A single needs more than a cover. At minimum: the square cover art, a vertical Spotify Canvas loop, pre-save graphics for feed and stories, teaser clips, updated profile images, a release-day announcement set and a YouTube thumbnail. Plan them in four waves (before you announce, announce, release day and after) and you'll never be designing a story graphic at midnight while the song is already live.
Below is the checklist I use, with specs pulled from the platforms' own help pages. Specs change, so click through and confirm before you export.
Free download: get this whole checklist as a fillable PDF in my Artist Release Kit, with a platform spec sheet and a release planner. Get the free kit
Wave 1: Before you announce
This is the work fans never see, and it decides whether everything else goes smoothly.
Lock the title and artist name spelling. Whatever is on the cover has to match your release info exactly. Fix typos now, not after delivery.
Finish the cover art. It's the source for almost every other asset, so it comes first.
Export the delivery file. TuneCore's artwork requirements ask for a square JPG, PNG or GIF, at least 1600 × 1600 and no larger than 3000 × 3000 pixels, in RGB, under 10MB. They note that iTunes recommends 3000 × 3000, so that's the size I deliver. Other distributors publish their own rules, so check yours.
Clean the cover of anything that gets flagged. TuneCore only allows the artist name and release title (or no text), and rejects URLs, email addresses, pricing, store logos and art you don't have the rights to.
Build a master file with layers. Keep the type, background and subject separate so you can rebuild the cover at vertical and horizontal sizes without stretching anything.
Lock the rollout look. One title treatment, one color story and one or two typefaces for every asset in the campaign. More on that in my album cover art guide.
Wave 2: The announcement
Now you tell people it's coming. The goal is a small kit that works everywhere.
Announcement post (feed). Meta's ads guide for Instagram feed recommends a 4:5 ratio at 1440 × 1800 pixels, JPG or PNG. I use the same size for organic posts so one file works for both.
Announcement story. For stories, Meta recommends 9:16 at 1440 × 2560 and suggests keeping about 14% of the top, 35% of the bottom and 6% on each side free of text and logos so nothing gets covered by the interface.
Pre-save graphics. A feed version and a story version with the cover, release date and a clear "pre-save" line. Put the actual link in your bio or link sticker, not baked into the image.
Teaser clips. Short vertical videos built from the cover world: a snippet over the artwork, a behind-the-scenes clip, a lyric line animated in the title type. Meta's Reels guidance recommends 9:16, MP4 or MOV, with the same safe zones as stories.
Countdown graphics. A simple template you can update ("3 days," "tomorrow," "tonight") without redesigning.
One note on Spotify: Countdown Pages are only for new albums and EPs, not singles, so don't plan your single's pre-save around one.
Wave 3: Release day
These go live the moment the song does. Have every file exported and named the night before.
Spotify Canvas
Canvas is the looping vertical visual that plays behind your track in the Spotify app. According to Spotify's Canvas guidelines:
Ratio: 9:16 vertical
Height: between 720 and 1080 pixels
Length: 3 to 8 seconds
Format: MP4 or JPG
Spotify also recommends avoiding rapid cuts and intense flashing, and keeping important content away from the edges because some phones crop them. The Canvas content policy says no website URLs, ticket links or prompts to follow your socials.
You can add a Canvas to upcoming releases, so upload it before release day if you can. It has to be added by the first main artist on the track (or a main artist on both the track and the release) with an Admin or Editor role in Spotify for Artists.
Spotify profile images
Update your profile so it matches the new era. Spotify's artist image guidelines list minimums of 750 × 750 for the avatar and 2660 × 1140 for the header, in JPEG, PNG or GIF up to 20MB. Watch out: those same guidelines say no text in artist images and no promoting an upcoming release, so your header should be a strong photo, not a flyer.
Social release set
"Out now" feed post (4:5)
"Out now" story (9:16) with the link sticker space left open
Reel or short (9:16) with the hook in the first seconds
Updated profile pictures across every platform
YouTube
If you're posting a visualizer, lyric video or official audio, you need a thumbnail. YouTube's help page lists 16:9 thumbnails at 3840 × 2160 for videos (minimum width 640) and 9:16 for Shorts, in JPG or PNG. Custom thumbnails require a verified account, so verify well before release day.
Wave 4: After release
The first week is when most artists go quiet. Keep the visuals moving:
Lyric graphics with your best lines set in the campaign type
Fan reposts template so sharing a story looks good on your page
Milestone and thank-you graphics built on the same template
Performance or live clips framed with the campaign color and title
Merch tie-in, if the cover graphic is strong enough to wear (see my merch design guide)
The full checklist at a glance
Before announce
Final cover art (master layered file)
Delivery JPG or PNG to your distributor's spec
Text and rights check on the cover
Rollout style locked (type, color, title treatment)
Announce
Announcement post (4:5) and story (9:16)
Pre-save post and story
Two or three teaser clips (9:16)
Countdown template
Release day
Spotify Canvas (9:16, 3 to 8 seconds)
Spotify avatar and header refreshed
"Out now" post, story and reel
YouTube thumbnail
Profile pictures updated everywhere
After
Lyric graphics
Repost and milestone templates
Live clip frames
Merch graphic
Mistakes that cost you on release day
Designing everything from the square. Cropping a 1:1 cover to 9:16 cuts off the subject. Build vertical versions from the layered file instead.
Ignoring safe zones. Titles hidden behind the caption, buttons or profile icon are the most common problem I see.
Text on the Spotify header. The guidelines say no text, so keep it clean.
Last-minute file names. "final_FINAL2.mp4" at 11:58 p.m. is how the wrong version goes live.
FAQ
What size should single cover art be?
Square and high resolution. TuneCore accepts 1600 × 1600 up to 3000 × 3000 and notes iTunes recommends 3000 × 3000, which is the safest size to deliver anywhere. Always check your own distributor's page.
How long should a Spotify Canvas be?
Spotify's guidelines say 3 to 8 seconds, vertical 9:16, with a height between 720 and 1080 pixels, as MP4 or JPG.
Can I put text or links on my Canvas?
Text should relate to the track and support the artwork. Spotify's content policy rules out website URLs, ticket links and prompts to follow social accounts.
When should I start making release visuals?
Finish the cover and delivery file before you announce anything, since every other asset is built from it. The rest can be produced in one batch once the rollout look is locked.
Do I need a different graphic for every platform?
You need different sizes, not different designs. One look, exported at 1:1, 4:5, 9:16 and 16:9, covers almost everything a single needs.
Get your whole rollout in one package
I design cover art plus the full set of release visuals, from Canvas loops and pre-save graphics to thumbnails and merch, for artists in Philly and everywhere else. See the work on my music and culture page.