When publishing your podcast on Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes), it’s essential to meet Apple’s artwork specifications to ensure your podcast is accepted and displayed properly across all devices.
According to Apple’s Podcast Artwork Requirements, your podcast cover art must:
Have dimensions of at least 1400 x 1400 pixels and up to 3000 x 3000 pixels
Be in JPEG or PNG file format
Use the RGB color space
Be a square image
Resizing your image to 1400 x 1400 pixels ensures that it meets the minimum resolution required by Apple. High-resolution artwork is necessary for crisp display on high-definition screens and proper scaling across podcast directories. Failing to meet these specifications may result in your podcast artwork not appearing correctly—or at all—on Apple Podcasts.
How to Resize Your Image to 1400 x 1400 Pixels
If your current image does not meet Apple’s requirements, you can easily resize it using built-in tools on Mac and Windows.
Option 1: Resizing Images Using Preview on Mac
Preview is a built-in Mac application that allows you to view and edit images without installing additional software.
Step 1: Open Your Image in Preview
Locate the image file on your Mac.
Right-click (or Control-click) the image file.
Select Open With > Preview.
Step 2: Access the Resize Function
With the image open in Preview, click Tools in the menu bar.
Select Adjust Size... from the dropdown menu.
Step 3: Adjust the Image Dimensions
In the Image Dimensions dialog box, locate the width and height settings.
If your image is not square, uncheck the "Scale proportionally" or "Lock aspect ratio" option.
Set both Width and Height to 1400 pixels.
Ensure the units are set to pixels.
Step 4: Apply the Changes
Click OK to resize the image.
Step 5: Save Your Resized Image
To overwrite the original image, go to File > Save.
To create a new copy without altering the original, choose File > Duplicate, then File > Save.
Option 2: Resizing Images Using Paint on Windows
Microsoft Paint is a built-in image editing tool available on all Windows computers.
Step 1: Open Your Image in Paint
Locate the image file on your computer.
Right-click the file.
Select Open with > Paint.
Step 2: Access the Resize Function
In Paint, click the Resize button in the Home tab.
This will open the Resize and Skew dialog box.
Step 3: Adjust the Image Dimensions
Select the Pixels option.
Uncheck the "Maintain aspect ratio" checkbox to manually set both dimensions.
Enter 1400 in both the Horizontal and Vertical fields.
Step 4: Apply the Changes
Click OK to resize the image.
Step 5: Save Your Resized Image
To overwrite the original image, click File > Save.
To keep the original, choose File > Save As, and save the resized image under a new name or location.
Additional Tips for High-Quality Artwork
Maintain Image Quality – Resizing smaller images up to 1400 x 1400 pixels may result in pixelation or blurriness. If possible, start with a high-resolution image.
Avoid Distortion – If your original image isn’t square, forcing it into 1400 x 1400 pixels without keeping the aspect ratio may stretch or distort the artwork. Consider cropping to a square before resizing.
Use Professional Tools for Better Results – If you need higher-quality scaling, try Adobe Photoshop, GIMP (free alternative), or Canva, which offer advanced resizing options that preserve image sharpness.
By following these steps, you can ensure your podcast artwork meets Apple’s requirements, improving visibility and professionalism on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other platforms.