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A home photo shoot corner with a terracotta paper backdrop, a stool and a softbox, seen from behind a camera on a tripod whose screen shows a square framing of the set

LatestMusic11 min read

How to make single cover art: from the song to a store-ready file

Turn your song into a single cover that looks pro, reads as a tiny square and passes review, plus every file you need for release day.

Maya ChenDesign lead · Nov 5, 2026Read the guide

Two square album covers on a mint cutting mat: one cluttered with a QR code, a barcode and a badge, marked with a red X, and the clean version marked with a green check, next to a ruler, a pencil and a phone

Music10 min read

DistroKid artwork requirements: every error, rejection and fix

DistroKid's cover rules, the errors and rejection emails artists get, and the right fix for each, so a cover problem never costs you your release date.

Maya Chen ·Nov 3

Growth10 min read

Unlimited design subscriptions: how they work, and when they're worth it

Unlimited means unlimited requests, not unlimited designs. Here's how design subscriptions really work, what a month gets you, and when one pays off.

Maya Chen ·Nov 1

Six numbered carousel slides lined up like a storyboard on a lavender surface, with the first slide shown on a phone above a row of carousel dots

Content11 min read

Instagram carousel design: a slide-by-slide guide to posts people save

The structure, sizes and type rules for carousels people swipe through, save and send, and how to make one design work on Instagram and TikTok.

Maya Chen ·Oct 30

A printed sheet of nine colorful thumbnail options on a grey desk with one circled in red marker, a phone showing the chosen thumbnail in a feed, and a checklist note

YouTube11 min read

YouTube thumbnail best practices: the checklist to run before you upload

Most thumbnail advice has no data behind it. This checklist does: what YouTube recommends, what holds up in studies, and what to check before you publish.

Maya Chen ·Oct 28

A bright creator desk with a tablet showing a bold thumbnail being designed, a phone showing a feed of video thumbnails, and a small stack of coins

YouTube10 min read

YouTube thumbnail cost: real prices, and when it's worth paying

Thumbnails cost $5 to $600. Here's what each price gets you, the monthly math at your upload schedule, the hidden costs, and when not to pay anyone yet.

Maya Chen ·Oct 26

A bright podcast recording corner with a microphone, headphones, a phone showing a grid of podcast covers with one standing out, and a printed square cover

Podcasting10 min read

Podcast cover art requirements: the real rules, minus the myths

Apple sets no 512 KB limit and says nothing about DPI. Here's what it actually checks, what its artwork errors mean, and how to make show art that stands out.

Maya Chen ·Oct 24

A home studio desk at dusk with a laptop showing a square album cover framed by alignment guides, next to a phone showing the same cover

Music10 min read

Spotify cover art requirements: the one spec that passes every store

Spotify accepts covers as small as 640 pixels. Your distributor may not. Here's the one spec that clears every store, and what gets covers rejected.

Maya Chen ·Oct 22

Branding6 min read

How to make your brand look professional on a small budget

You don't need an agency or a big photoshoot. Five changes do most of the work, and you can make them this week.

Maya Chen ·Oct 20

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