Album cover size: CD, vinyl and streaming dimensions
By the Slappcard teamFacts last checked
We make Slappcards, printed download cards. Nothing in the size tables depends on buying ours.
There is no single album cover size. It depends on where the art is going. Already have a file? Check your cover.
The short answer
- No single size exists. Published minimums run from 500 px (Deezer, label delivery) to 4000 px (Apple Music for Artists). Published maximums run from 3000 px (TuneCore and CD Baby) to 10000 px (Spotify).
- CD jewel-case front insert: 4.75 × 4.75 in.
- 12-inch vinyl jacket: it depends on the plant. One template gives 12.375 in wide, another 315 mm panels. Use your plant's template.
- Streaming and distributor uploads: 3000 × 3000 px, square, RGB, as a high-quality JPG, sits inside 15 of the 16 size ranges below. The exception is Apple Music for Artists, which asks for at least 4000 px. (Our arithmetic.)
Check your cover
CD sizes
Jewel case, digipak, eco-wallet and jacket
| Part | Size | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Jewel case front insert or booklet cover | 4.75 × 4.75 in | Disc Makers blogRead 9 Oct 2026. |
| Jewel case tray card | 5.4 × 4.625 × 0.25 in | Disc Makers blogRead 9 Oct 2026. |
| Digipak front and back panel | 5.492 × 4.941 in | Disc Makers blogRead 9 Oct 2026. |
| 4-panel eco-wallet, front and back | 5.5 × 5 in | Disc Makers blogRead 9 Oct 2026. |
| Jewel-box-size eco-wallet, front and back | 5.563 × 4.938 in | Disc Makers blogRead 9 Oct 2026. |
| Standard jacket (J100) | 5.063 × 4.968 in | Disc Makers blogRead 9 Oct 2026. |
Resolution, bleed and safe area
| Rule | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 300 ppi for images, 1200 ppi for line art | Disc Makers blogOfficial page, posted 5 Jul 2024, updated 21 Apr 2025. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| Bleed | 1/8 in added to your layout | Disc Makers bleed articleHelp article, edited 25 Aug 2020. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| Safe area | Keep type and other important elements 1/8 in inside the crop marks | Disc Makers bleed articleHelp article, edited 25 Aug 2020. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
Worked example, our arithmetic
The jewel-case front insert is 4.75 in. With 0.125 in of bleed on each side the file is 5 in across. At 300 ppi that is 1500 × 1500 px, or 1425 × 1425 px at trim. Disc Makers' rule is to multiply the inches by 300 (Disc Makers article 11347019914131).
Vinyl sizes
12-inch jacket: two plants, two numbers
| Plant | Figures it prints | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Coral Graphics, template CL087 | Final panel 12.375 in wide by 12.328 in tall, 0.125 in spine. Flat blank 24.875 × 14.078 in. Bleed 0.125 in. | Coral Graphics CL087 templateTemplate, dated 14 Nov 2017. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| Stebbing Recording Centre (New Zealand) | Single jacket flat 633 mm (315 + 3 + 315). Gatefold closed 315.0 × 4.0 × 315.0 mm. 12-inch insert 297 × 297 mm. | Stebbing vinyl bookletTemplate, 2025 update. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
The widths differ by 0.7 mm (our arithmetic: 12.375 in is 314.3 mm). Even so, use the template your plant sends.
Bleed, safe area, resolution and color
| Plant | Bleed | Safe area | Resolution | Color | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furnace Record Pressing (US) | At least 1/8 in past the cut lines | 1/8 in inside the crop marks | 300 dpi | CMYK or a solid Pantone | Furnace design FAQOfficial page, undated. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| Stebbing Recording Centre (NZ) | 3 to 5 mm | Not stated | 300 dpi at 100% sizing | CMYK, coated FOGRA39 | Stebbing vinyl bookletTemplate, 2025 update. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
Is your streaming master big enough for a 12-inch jacket?
Worked example, our arithmetic
12.375 in at 300 ppi is 3713 px (rounded up from 3712.5); with 0.125 in of bleed each side (12.625 in), 3788 px (rounded up from 3787.5). A 3000 px file across 12.375 in reaches only about 242 ppi. A streaming master covers a CD insert but not a 12-inch jacket. Keep your larger original.
7-inch sleeve: not published
No manufacturer page we could open prints a 7-inch jacket size. Furnace names a standard 7-inch jacket board of 15pt SBS (Furnace packaging page, read 9 Oct 2026), a board weight, not a dimension. We publish no estimate. Ask your plant for its template.
Cassette J-cards
| Plant | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| National Audio Company (US) | A 3-panel J-card is front, spine and flap. A 4-panel adds one panel that folds inside. | NAC packaging pageOfficial page, posted 25 Feb 2019. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| National Audio Company (US) | 300 ppi minimum, 600 ppi recommended. J-cards and U-cards: CMYK, double-sided. Bleed and safety lines are drawn on its templates, with no measurement printed in text. | NAC guidelines pageOfficial page, dated 23 Jun 2026. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
J-card panel sizes: ask your plant for its template.
Streaming and distributor sizes
The Yes or No column is our arithmetic: whether a 3000 × 3000 px square falls inside the numeric range a row publishes. It is not the service's statement.
| Service | What it asks for | Fits 3000 × 3000? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spotify | Square (1:1), 640 to 10000 px wide and tall, "the highest resolution available". TIFF, PNG or JPG using lossless encoding. sRGB, 24 bits per pixel, with the colour profile applied to the pixels; no embedded colour profiles or orientation metadata. Do not upscale. File size, dpi and content rules: not stated on the page. | Yes | Spotify pageOfficial page, undated. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| Apple Music (providers) | Square. Recommended 3000 × 3000 or larger; minimum 1400 × 1400. JPEG or PNG at 100% quality. | Yes | Apple packaging pageOfficial page, undated. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| Apple Video and Audio Asset Guide | RGB; CMYK images are not accepted. JPEG or PNG, 1400 × 1400 minimum. Do not increase the size of a smaller image. | Yes | Apple asset guideOfficial page, version 5.3.19, 8 Sep 2026. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| Apple Music for Artists | A perfect square, at least 4000 × 4000. JPG, PNG or GIF. | No (floor 4000 px) | Apple Music for Artists pageOfficial page, undated. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| YouTube Music (Art Tracks) | Square. PNG or JPEG. Recommended minimum 1400 × 1400 at 300 DPI. Maximum "4098x4098", exactly as Google prints it. | Yes | Google Art Tracks pageOfficial page, undated. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| Bandcamp | Square, at least 1400 × 1400; "bigger is better". File formats and file-size limit: not stated in the article. | Yes | Bandcamp tutorialOfficial page, dated 5 Jun 2026. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| SoundCloud (track upload) | .jpg or .png, at least 800 × 800, under 2 MB. | Yes | SoundCloud track articleHelp article, edited 28 Aug 2026. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| SoundCloud (digital distribution) | Square (1:1), PNG or JPEG. Minimum quality 3000 × 3000 at 300 dpi. | Yes | SoundCloud digital articleHelp article, edited 2 Jul 2026. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| SoundCloud (vinyl distribution) | Square. Minimum 2000 × 2000 (3000 × 3000 recommended), RGB, 300 dpi. PNG or JPEG under 300 MB. | Yes | SoundCloud vinyl articleHelp article, edited 26 Mar 2026. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| Deezer (independent artists) | Album artwork minimum 3000 × 3000. | Yes | Deezer independent articleHelp article, edited 28 Jul 2026. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| Deezer (label delivery) | PNG or JPEG only. 500 × 500 minimum, 4096 × 4096 maximum, up to 32 MB. | Yes | Deezer label articleHelp article, edited 3 Nov 2025. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| Distributor | What it asks for | Fits 3000 × 3000? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| DistroKid | .jpg only. Minimum 1000 × 1000; ideally perfectly square and 3000 × 3000. RGB. File size and dpi: not stated. | Yes | DistroKid requirementsHelp article, edited 30 Oct 2025. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| TuneCore | JPG, PNG or GIF under 10 MB. A perfect square, at least 1600 × 1600 and no larger than 3000 × 3000. RGB. At least 72 dpi (300 is better). | Yes | TuneCore requirementsHelp article, edited 16 Aug 2022. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| CD Baby | PNG, GIF, JPG or JPEG, under 25 MB. 1400 × 1400 minimum, 3000 × 3000 maximum. 72 to 300 dpi (300 best). RGB, not CMYK. | Yes | CD Baby requirementsHelp article, edited 28 Feb 2024. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| Amuse | A perfect square, at least 1400 × 1400 and at most 6000 × 6000. .png or .jpeg, not .tiff. File size, dpi and color: not stated. | Yes | Amuse artwork pageOfficial page, dated 9 Sep 2026. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
| UnitedMasters | An exact square, 3000 × 3000 minimum and 6000 × 6000 maximum. At least 72 dpi. JPG or PNG under 150 MB. Non-square images are cropped automatically on upload. | Yes | UnitedMasters sizing articleHelp article, edited 5 Nov 2025. Read 9 Oct 2026. |
One file or two
The physical vendors whose color rule we could read (Furnace, Stebbing and National Audio Company) ask for CMYK. Every digital service that states a color rule asks for RGB or sRGB. Expect two exports from one master. JPG is accepted by every service whose format rule we could read (our arithmetic). Make a 4000 px export only if you are uploading to Apple Music for Artists directly.
One conflict has no clean answer. Spotify lists JPG but asks for lossless encoding, and a JPEG is lossy even at top quality. DistroKid accepts .jpg only. As printed, one file cannot meet both rules. We do not know how either service treats this, so if you deliver through a distributor, follow the distributor's rule.
What distributors reject, and where a QR code goes
| Service | Rejects | QR code named? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| DistroKid | URLs, QR codes, prices, streaming or social logos, references to "CD", blurry or rotated art, unlicensed stock, nudity. | Yes | DistroKid requirementsRead 9 Oct 2026. |
| CD Baby | URLs, handles, contact details, pricing, scans of CDs, UPC barcodes or QR codes, other-format references, "new" or time-sensitive words. | Yes | CD Baby restrictions articleRead 9 Oct 2026. |
| Amuse | Websites, handles, store names or offers, barcodes or QR codes, a year or dates, tilted or cropped images. | Yes | Amuse artwork pageRead 9 Oct 2026. |
| UnitedMasters | URLs, phone numbers, handles, QR codes, third-party logos, barcodes, a "compact disc" logo, pricing, the word "exclusive". | Yes | UnitedMasters rejection articleRead 9 Oct 2026. |
| SoundCloud (as a distributor) | Blurry or stretched art, plain single-colour squares, reused art, barcodes, vinyl or CD references, "Out Now" stickers, handles, URLs, QR codes, logos. | Yes | SoundCloud digital articleRead 9 Oct 2026. |
| TuneCore | Any text except the artist name and release title. No emails, URLs, pricing, "CD" or "DVD", store names or logos. | No | TuneCore requirementsRead 9 Oct 2026. |
| Apple Music for Artists | A year or dates, barcodes, packaging or retailer references (vinyl, CD), handles or websites, pricing text. | No | Apple Music for Artists pageRead 9 Oct 2026. |
DistroKid, CD Baby, Amuse, UnitedMasters and SoundCloud (as a distributor) each name QR codes on their lists. Keep the QR code off the art you upload. A printed card is a separate object with its own art.
What we could not verify
We left these out rather than guess.
- Amazon Music: no cover art specification published where we could open it.
- TIDAL: its help center gives no size, format or file-size rule.
- Bandcamp: its article gives no file formats and no file-size limit.
- Spotify: no file size, dpi or content rules on its page.
- DistroKid and Amuse: no file-size limit. Amuse also states no dpi or color rule, and DistroKid no dpi.
- 7-inch vinyl jacket sizes, from any manufacturer page we could open.
- Cassette J-card panel sizes.
- Disc Makers: the color mode and file type for CD paper parts.
- Furnace jacket trim sizes, which sit in downloads we did not fetch.
Your cover art on a Slappcard
A Slappcard is 2 × 3.5 in, portrait. On layouts with an album-art frame, you upload your cover art and the designer places it there. Uploads are JPG, PNG or WebP, up to 25 MB. Upload the largest master you have.
If your picture is not the frame's shape, a "Frame your album art" window opens. You move and zoom the picture under the frame, nothing is cut from your file, and you can reopen the window later. We state no minimum pixel size or bleed for the cover slot.
How we checked these numbers
Every figure links to the page that publishes it, with the day we read it (9 Oct 2026). "Official page" means we matched the quoted text against the page itself; Spotify's page draws itself with JavaScript, so we read it in a browser. "Help article" means we copied the text from the vendor's public help center. "Template" means we read the vendor's PDF. Rows we worked out ourselves say "our arithmetic".
Apple's pages change monthly; distributor and SoundCloud pages every few months. Found a wrong number? Email contact@slappcard.com.
Common questions
Is 3000 × 3000 enough?
For a CD insert and every service above except Apple Music for Artists, yes. For a 12-inch jacket at 300 ppi, no.
What is bleed?
Artwork that runs past the trim line, so a small shift in cutting leaves no white edge. Disc Makers asks for 1/8 in and Stebbing for 3 to 5 mm.
Can I put a QR code on my album art?
Not on the file you upload to DistroKid, CD Baby, Amuse, UnitedMasters and SoundCloud (as a distributor). Their lists name QR codes.
Is RGB or CMYK right?
RGB for the digital services that state a rule, CMYK for the print vendors we read. Print vendors say 300 ppi; Spotify and Apple state no dpi.
Your cover art becomes the card
Upload your cover art and the designer builds the card around it. Packs of 100 to 1,000 cards start at $120.00.