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Spotify Canvas: size, length and specs

A Canvas is a 3–8 second vertical loop, 9:16, between 720 and 1080 pixels tall, uploaded as an MP4 or JPG. Here's the rest of what Spotify asks for, what to avoid, and how to add one.

By Plastic · Updated 11 October 2026 · 5 min read

In this guide
  1. The specs at a glance
  2. Make it loop
  3. Keep the middle clear
  4. What Spotify asks you to avoid
  5. How to add a Canvas
  6. Does a Canvas help?
  7. Where to make one
  8. A Canvas reaches people who already pressed play
  9. Questions

The specs at a glance

Length3 to 8 seconds
ShapeVertical, 9:16
Size720 to 1080 pixels tall, so up to 1080 × 1920
FileMP4 (video) or JPG (still)
PlaybackLoops, with no sound of its own; your track plays over it
Where it showsThe Now Playing screen in Spotify's phone app, in place of the cover art

Spotify doesn't publish a maximum file size or a frame rate. A 1080 × 1920 MP4 at 24 or 30 frames per second, a few megabytes long, is the safe choice.

  • 1080 × 19209:16, vertical
  • 3–8 secondsloops
  • MP4 or JPGno sound of its own
  • No text, logos or linksthe player shows the title

Make it loop

The Canvas plays over and over, so the joint between the last frame and the first is the part people notice. Spotify names three ways to loop:

  • Continuous loop: the last frame flows into the first, so the joint can't be seen. Slow camera moves, smoke, water, light and grain loop best.
  • Hard cut: a clean cut back to the start, on purpose. It works when the cut lands on a beat.
  • Rebound: the clip plays forward, then backwards. Any footage can be looped this way.

Keep the middle clear

On the phone, Spotify's player covers the top of the screen and much of the bottom half: the track title, the artist, the progress bar and the controls. Spotify also warns that the edges may get cut off on some phones. Put whatever matters (a face, a hand on a guitar, an object) in the middle of the frame, and leave the top and bottom as atmosphere.

The Canvas plays behind the track title and the controls.

What Spotify asks you to avoid

Spotify's guidelines and its Canvas content policy say:

  • No selling. A Canvas "shouldn't be used to sell anything or be overly promotional". That means no links or web addresses, no ticket sellers and no "follow me". It also rules out other songs, brands or logos (Spotify's included), discounts and contests. Spotify may remove a Canvas used this way.
  • Text only if it belongs to the track. Spotify suggests leaving out your song and artist name, because the screen already shows them.
  • No talking, singing or rapping on camera. The Canvas isn't synced to your song, so lips moving out of time look wrong.
  • No rapid cuts or intense flashing. Spotify says these "may overwhelm the viewer".
  • Mark it explicit when it is. Profanity, violence, drugs or sex need the explicit mark, and Canvases that break Spotify's platform rules are removed.

How to add a Canvas

To add one, you need an Admin or Editor role in Spotify for Artists. You also need to be the track's first main artist, or a main artist on both the track and the release.

  1. On a computer: open artists.spotify.com, go to Music, choose the track, and click Add Canvas.
  2. On your phone: open the Spotify for Artists app, go to Music, choose the track, and tap the edit icon next to Canvas.
  3. Upload the MP4 or JPG, check the preview, and save.

You can add a Canvas to any track, including upcoming releases, so it can be ready on release day. Your distributor doesn't upload it for you: DistroKid and Ditto both send you to Spotify for Artists for the upload.

Does a Canvas help?

Spotify says so, with numbers from different years:

  • 2019: a high-quality Canvas "increased streams by up to 120% and saves by up to 114%".
  • 2020: listeners were, on average, 145% more likely to share a track with a Canvas (Spotify, quoted by TechCrunch).
  • 2023 data: listeners "save or playlist tracks with a Canvas over 4X more on average".

These are Spotify's own figures and "up to" numbers, but the direction is clear. A Canvas costs one evening, and it keeps working for as long as the song is on Spotify.

Where to make one

  • Free: DistroKid (for its members) and Ditto both have Canvas generators that build a loop from stock footage. They're quick, but other artists use the same clips.
  • Your own footage: a few seconds from your video shoot, phone footage from the studio, or a slow move over your cover art. Trim it to 8 seconds, export at 1080 × 1920, and check that the loop joint is clean.
  • Stock footage, made yours: free clips from Pexels and similar sites work, but other artists use them too. Put a strong look over them (grain, a color grade, a bitmap or print effect) so the footage is still there underneath but the loop looks like your release.

“For my own Canvases I searched Pexels for videos that fit the vibe without being cheesy. It worked, but the videos weren't mine. I wanted an effect on top, something bold, like a bitmap, so you still feel the footage underneath but it becomes yours. That's where the looks in Clips came from.”

Kai Williams, who made Clips

A Canvas reaches people who already pressed play

A Canvas works on people who are already listening. To reach people who've never heard the song, you need short vertical videos that run as ads on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. That's a different job. The first second has to stop a scroll, and you won't know which part of the song does that until you test it. That's what Clips is for.

Questions

What is the Spotify Canvas size?

9:16 vertical, between 720 and 1080 pixels tall. The largest size is 1080 × 1920.

How long can a Spotify Canvas be?

Between 3 and 8 seconds. It loops for as long as the track plays.

Can a Spotify Canvas have sound?

No. The Canvas is silent, and your track plays over it. Don't use footage of someone singing or talking: it won't be in sync.

Can I add a Canvas before my song comes out?

Yes. Spotify lets you add a Canvas to upcoming releases in Spotify for Artists.

Why don't I see my Canvas?

Canvas plays only in Spotify's phone app, in supported countries, with Canvas turned on in the app's settings and Data Saver off. Check those before re-uploading.

Sources

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