content template

Podcast Cover API

Send podcast title and host details as JSON, get back a 1500x1500 cover PNG ready for Apple Podcasts.

Podcast Cover template preview, a content image generated by the HTML to Image API

Indie podcasters and audio networks use the podcast cover art generator API to produce show artwork that meets the Apple Podcasts and Spotify directory specs. The 1500x1500 size is the minimum Apple requires, and the same file is accepted by Spotify, Pocket Casts, Overcast, and the rest of the directories. You post the show title, tagline, and host details as JSON, and the response holds a PNG ready to upload via your hosting provider (Buzzsprout, Transistor, Acast).

Use cases

New podcast launches needing artwork from a brief

New shows often spend weeks haggling with a designer over cover variants before they have any episodes to publish. Render five candidate covers in 30 seconds by varying accent_color and background_image_url, pick the one that reads at 55x55 in the directory, and ship. The Production Hour launched in 2026 with this exact flow, and the show was live two days after the founder finalized the title.

Podcast networks standardizing artwork across many shows

Networks running 8 to 30 shows benefit from cover art that reads as a family rather than a mix of styles. Render every show through the same template with consistent network branding (network_name and accent_color), and the network feed reads as one curated brand rather than a stitched collection. Northwind Studio Audio runs 14 shows under one cover treatment through this pipeline.

Automated tooling regenerating covers for branding refreshes

When a podcast rebrands (new logo, new color palette, new title typography), the back-catalog of covers needs to be re-issued. Loop through every show, render with the new branding, and re-upload to your hosting provider via API. The full network refresh that would have taken a designer 60 hours runs in 12 minutes through this template. Halberd Software automated their network refresh in 2026 this way.

Conference panel podcasts producing series-specific art

Events that record on-stage panels and publish them as a podcast series benefit from per-event cover art that ties back to the conference brand. Render with the event year and the conference logo, and each year's series shows up as a distinct row in the directory. The Type Conference produces this annually for its panel recordings, with 8 episode-series covers per year.

Output specifications

Dimensions
1500x1500
Color space
sRGB
Transparency
Not supported
File size range
400 KB to 1 MB

Matches the spec at Apple Podcasts cover art requirements.

How it works

1

Send a JSON payload

POST to the template endpoint with the values you want rendered. Authenticate with your API key.

2

We render the image

The template is rendered server-side as a 1500x1500 PNG.

3

You get back a URL

Cache it, embed it in your page, attach it to an email.

Quick example

A single cURL call to render a Podcast Cover as a PNG:

curl -X POST https://app.html2img.com/api/v1/templates/podcast-cover \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"podcast_title":"The Production Hour","tagline":"Conversations with the people running real systems at scale","host_name":"Adaeze Okafor","network_name":"Northwind Studio Audio","background_image_url":"https://picsum.photos/seed/podcast-cover/1500/1500","accent_color":"#0F172A"}'

For the full PHP, Node and Python equivalents, plus every input the template accepts, see the Podcast Cover API reference. Setting up your key is covered in the authentication guide.

Common pitfalls

Detail invisible at directory thumbnail size

Cover art that looks polished at full size becomes muddy when the directory renders it at 55x55 pixels next to dozens of other shows. Test the artwork at thumbnail scale before publishing, and prefer a single bold typographic element over multi-element compositions.

Copyrighted background images cause directory rejection

Apple and Spotify reject covers that use unlicensed photos or pop-culture imagery. Use a licensed stock photo, a custom illustration, or a flat color from the accent_color slot, and the directory accepts the upload on first try.

Upscaled artwork looks soft on retina screens

A 800x800 file scaled up by the directory looks soft when listeners view the show on a retina iPhone. Render at the full 1500x1500 from the start so the image stays sharp at every display size from thumbnail to lock-screen full art.

Inputs at a glance

A quick summary of what the Podcast Cover template accepts. The full reference, with example values and array shapes, is in the docs.

Name Type Required
podcast_title string Required
tagline string Optional
host_name string Optional
network_name string Optional
background_image_url url Optional
accent_color string Optional
logo_url url Optional

See the full inputs reference for descriptions, examples and validation rules.

Related templates

Related guides

FAQ

Try it free

25 renders a month on the free tier. See the pricing page for higher-volume plans.