Podcast Artwork Rejected or Not Updating? Here Is the Fix

Cover art rejected or stuck on the old image? Check the size, format and feed settings Apple and Spotify require, then fix it step by step today.

By Don karlos Fru · Published 2026-10-25

You redesigned your cover, uploaded it, and one of two things happened: a directory rejected the show outright, or the old artwork simply refuses to go away. Both problems are common, and both are usually fixable in one sitting. Artwork failures come down to three causes: the file breaks a platform rule, your host replaced or blocked the image inside your feed, or you updated a different piece of artwork from the one the directory is showing.

QUICK ANSWER

Export a square image at 3000x3000 pixels, JPG or PNG, RGB color space, 72 dpi. That satisfies Apple Podcasts and clears Spotify's minimum of 640x640 at a 1:1 ratio. If a compliant file still does not appear, check your RSS feed: some hosts overwrite feed artwork with other show artwork, and RSS.com advises opening a support ticket with your host to get the feed corrected. Also confirm you changed the show-level artwork, not only an episode image.

The specs Apple and Spotify require

Apple's podcast artwork requirements call for artwork at 3000x3000 pixels, square, saved as JPG or PNG, in the RGB color space at 72 dpi. Design at that size once and the same file will work almost everywhere.

Spotify's style guide, mirrored in Libsyn's help documentation, asks for a minimum of 640x640 pixels at a 1:1 ratio, in PNG or JPEG format, with a maximum file size of 20 MB. It also rules out artwork carrying text that promotes other platforms or services, so a cover that sends listeners to a competing service by name can be refused. The full checklist:

Size: 3000x3000 px (Spotify minimum 640x640 px)
Shape: square, 1:1 ratio
Format: JPG or PNG
Color: RGB color space, 72 dpi for Apple
File size: within Spotify's 20 MB maximum
Content: no text promoting other platforms or services (Spotify)

Close-up of a designer's hands drawing on a graphics tablet while creating podcast cover artwork — Editorial image from this article.

Cause 1: the file itself breaks a rule

Most rejections are plain file problems. The image is rectangular instead of square. It was exported in CMYK from a print workflow instead of RGB. It is smaller than the minimum size, or saved in a format the directory does not accept. Each of these is a short fix in your design tool: set the canvas to 3000x3000, switch the color mode to RGB, export as JPG or PNG, and upload the new file.

Cause 2: your host overwrote the artwork in your feed

Sometimes the file is fine and the upload succeeded, yet directories keep showing the old cover. What matters then is not your host's dashboard but the image your RSS feed points to. As RSS.com's blog explains, a host can overwrite the artwork in your feed with other show artwork, so directories keep pulling the image in the feed rather than the one you just uploaded. In that situation, uploading the same file again changes nothing. RSS.com's advice is to open a support ticket with your host and ask them to correct the artwork in the feed.

Cause 3: you changed episode art, not show art

Feed-level artwork and episode artwork are separate things. The show cover lives at feed level, and it is the image directories display for your podcast. Episode artwork belongs to an individual episode. Updating an episode image will not refresh your show's listing, and updating the show cover will not change artwork already attached to an episode. If one episode shows the wrong image while the show page looks right, you are looking at an episode-level problem, and the reverse is also true.

Step-by-step fix checklist

Open your design file and set the canvas to 3000x3000 pixels, square.
Convert the color mode to RGB and set the resolution to 72 dpi.
Remove any text that promotes another platform or service by name.
Export as JPG or PNG and check the file size before uploading.
Upload the file as your show-level (feed) artwork in your host's dashboard, not only as episode artwork.
Open your RSS feed and confirm the feed's artwork points to the new image.
If the feed still points to the old image after a correct upload, open a support ticket with your host and ask them to fix the feed artwork.
Recheck Apple Podcasts and Spotify once the feed is corrected. Directories refresh on their own schedule, so a short delay after the fix is normal.

Your cover is usually the first thing a potential listener judges, so it is worth getting right before you promote an episode. Once the artwork is clean everywhere, give it somewhere to send people: PodSubs gives your show a page built to turn casual listeners into email subscribers, so the audience your new cover earns stays reachable. Claim your show and put the artwork to work.

Frequently asked questions

What size should podcast artwork be?

Design at 3000x3000 pixels, square. That is the size in Apple's artwork requirements, and it comfortably clears Spotify's minimum of 640x640 pixels at a 1:1 ratio, so one master file can serve both directories.

Why did Apple Podcasts reject my artwork?

The usual causes are technical: the image is not square, it is below the required size, it was exported in CMYK instead of the RGB color space, or it is in a format other than JPG or PNG. Check the file against Apple's requirements (3000x3000 px, JPG or PNG, RGB, 72 dpi) and re-export.

Why does Spotify still show my old cover after I uploaded a new one?

The most likely reason is that your RSS feed still points to the old image. RSS.com notes that a host can overwrite the artwork in your feed with other show artwork, in which case re-uploading does not help. Check the feed, and if it is wrong, open a support ticket with your host.

What text is not allowed on Spotify cover art?

Spotify's style guide rules out artwork with text that promotes other platforms or services. Keep the cover focused on your show's own title and branding, and leave directions to other services for your episode descriptions and links.

Is episode artwork different from show artwork?

Yes. Show artwork lives at feed level and is what directories display for your podcast. Episode artwork is attached to a single episode. Changing one does not update the other, so make sure you are editing the level that is actually showing the wrong image.