Audio and artwork requirements
FLAC or WAV, 3000×3000 square artwork.
Audio
- FLAC or WAV. Do not upload MP3 — stores reject lossy files converted back to a lossless container.
- 16-bit or 24-bit, 44.1 kHz or higher.
- Stereo. Mono files are accepted but will sound quieter next to everything else.
- Leave headroom. Peaks above 0 dBFS clip when stores transcode.
- Trim leading and trailing silence, but keep intentional fades.
Artwork
- 3000 × 3000 pixels, perfectly square.
- JPG or PNG, RGB colour.
- Text must be legible at thumbnail size — most listeners never see it larger.
What gets artwork rejected
Stores reject artwork more often than audio, and almost always for the same reasons:
- Store logos or names on the cover — no Spotify logo, no Apple badge.
- URLs, social handles, or anything that reads as an advertisement.
- Pricing, release dates, or promotional text such as 'Out Now'.
- Blurred, pixelated, or upscaled images.
- Imagery you do not hold the rights to, including AI output trained on identifiable artwork.
The artist name and release title on the cover are fine, and should match the metadata exactly. A mismatch between cover text and metadata is itself a common rejection.