The specs
- Square, 1:1
- 3000 × 3000 pixels or larger
- JPG or PNG
- RGB colour
That's it. Design whatever you like inside those bounds.
RGB, not CMYK
This is the one that catches people out. If your cover came from a designer who works in print, it may have been saved in CMYK, and CMYK files fail ingestion at the stores every time.
In Photoshop it's Image → Mode → RGB Color. In Affinity it's Document Setup → Colour. Export again and you're done.
DPI doesn't matter
72, 300, whatever your export dialog says, DPI is a printing instruction and screens ignore it entirely. Only the pixel dimensions matter. You can stop worrying about this one for good.
Text on the cover
Your own artist name and the release title are completely fine. Put them on there and style them however you want.
What stores won't take is promotional text: URLs, social handles, prices, "OUT NOW", "STREAM EVERYWHERE", or store logos. A cover has to still make sense in five years, so anything that's really an advert gets rejected.
Beyond that: use imagery you have the rights to, and don't put someone else's name or face on your release.
Need more help?
A real person on our team reads every message. We're usually quickest on Instagram.
- @moosyc
- support@moosyc.com