The short version
- The Spotify Canvas size is 1080×1920 pixels, a vertical 9:16 video.
- A Canvas is a short looping visual that plays in place of the cover art in the Spotify mobile app's Now Playing view.
- Spotify sets the allowed length of a Canvas as a short range of seconds, and the current figure is listed in Spotify for Artists.
- Track details and playback controls cover the lower part of the screen, so the focal point of a Canvas belongs in the upper middle.
- A Canvas loops on its own, out of step with the music, so it should join seamlessly and avoid cuts timed to a beat.
On this page
The Spotify Canvas size is 1080×1920 pixels, a vertical 9:16 video that plays in place of your cover art when someone listens in the Spotify mobile app. It is a short loop of a few seconds, uploaded through Spotify for Artists, and it repeats for as long as the track plays. Spotify's interface covers the bottom of the screen with the song title and controls, so keep the focal point in the upper middle, and make the last frame flow straight back into the first.
Spotify Canvas dimensions and specs
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Canvas shares its frame with Instagram Stories and Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts. That matters, because the loop you make for one track can become the background of every vertical post that promotes it.
Spotify Canvas 1080×1920
1080 × 1920
Album cover 3000×3000
3000 × 3000
Playlist cover 1080×1080
1080 × 1080
The Spotify Canvas safe zone
On the Now Playing screen, Spotify places navigation at the top and the track title, artist name, progress bar and buttons across the lower part of the screen. The lower area is usually shaded so the controls stay readable. Anything important you put there will be partly hidden or dimmed.
What covers it
Use it for
What covers it
Use it for
What covers it
Use it for
How to make a Spotify Canvas loop seamlessly
A Canvas isn't timed to the music. It starts when the track starts and loops at its own length, so a cut that lands on the drop the first time will miss it every time after. The goal is movement that never visibly restarts. Seamless loop video goes deep on the technique; these are the methods that suit Canvas best.
How it loops
Suits
Suits
How it loops
Suits
How it loops
Suits
How it loops
Suits
- 1
Pick one movement
One slow motion reads better on a small screen than three competing ones.
- 2
Set the length first
Choose a length inside Spotify's range and make the cycle fit it exactly, so the first and last frames match.
- 3
Keep it slow
The loop will repeat dozens of times in one listen. Fast motion becomes tiring; slow motion becomes atmosphere.
- 4
Check the join
Play the file on repeat for a minute. If you can see where it restarts, smooth the last half second.
- 5
Export at 1080×1920
Export a vertical MP4 at the full size and upload it to the track in Spotify for Artists.
Avoid
- Rapid cuts and flashing light
- The track title typed across the middle
- A static cover with a slow zoom that snaps back
- Key detail in the lower third
- Movement built around a beat
Do
- One slow, continuous movement
- Mood carried by colour and light
- Motion that returns to its starting state
- The focal point in the upper middle
- A loop that works at any moment in the song
Colour that feels like the track
Most Canvases that work are mostly colour and light. Start from your cover art's palette so the Canvas feels like the same release, then let one colour move. These starting points show how much mood a simple blend carries.
Gradiently has Spotify Canvas as one of its sizes, and its Marks are living backgrounds with slow motion built into the recipe. With Pro you can export one as an MP4 at 1080×1920, then use the same Mark for the cover art and the Stories that announce the release, so every piece of the campaign looks like one thing. Musician branding covers the wider kit.
Reuse your Canvas to promote the release
The Canvas loop as the background of an Instagram Story announcing the release.
The same look as square cover art, so the Story, the Canvas and the cover all match.
Because the frame is the same, the loop can sit behind Stories, Reels and TikToks with words added on top, where text belongs. Square versions suit your playlist covers and album artwork, and video loop length helps when each platform wants a different duration.
Questions people ask
What size is a Spotify Canvas?
1080×1920 pixels, a vertical 9:16 video.
How long can a Spotify Canvas be?
A few seconds. Spotify sets a short length range, and the current limits are shown in Spotify for Artists when you upload.
Does a Spotify Canvas sync with the music?
No. It loops at its own length, so avoid cuts or movements timed to particular moments in the song.
Can I put text on a Spotify Canvas?
Spotify's guidance discourages text, logos and calls to action, and the track title is already on screen. Use colour and motion instead.
Where is the safe zone on a Spotify Canvas?
Keep the focal point in the upper middle. The lower third is covered by the track title and controls, and the top by navigation.
Written by Gradiently
The team behind Gradiently, a design tool built around Marks: living gradients that make everything you design look like yours.
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