How To Create A Professional Podcast Cover (2022)

Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise; first impression really matters. Your podcast cover is often the first thing that listeners see, setting the tone for your podcast. You can either set up your podcast for success or failure with your podcast cover. Yet, a quick look at podcast shows reveals that many podcasters don't know how to create a professional podcast cover, missing an opportunity to convince their potential listeners. A podcast cover has the potential to convince about 62% of new listeners, as it’s usually a judge of the quality of your podcast. Your podcast cover must be professional, showing listeners that your show is worth listening to. In this piece, we’ll be focusing on how to create a professional podcast cover good enough to convince listeners to take a peep and listen;

1. Research your Niche

To create a podcast cover that stands out, pay special attention to the topic and product of your show. In clear terms, the podcast cover must communicate the subject of your podcast show. There must be relevance between the podcast cover and the topic.

2. Get Inspired

You can find inspiration for yours by looking at podcast covers in your niche. Check out your favorite podcast shows; there’s something spectacular about their podcast covers. Look at other podcast covers on Disctopia; take a cue from the podcast cover template you like best.

3. Create a Moodboard

A mood board will help you decide precisely how your podcast cover should look. Open a new file in your image editing software and paste some relevant images on it. This will be the first step of your podcast cover design process, don't worry if it doesn't look pretty yet. Try to include some images that convey the tone of your show. Use your best intuition when deciding how to arrange the images.

4. Steer Clear of Overused Podcast Imagery

No matter what you in your podcast cover, don’t use image of a microphone or pop filters. Try to be unique in your imagery, don’t follow the crowd.

How To Edit Your Podcast Cover

Now it's time to create your podcast cover. First, you need to add text on your mood board with your title, contact details (if you have them), and some essential information about the topic of your show (this can be taken from the episode description). Then, use one of the following Photoshop templates for creating a podcast cover:

1. Which template you use for your podcast cover will depend on the length of your title and how many images are in the mood board. Use the one that best fits your podcast.
2. Place your images on the template using the Layer Mask Tool (or hard-line technique if you want to be precise). Then add another text layer with any information you might need, such as episode descriptions or an introduction to yourself as a blogger (if applicable), and adjust it accordingly until it looks good.
3. Once you're happy with your podcast cover, save it in JPG format and then upload a JPEG preview for it to iTunes.
4. Don't stop there – you should also add a link to your website or blog on your podcast cover.

How To Create Podcast Cover: Tools and Resources

• Stock Photo Site

You’ll need stock images to create a professional podcast cover. We recommend Unsplash, Pixabay, and Pexel; these are free alternatives to Shutterstock. You’ll find high-quality photos from these sites. 

• Canva

With a bit of knowledge about graphic design, Canva can get you started on how to create a podcast cover for your show. There are innumerable templates you can work around to create your podcast cover. The free version of Canva should be enough to create a design. 

• Stencil

This is quite similar to Canva. Stencil offers images and templates to create your podcast cover. There’s even a Stencil browser extension that allows you to all of the podcast cover design without copying, pasting, or uploading. 

• A Graphic Designer

Suppose graphics designing is not your forte; no need to push your luck. Just go the old way by hiring a graphics designer. It’s even easier now; go to Fiverr, Upwork, or 99Designs; there’s someone ready to help within your budget.   

Final words on How To Create a Podcast Cover

Your podcast cover must look professional whether you want to start a free or premium podcast. Using the above steps, you can learn how to create a podcast cover and make an impression on your listeners.