Canvas guidelines

Canvas is an 8-second visual loop that shows in a vertical format to fill the screen. It appears in the Now Playing View instead of your album artwork.

Your Canvas needs to be:

• 3-8 seconds long
• Vertical 9:16 ratio
• Between 720px - 1080px tall
• An MP4 or JPG file

To make the most of your Canvas:

• Choose footage without talking, singing, or rapping. The clips are only 3-8 seconds long, so won’t sync with the lyrics.
  
• Avoid rapid video cuts or intense flashing graphics. They may overwhelm the viewer.
  
• 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.
  
• Pick the right type of loop:
  • Continuous Loop has a satisfying seamless loop.
  • Hard Cut has clear edit points (they can be artfully disguised).
  • Rebound plays your clip forwards, then reverses it (an easy way to get a smooth loop).
    
• 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.

For more info, check out artists.spotify.com/canvas.