Designing Podcast Artwork to Get Clicks

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Hey, Podcasters! Let’s be honest: we all judge podcasts by their cover.

In fact, 62% of new listeners are more likely to check out a podcast if they like the cover art. That means your artwork isn’t just a placeholder, it’s your show’s first impression! And that can either be a good thing or a bad thing.

Here's how to make sure your artwork is doing its job and standing out to new listeners:

1. Keep It Simple
The best artwork does one thing really well. That might mean a bold font, a single striking image, or a unique color palette. But once you start adding in a logo, tagline, headshot, app icons, and your podcast’s URL…you’ve lost the plot.

Aim for:

• One strong visual concept
• Clear, readable typography
• Zero clutter

If you want real examples of what works (and what doesn’t), we break it down in ​this blog post​ with templates and visual references to get you started.

2. Match the Tone of Your Show
Think about how your podcast sounds. Is it funny, serious, calming, or unhinged? Make sure your cover feels like that! Listeners make assumptions based on your artwork. If it looks good and communicates tone clearly, they’ll know exactly what your show is about.

3. Choose the Right Visual Approach
There’s no single right way to design cover art, but here are three directions that usually work:

Host Photo If your face is the brand (think celebrity or influencer), a photo makes sense. If not, consider whether it’s adding anything or contributing to clutter. 

Iconography A single, meaningful image can tell a story at a glance. Just avoid clichés like microphones or headphones; you wouldn’t put a DVD on a movie poster!

Typography-Led If your show name is clever or strong on its own, lean into that. Bold, clean type can stand out more than an overworked design ever will.

No matter which route you take, it needs to look good on a small scale, because that’s how people are seeing it in app menus and search results.

Real Feedback from Real People
If this is starting to feel intimidating, you don’t have to do it alone. 

I love this ​Reddit thread​ where podcasters share their thoughts on what makes good podcast artwork. It’s a great way to gut-check your design or get unstuck.

And if you want to help a Buzzsprout podcaster decide, the host of People in Australia could use your help ​weighing in on different designs​.

TL;DR:

If you're a visual learner, watch this video!

You can listen to the team break down everything about podcast cover art in ​this week's episode of Buzzcast​. 

Both resources walk you through design best practices, how to think about thumbnails, and how to avoid common design pitfalls without needing to be a professional graphic designer.

If your cover art communicates tone, stands out in your category, and looks sharp at small sizes, you’re in great shape. And if you're not sure, we're here to help! Post your artwork

Have a question for Megan? Send a text!

That's all for this week! Thanks for listening & keep podcasting!