Reading Time: 5 minutes
What’s a podcast logo, and do you need one for your show? We’ll explain what a logo is, how it’s different from your artwork, and give you some examples of the best podcast logos and artwork around.
Your podcast artwork, or cover art, is the square image uploaded to hosting platforms and visible on all streaming services – it’s one of the first things your listeners will see as they’re scrolling through apps, and should both grab their attention and give them an idea of what your show is about.
Your logo is an icon used across your branding – think McDonald’s golden arches or Apple’s nibbled apple. Your logo can (and probably should) be used in your podcast artwork, but it isn’t required. Logos aren’t required, at all, really – they’re just useful for professionalism and brand recognition.
Your artwork grabs scrollers as they’re cycling through podcast apps. Think of how many titles, how many shows podcast listeners will see in a day – to have any chance of attracting first time listeners, your art needs to be unique, eye-catching and enticing.
Use the same tired podcasting icons (think microphones and headphones) and you’ll just blend into the sea of mediocrity; put some real care and time into what you want your artwork to communicate, and how it’s going to do it, and you’ll see an influx of interested first timers.
A unique, recognizable logo can help boost your brand positioning in listeners’ minds – not only does it make you and your work look more professional, but it can become visual shorthand for your whole identity. If you can craft a simple, memorable logo, it can be used across all of your marketing and branding, from your podcast artwork to your merchandise.
Unashamedly ‘80s, evoking a Vegas bar more than an industry podcast, In and Around Podcasting’s cover perfectly encapsulates the genre-convention defying podcasting podcast.
Bold, tongue in cheek and eye-catching. My Dad Wrote Porno’s art perfectly communicates the irreverent, funny tone of the show itself.
Minimalist, clear and professional, This American Life’s artwork really illustrates the tone and brand identity of the podcast.
The Financial Times’ News Briefing art is simple, eye-catching and draws the perfect connotations of reading the morning news over a cup of coffee.
RunPod’s artwork shows a bright summer day, and the logo visually illustrates how listeners are expected to listen to the show while running. It’s a great way of connecting with the audience, and the colours are consistent and enticing.
The Economist’s The Intelligence’s podcast artwork is sleek and minimal, drawing on the universally recognisable visual shorthand an idea, the lightbulb, to do most of the heavy lifting in listeners’ minds.
Celebrity Catch Up’s art also draws on some established visual shorthand to shore up it’s brand identity: the steaming coffee cup representing the meeting of friends to talk in a cafe. This illustrates the conversational, laid back vibe of the podcast personally, and primes the listener into expecting the guests to candidly open up.
If your podcast has awards, accolades or is part of a renowned and highly-regarded network, demonstrate this in your cover art.
Free From Desire won the Tribeca Film Narrative Nonfiction Audio Storytelling Award and subtly includes this in the top right of their design. This demonstrates credibility without taking away from the main design elements such as the title and images to portray what the podcast is about.
The Receipts Podcast is fun, playful and casual. You’d know that without even listening to it, thanks to the cover art. Icons used nod to what the show is about, and they proudly show their big sponsor, Bumble.
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Let’s take a look at some podcasts which incorporate an established logo into their design, to give you an idea of how to do it effectively and simply.
The Running Channel’s black and white logo offers contrast against the yellow and red background, making it stand out and eye-catching.
Meditation Mountain’s logo perfectly blends into the rest of the cover art, using shades of blue that compliment each other, adding to the calm and relaxed nature of the podcast.
Team Oxygenaddict Podcast’s logo takes up substantial real estate on the cover art, making sure the show’s branding is prioritized.
Your eyes are instantly drawn to Sequelisers striking podcast logo, which takes up more than 50% of the artwork. Again, prioritising the show’s branding.
Like with most things in a creative industry, you can spend as much or as little as you want to on your podcast logo. If you’re handy with a pen or with a programme like Canva or Photoshop, you can create your own logo for the price of the equipment (Canva: Free, Photoshop: £22/month, Pen: ~£1), or if designing isn’t really your wheelhouse then you can outsource the project to a designer on a website like Fiverr. It’s really worth spending the time and money to get it right, if you can.
Absolutely! You could use a free programme like Canva to easily create professional quality podcast logos and cover art. Use a template or design from scratch, pick colors and fonts to suit the theme of your podcast, and choose from a range of free icons, shapes and images. If you fancy yourself as an artist, you can always actually draw the logo manually and then scan it in, too.
You need something unique, eye-catching and enticing. Don’t use overused icons, like microphones, and make sure your text is legible even at small sizes. Avoid clutter and over filling, and make sure the art reflects the content and tone.
Think small – remember how tiny the art will be while listeners are scrolling past, and try to use colours from your branding to maintain visual consistency. Make sure the text is legible at super small sizes, by using a nice simple font, and that your colors don’t affect readability.
Reading Time: 16 minutes Podcast cover art is essential to starting any new podcast. Here are our 5 do’s and don’ts for designing quality artwork for your show.
JPEG or PNG, and it should be between 1400x1400p and 3000x3000p. These specs are a requirement from Apple Podcasts, and are industry standard. The bigger size is preferable, if possible.
You can freely update your artwork within your host at any time, as many times as you like. We’d recommend not doing it all the time though, as it’ll dash your chances of building up a recognisable brand. If you’re doing a rebrand, make it a big event and get your audience involved and excited!
You can ask for feedback from friends and family, and use OnlyPod, a great free tool which allows you to preview how your art will look across streaming platforms. WebAIM also has a tool that analyzes and calculates the contrast ratio between two colors or elements, giving you a ‘Pass’ or ‘Fail’.
Your show artwork needs to catch listeners’ attention and visually illustrate the vibe and content of your show, whereas your logo is a recognisable icon for you to use across your wider marketing and branding scheme. Your artwork is an absolute necessity – you can’t upload a podcast without some – whereas your logo is technically optional, and can be a constituent part of your artwork or can be entirely omitted.
Avoid overused icons, keep colours consistent with your established brand and make sure any text is legible even at the smallest sizes and you’re well on the way to the perfect logo and podcast art!
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Ben is a content writer and podcast support expert for Captivate, and has been with the team since 2021. He has a first-class degree in Journalism, and uses these skills to help new and veteran podcasters alike level up their content: reviewing tech, crafting product guides and sharing cutting edge podcasting news. Ben is always on hand to help Captivate podcasters with anything they run into, from when they first import their show to advanced questions like how to grow your audience or where to start with monetization. He loves what he does, and is committed to helping podcasters grow their show using Captivate. He’s always been a podcast fan - current favourites include Steven West’s ‘Philosophize This’ and Bob Mortimer’s ‘Athletico Mince’.
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