What Is Spotify Canvas, and How Do I Add One?
Distribution & Stores

Canvas is a short, looping vertical visual that plays in place of your cover art in the Now Playing view of the Spotify mobile app. You add it yourself in Spotify for Artists, one track at a time, and you can add it to songs that haven't come out yet.

Canvas isn't something you upload to MOOSYC. Your release reaches Spotify through MOOSYC, and the Canvas goes on in Spotify for Artists.

The specs

Spotify's requirements for a Canvas:

• 3 to 8 seconds long
• Vertical, in a 9:16 ratio
• 720 to 1080 pixels tall
• An MP4 or JPG file

Spotify warns that if the length or size is even slightly off, the upload can fail. (Spotify: Canvas guidelines, Fix a Canvas upload error)

How to add a Canvas

Spotify lists who can add a Canvas:

• The first main artist on the track
• A main artist on both the track and the release
• With the Admin or Editor role in Spotify for Artists

Not in Spotify for Artists yet? See How to Get Verified on Spotify for how to claim your profile.

On the web

1. Log in at artists.spotify.com.
2. Go to Music.
3. Select your track.
4. Click Add Canvas.

In the Spotify for Artists app

1. Tap Music.
2. Select your track.
3. Tap Canvas.

(Spotify: Adding a Canvas)

Adding one before release day

Unreleased music shows in the Upcoming tab in Spotify for Artists (Music, then Upcoming), and you can add a Canvas from there. A release appears in Upcoming once your distributor has delivered it to Spotify, which Spotify says can take around 48 hours. Releases you're only featured on don't show there. (Spotify: Unreleased music)

So if you want the Canvas ready for day one, set your release date a few weeks out. See Custom Release Dates.

Making a good one

Spotify's own tips:

• Skip talking, singing or rapping. A 3 to 8 second clip won't sync with your lyrics.
• Avoid rapid cuts and intense flashing. They can overwhelm the viewer.
• Keep the edges clear. Some phones cut them off.
• Leave out your song and artist name. The Now Playing view already shows them.
• Choose a loop type. A continuous loop repeats seamlessly, a hard cut has clear edit points, and a rebound plays the clip forwards and then in reverse.
• Connect it to your release. Tie it to your cover art, profile picture or header image, and change it over time if you like.

More examples are at artists.spotify.com/canvas.

What isn't allowed

Spotify's Canvas content policy, in short:

• Keep listeners in Spotify. No pointing people to websites, ticket sellers or social accounts, and no asking for follows or likes.
• Text has to be about the track. No promoting other songs, brands, products, deals, or contests.
• Mark it explicit if it shows or refers to profanity, violence, drugs, sexual behavior or other sensitive topics.

Spotify removes Canvases that break its Platform Rules, and may remove ones that are overly promotional. (Spotify: Canvas content policy)

If your Canvas isn't showing

• Canvas plays only in the Spotify mobile app, on iOS 12 or later or Android 6.0 or later.
• Check the listener's settings. Under Settings and privacy, Data Saver needs to be off, and Canvas needs to be on under Content and display.
• Check the country. Canvas is available to listeners in a long list of countries and regions, which Spotify publishes.
• Labels with split rights can add Canvas only to the versions they own.

(Spotify: Canvas not showing)

How views are counted

Spotify counts a Canvas view when someone opens the Now Playing view and sees your Canvas, at most once per stream, however long they listen. A song can have more Canvas views than streams, because a stream only counts after 30 seconds. You'll find the numbers in Spotify for Artists. (Spotify: How we count Canvas views)