How to add a Spotify Canvas to your release
Adding a Spotify Canvas is a great way to add an extra visual element to your new release, next to your artwork. It gives artists an opportunity to elevate their vision and get extra creative. There are a few things to keep in mind when uploading your Canvas in Spotify for Artists. Read all about our tips below!
A Spotify Canvas is a visual loop of max 8 seconds long that shows in a vertical format to fill the screen. It appears in the Now Playing View instead of your album artwork. Additionally, when you want to share a Spotify song on your Instagram Stories, the Canvas and the artwork will both be shared and added to your Story.
You can add a Canvas to any track, including your upcoming releases. You either need to be the first main artist listed on the track or the main artist listed on both the track and release.
In Spotify for Artists, users with an Admin or Editor role can follow these steps:
- Log in to Spotify for Artists
- Go to your Music page
- Select a track
- Click Add Canvas (web) or Create Canvas (mobile app)
You can’t use your Spotify Canvas to sell anything or be overly promotional. It’s mainly a tool to enhance and add to your artistic message. This means you can’t direct people to any websites or URLs with your Canvas and you can’t encourage follows or likes on social media.
Any text that you’re adding to the Canvas must be relevant to the specific track and not distract from the underlying image or artwork. You can’t add any brands or logos.
Choose footage without talking, singing, or rapping. The clips are only 3-8 seconds long, so they won’t sync with the lyrics.
Avoid rapid video cuts or intense flashing graphics.
Phone screen size is important. The edges may get cut off on some phones.
Consider excluding your song and artist name. It already shows in the Now Playing view in the Spotify app.
Try to tell a full story. You only have 8 seconds, but trimmed down music videos and incomplete stories can leave fans expecting more.
Create a theme. Connect your Canvas identity to your album art, profile picture, header image, or even playlists. You could even create a narrative across an entire release.
Keep it updated. You can change your Canvas over time to tell a current story, explore different visions, or just to keep things interesting.
Your Canvas needs to be:
- 3-8 seconds long
- Vertical 9:16 ratio
- Between 720px - 1080px tall
- An MP4 or JPG file
You can find more information and Canvas examples at canvas.spotify.com.