Best Podcast Cover Art Designers

What a good podcast cover package includes

Podcast cover gigs are usually priced per design, with extras for templates. Check that the package states:

• Square cover at the platforms' required size.
• Concepts and revisions.
• Typography readable at small sizes.
• Images: your photo, illustration or licensed stock.
• Extras: episode templates, social banners, audiogram backgrounds.
• Source file and rights.

Ask to see the draft as it appears in a podcast app, next to other shows in your category. The designer can place it in a mockup of a real listing, which quickly shows whether it stands out or blends in.

How to brief a podcast cover designer

1. Show name and host names, spelled exactly.
2. Topic and audience.
3. Tone: serious, funny, calm, energetic.
4. Photos of the host, if used.
5. Covers you like in and outside your category.
6. Brand files, if the podcast belongs to a business.
7. Platform requirements.

Look at the top shows in your category before briefing. Notice colors and styles that are overused, and ask the designer to create something that fits the category but still looks different.

Keep the cover stable once published. Changing it often can confuse listeners who recognize your show by its artwork. If you refresh it, keep key elements, such as color or layout, the same.

If you plan video episodes or clips, mention it. The designer can create a matching style for video thumbnails, keeping your show recognizable across platforms.

Ask for a version without text as well. It is useful as a background for video episodes, audiograms and social posts, where you add episode titles on top. Having it from the start keeps all your show's visuals consistent without extra design work each time, and it gives you flexibility if you later change the show's subtitle or tagline.

What drives the price

• custom illustration or photo editing
• number of concepts and revisions
• episode and social templates
• animated versions
• source files
• the designer's experience with podcasts

Templates for episode graphics save time and money later, because you can create new episode images yourself.

Red flags

• Titles unreadable at small sizes.
• Files below the platforms' size requirements.
• Images with no license information.
• Cluttered designs with many small details.
• No source file.

Check the cover on a phone in dark mode and light mode. Some apps show artwork against dark backgrounds, where edges and colors can look different.

For producing the show, see our podcast production guide. For growing listeners, read our podcast marketing guide, and for an intro jingle our jingle guide.

Quick pre-order checklist

• The cover meets the platforms' size requirements.
• The show name is readable at small sizes.
• The design stands out in my category.
• All images are licensed or original.
• I will get source files and templates as needed.