The artwork you choose for your release says a lot about the quality and message of your music. Cover art images that do not follow the guidelines set in place by streaming platforms puts any release at risk of being taken down by digital streaming platforms.
Copyright
While we work to honor artistic choices, we are also required to follow certain style guidelines set in place by the streaming platforms that your music is delivered to. Keep in mind that you are only allowed to use images that you have secured the rights to use for profit. Please refrain from using the following in cover art images you submit for distribution:
- Popular athletes, celebrities, artists, public figures, copyrighted TV/movie/anime characters, Emojis or references to Bitmoji
- 3rd party logos or watermarks (brand logos, social media logos, photo editing application logos, iMessage screenshots, etc.)
- Watermarks from cover art creation apps, including Bazaart, pic collage, etc.
- Nudity, pornography, BDSM, or any references to either
- Websites/URLs, phone numbers, social media handles or QR codes
- References to physical packaging such as barcodes and the “compact disc” logo
- Pricing information or word "exclusive"
- Promotion for another product
- Any misleading information or reference to content that your release does not contain
- Illicit activity such as hate speech, extreme violence, or depictions of minors participating in illegal activities
Some websites that we can accept copyright-free images from are:
- Pixabay
- Canva
- Pexels
- Unsplash
- PosterMyWall
- Adobe
- Img2Go
- PlaceIt
Please note that if your cover art uses a copyright-free image but still includes rejections for other things, it will still be rejected and you will be prompted to make edits.
Here are some examples of cover art that were rejected due to Copyright:
Rejected for: Regular Show characters
Rejected for: Image of Kobe Bryant
Rejected for: Watermark and unlicensed third party image
Rejected for: References to packaging (bar code)
If you have a subscription to a photo editing library or have purchased a third party image for use on your release's cover art, we ask that you submit relevant documentation to us at support@unitedmasters.com for aid in our content review process.
Quality
Visual representation of a release is very important for any musical artist. We want to ensure your cover art is of the highest quality, so images must also adhere to the below guidelines:
- Image file should be .jpg or .png file and under 150 MB in size
- Image should be 3000 x 3000 pixels (6000 x 6000 max) with a minimum resolution of 72dpi and be a square shape
- Image must not be overly blurry or pixelated
- The parental advisory logo must not be overly blurry or obstructed
- No solid colors or color gradients as cover art
- Text on cover artwork must not be cut off (such as track titles, artist names, and the parental advisory logo)
- No offensive imagery, symbolism or inciting violence
Here are some examples of cover art that were rejected due to Quality:
Rejected for: Solid Color/Gradient Image
Rejected for: Solid Color/Gradient Image
Rejected for: Blurriness and Cut Off Text
Mismatched Text
Per the guidelines set in place by streaming platforms, all relevant contributor/title text present on a release’s cover art must be present in the release’s metadata. To avoid your release getting held up due to any rejection reasons, we recommend following the guidelines below:
-
If your cover art contains text, it should match the project name and/or credited artists
- Any contributor names and/or titles present in the cover art must match the release metadata exactly or include relevant abbreviations
- Relevant fields include: primary artist name, featured artist names, record label name, songwriter names, producer names, release and track titles
- Your cover art should only include a parental advisory sticker if your release contains audio that is labeled as explicit
- You must not obstruct the parental advisory logo to where it cannot be seen or recognized
- Do not use generic art templates or art that doesn’t match the album you’re delivering
If your cover art is rejected for any of the reasons above, you are free to update the cover art image per the rejection notes that you receive and resubmit for our approval.
We hope this helps give you a better idea when it comes to deciding what to include within your releases’ cover art!
If you have any other questions or need additional assistance, please let us know by submitting a request for support.
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