grabbing stuff from Google. Stick to original or properly licensed assets only.
Stay on-brand – Your cover art should reflect your show’s personality. Is it sleek and serious? Loud and funny? Quirky and offbeat? Your colors, fonts, and design choices should reflect the vibe of your content. A comedy pod shouldn’t look like a corporate finance show—unless that’s the punchline.

For more info, review these guides from Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

👀 Bonus tip: Always preview your cover art on mobile. That’s where most people will see it first!

📢 Promo assets: Spread the word in style

Your cover art is just the beginning—your promo graphics help get the word out. Here’s how to create assets that expand your reach:

Episode announcements – Use a consistent template to announce new episodes. This builds recognition and makes your feed look sharp.
Hook up your guests with branded assets – If your show features guests, send them shareable graphics with their name, headshot, episode title, and your branding that they can post on their own socials. It makes it easy for them to promote, thus giving you a promo boost. Help them help you.
Audiograms – Snag a short, juicy clip, add captions, and overlay a photo, B-roll, and/or waveforms. Tools like Headliner and Descript make it easy to turn audio into scroll-stopping video for Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts.
Motion graphics get attention – A little movement (even just waveforms or captions) can make your promo assets way more engaging.
Quote graphics – Pull a compelling quote from your episode and place it on a branded background. Choose one that teases the content or sparks curiosity.
Memes & engaging posts – Your social media should be fun, not just promotional. Not every post has to be an ad. In fact, it shouldn’t be. Don’t let your feed become a wall of episode drops. Mix in humor, hot takes, and behind-the-scenes peeks. Keep it fun as well as informative.

DIY vs. hiring a designer

DIY route – Tools like Canva and Descript help you create high-quality assets even if you’re not design-savvy. Use templates, keep it consistent, stick to your brand colors and fonts, and you’re golden.
Hire a pro – Want that next-level, chef’s kiss branding? A freelance designer can elevate your show’s look with a custom visual identity that makes your podcast stand out from the crowd.
Make a brand kit – Whether you're DIY-ing or working with others, a mini brand guide with your colors, fonts, logo variations, and style guidelines will keep everything consistent and save time.

Time for a podcast glow-up? 💫

So, be honest with yourself:
Are your podcast visuals working for you? Are they scroll-stopping? Are they consistent? Do they reflect what your show is really about?

If not, it might be time for a refresh. A strong visual identity helps future listeners find you, trust you, and click play.

Remember: Your audio is the product, but your visuals are the billboard. Make sure they’re representing your podcast well.

P.S. Looks like I was mind-melding with

Shreya Sharma

and
Arielle Nissenblatt
over at
Podcast Marketing Magic
—they published their own take on cover art recently. Go check it out!