Album cover art for your single or EP at streaming size
Your release needs cover art that works as a tiny square in a playlist and as a big image on a phone's now-playing screen. This prompt has your todo.is agent turn your song's mood into three distinct concepts, set the artist name and title as clean type, and export at the 3000 x 3000 px size streaming distributors ask for.
The prompt
- Create album cover art for [RELEASE TITLE] by [ARTIST NAME], a [RELEASE TYPE]. Genre and sound: [GENRE AND MOOD]. Themes or lyrics that matter: [THEMES]. Visual ideas: [VISUAL IDEAS]. Make 3 different concepts as square 3000 x 3000 px JPG, RGB, under 10 MB. Generate the artwork with AI; if I want text on it, add the artist name and title as real type (exact spelling). No logos, website addresses, social handles or explicit-content labels on the art, since distributors often reject those. Show each one at 64 px so I can judge it in a playlist, and make a 1080 x 1920 vertical version of the one I pick for Stories.
What to change
- [RELEASE TITLE]: E.g. "Neon Tide". Add "(single)" or the track list if it helps.
- [ARTIST NAME]: Exactly as on streaming platforms, e.g. "Kai Moreno".
- [RELEASE TYPE]: "single", "EP", "album", or "mixtape".
- [GENRE AND MOOD]: E.g. "dreamy synth-pop, nostalgic and late-night", "raw garage rock", "lo-fi hip-hop, calm".
- [THEMES]: A line or two of lyrics or the story behind it, e.g. "driving along the coast after a breakup".
- [VISUAL IDEAS]: E.g. "80s film grain, pink and teal", "a photo of me I attached", or "surprise me".
Example result
- Cover art for "Neon Tide" by Kai Moreno
- Single · dreamy synth-pop, nostalgic, late-night · theme: driving along the coast after a breakup
- Concept 1: Coastal drive
- A vintage convertible from behind on an empty coast road at night, the sea lit pink and teal by a low moon. Soft 80s film grain and light leaks. "KAI MORENO" small in the top left, "NEON TIDE" in a wide chrome-style sans serif at the bottom.
- Concept 2: Wave in neon
- A single wave frozen mid-crash, outlined in glowing pink neon tubes against a black sky. No text: clean and iconic, works as an artist profile image too.
- Concept 3: Rear-view mirror
- Close-up of a rear-view mirror reflecting a blurred city skyline and the ocean, rain drops on the glass. Title handwritten in thin white script across the mirror.
- Playlist-size check
- • At 64 px, concept 2 reads best: one shape, strong contrast
- • Concept 1's car stays clear, but the small artist name disappears, which is fine because platforms show it next to the art
- • Concept 3 gets busy when small; simplified by removing the skyline detail
- Technical specs met
- • 3000 x 3000 px square, RGB, JPG at high quality (about 4 MB)
- • No URLs, social handles, logos of other brands or price text
- • Text, where used, matches the artist and title in your distributor metadata exactly
- Files delivered
- • kai_moreno_neon_tide_cover.jpg (concepts 1, 2 and 3)
- • neon_tide_story_1080x1920.jpg: vertical version of concept 2 for Instagram and TikTok
- • neon_tide_preview_64px.png: all three side by side at playlist size
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and add your release title, artist name, genre, themes and visual ideas.
- Paste it into todo.is or send it to your agent; attach photos of yourself or a mood reference if you have them.
- Review the three concepts and the small-size preview, then pick one.
- Upload the 3000 x 3000 JPG to your distributor, and ask your agent for promo images and a short looping video in the same look.
Tips for a better result
- Check your distributor's artwork rules before release day. Covers with URLs, blurry images or mismatched text are a common reason for delays.
- Keep the cover simple. Most people see it at thumbnail size, so one strong image beats a detailed scene.
- Build a series: ask for the same style with a new colour for each single, so the EP feels connected.
- Ask your agent for a short animated loop of the art (a few seconds, MP4) for social posts around the release.
album cover art: FAQ
- What size should album cover art be? 3000 x 3000 px square is the common standard for streaming distributors, as a high-quality JPG or PNG in RGB. Check your distributor's current minimums.
- Do I need my name and title on the cover? No. Streaming platforms show them next to the art. Many artists add them for style, but they must match your release metadata exactly if you do.
- Can I use AI art for a commercial release? Usually, but check the image model's terms and your distributor's policy on AI-generated artwork. Avoid anything that resembles another artist's cover or a real brand.
- Can you use my photo for the cover? Yes. Attach a high-resolution photo and your agent can edit, restyle or crop it into a square cover.
JavaScript is required to use the todo.is app.