Spotify Canvas turns your tracks into immersive visual experiences. In just a few seconds, this vertical video without sound can reinforce the identity of your track, capture attention on mobile and encourage sharing.
But for a Canvas to be accepted – and be effective – the right technical specifications must be met: video format, length, ratio, resolution, weight. Nothing should be left to chance.
On this page, you’ll find everything you need to know to create a Canvas, a looping video that’s perfectly compatible with Spotify, and to maximise its impact.
Recommended export format
Video format : MP4 (H.264, AAC)
Ratio: 9:16
Resolution: 1080×1920 (vertical)
Max weight: 10 MB
Max running time: between 3 and 8 seconds
Framerate: 30 or 60 fps
No sound, no subtitles
Understanding how the Spotify Canvas works
This is a unique vertical format for the mobile experience. The Spotify Canvas is a short vertical video, played full-screen on the mobile application while a song is playing. It is neither a clip nor a teaser, but an accompanying visual designed to create an immediate link between the listener and the world of the track.
Unlike a static cover, the Canvas animates the track: it catches the eye, transmits an emotion and sets the mood… in just a few seconds. The format is inspired by the codes of social networks (Reels, Stories, Shorts), but with one major constraint: no sound must be integrated. The image must live in silence, and fit in with the rhythm of the track.
What Spotify says about the effectiveness of the Canvas: Spotify has published precise data on the impact of the Canvas. When well designed, this format can achieve an average of :
- +145% song shares
- +20% playlist additions
- +9% prolonged listening
In other words: a simple, well thought-out video, in the right format and well integrated into the world of the track, can influence the behaviour of listeners and encourage virality. For independent artists, it’s a powerful lever for visibility – at no advertising cost.
Technical specifications to keep in mind
Creating an eye-catching visual is not enough: if your video does not respect the Spotify Canvas format, it will be rejected or degraded by automatic compression. Spotify imposes an .MP4 format encoded in H.264, with no audio track. No embedded sound, no alternative: the music comes from the track, not the video. The Spotify Canvas video format must be lightweight and mobile-compatible. The more you respect these constraints, the smoother the playback will be.
The Canvas is designed for an immersive full-screen mobile experience. A mistake here is the image is cropped, blurred or distorted. Use a native vertical project from the outset to avoid forced cropping.
Exact length and why: Your video should last between 3 and 8 seconds, not a frame longer. Why this strict limit? Quite simply because Spotify automatically loops the video! If it’s too short, it’ll look like a bug. On the other hand, if it’s too long, it’ll be an unnecessary overload. Aim for a loop with no entry or exit points. Your animation should run continuously without the eye noticing the transition.
Recommended weight for smooth loading: There is no official limit, but Spotify recommends no more than 10 MB. A Canvas that is too heavy means a less clean rendering for the user, longer loading times and automatic compression.
Here are a few tips to help you stay within this weight limit:
- Reduce bitrate (without sacrificing quality)
- Limit overly complex visual effects
- Remove superfluous frames
How to design an effective animated loop ?
Respecting the Spotify Canvas video format is the basics. But for your visual to really serve the song, you need to go further: create an animated loop that works technically, artistically and emotionally.
Spotify values Canvas that add movement, personality and a real visual coherence with the music. For example, you can incorporate moving shapes without breakpoints, or cyclical or modular animations. Your animation can incorporate textures that ‘breathe’ (smoke, glitch, pulsations), with typography animated to the rhythm of the track. Remember to build the animation around the tempo of the track, even if the video is silent. A good visual should “suggest” the sound without playing it.
On the other hand, Spotify penalises or advises against Canvas that look like advertising or that create a visual break. This is the case, for example, with fixed logos or immobile elements, static faces or faces that are poorly outlined throughout, or sudden movements or visible transitions. Your objective: to keep attention without assaulting it.
Adapting your motion design to the tempo of the song, that’s the basics (bis). A Canvas is not an illustration. It’s an extension of the track. A slow visual on a nervous track breaks the energy. Conversely, a fast animation on a calm track can distract or annoy. The rhythm is the timing of the animations, and the choice of colours and textures will set the mood. The narrative should be simple, implicit and non-linear to facilitate the loop effect.
Here are a few examples of themes that are particularly well suited to the Spotify Canvas format:
- rap, electro, pop: lively, rhythmic typography
- trap, techno, darkwave: glitch / scanlines
- lo-fi, chill, ambient: fluid abstract forms
- indie, folk, acoustic pop: minimalist cartoons
- funk, house, instrumental tracks: vector animation
You can experiment with simple variations: the combination of shape + movement + texture is often enough to create a coherent universe.