How to Make a Banner That Works For Spotify Ads
Most Spotify ads fail for one simple reason. The audio sells the vibe, but the banner looks like a leftover flyer from 2016. Listeners hear something cool — then see a blurry square with tiny text and zero reason to click.
On Spotify, the companion banner is your handshake. If it feels weak, the whole ad feels weak. And that problem follows you to Instagram Stories, YouTube Shorts, and every other touchpoint. This guide is about fixing that gap — fast and practical.
What is a Spotify companion banner (and where people see it)?
Depending on what type of screen your ad is playing on (audio vs video), the banner that shows alongside your ad is referred to as a companion banner (or companion image) and hopefully serves as a clickable visual for your listener to look at while they are listening to your ad and clicking it.
Spotify defines 'Companion Images' as square (1:1) media (creative content) that accompanies audio and some video formats, typically uploaded as JPG or PNG files. Companion Images must meet certain minimum dimensions and file size restrictions to avoid being rejected by Spotify. To avoid confusion on what you need to do, your job is to make it easy for someone to take the next step.
What's working visually on Spotify in 2026
What makes it even funnier is that the majority of successful Spotify banners are actually simpler than your actual artwork. You're not designing a poster. You're designing a call to action that has to work within a user interface!
- One idea per banner. One focal point, one message, one outcome.
- High contrast + readable type. If it doesn't read at phone size, it doesn't read.
- Artist/cover-world consistency. Same colors, same vibe, same universe as the release visuals.
- Movement-driven concept in stilllife. Experiment with diagonal movement, depth, and cropping of close-up images so they fit within their border as a still image, as if they were actually a video frame.
- Cues that reflect real-time events. Using genre and/or mood or a particular hour as inspiration will change the appearance of an artist's work. For example, if an artist creates a punk track at 2 AM, it will have a totally different feel than that same punk track created in the middle of the day.
- Link the audio hook to the artwork. For example, if the script states "new EP out Friday," then the image needs to show an association with the term "EP" or the day "Friday" visually, NOT introduce a new concept/storyline.
Callout: Spotify is an audio-first environment. Your banner's job is clarity, not a poster.
Depending on how you purchase, the CTA might be preset when you are looking at a route. For some routes, instead of allowing for customising of the CTA, Spotify generally defaults to what would commonly be referred to as a "Learn more" type of CTA; therefore, create designs assuming some of the conversation will occur via the User Interface (UI) etc.
Templates 1-3 from Behance. Templates 4-5 from Spotify.
Additionally, stay away from limiting your thoughts to a particular format. Spotify has indicated that mixing up your formats and creative options can improve your campaign performance, since different listeners respond to different stimuli (Spotify Advertising: Creative best practices). The concept of using multiple platforms also appears in the aggregate data from the entire creative campaign, such as Slateteams.
Step-by-step: how to build a visual concept (fast)
What I refer to as 'the quick loop' is the most common source of creativity I return to when designing Spotify Ads (when I'm rushed and need to make Reels at the same time).
- Define the single promise: what should the listener do or feel after 30 seconds?
- Pick 1 visual anchor: face close-up, a cover element, a symbol, or a single product shot.
- Choose a layout system: simple grid, clear type hierarchy, and safe margins for UI overlays.
- Create microcopy only if it assists: max 3-5 words. Remove anything that reads like a press release.
- Lock brand cues: 2-3 colors, 1-2 fonts, and a logo rule (small, never the headline).
Make three directions, not twenty:
- "Cover extension" concept: zoom in on a detail from the cover, add one bold phrase.
- "Artist portrait + big type" concept: face first, title second, everything else optional.
- "Mood/scene" concept: one cinematic still that matches the track's feeling.
Next, export your ad to specifications and Quality Assurance. For Spotify, the companion image has to follow the requirements of being a 1:1 square asset. The image must be in JPG or PNG format, have a minimum image size dimension, and must be less than 200k in size (usually about this much) Spotify Advertising: Ad specs - Companion Image.
Also, if you are using a companion banner/CTA card with your video ad, you will also want to reference these same guidelines since the behaviors of the two types of cards depend greatly on their respective sizes and formats Spotify Advertising: Video Ads Guide.
To conduct effective A/B testing, you need to adjust only one variable at a time (the picture of your anchor or your title or the color contrast between the two). In fact, many people fail because they do not do this and simply change everything about the variable and learn nothing. Properly organized, cleaned tests conducted by a professional marketing manager will not only enable them to save $$$, but will also lead to far better results than those that have not been systematically designed in an analytical/empirical manner, such as at Spotify Ads Manager level - an absolutely essential part of running a business successfully.
Companion banner design do's & don'ts (very concrete)
- Do: Use square-safe composition and protect the edges for UI overlays.
- Do: Use large type and screenshot-test it at phone size.
- Do: Make the click path obvious with hierarchy, whitespace, and visual direction.
- Don't: Cram tour dates, credits, or paragraphs into the image.
- Don't: Make a tiny logo the main element (nobody is squinting to decode it).
- Don't: Rely on subtle gradients or low contrast that disappears in-app.
Tools + workflow (lightweight, non-geeky)
A full stack of design tools is not necessary to create a good design system. For example: Figma's strength is in designing reusable layouts, Canva has a very quick turnaround time to create designs from templates, while Adobe Express is a tool that strikes a balance between the two and can be a nice middle point. When working with AI, use AI only for the original creation process (brainstorming or moodboard creation) and then create your own designs manually, to maintain consistent typographic and branding cues.
A great tip to integrate with your Instagram strategy is to first produce your companion banner, then create a frame for the Instagram Story and a cover that uses the same design elements as your original image. The key to this strategy is to utilize repetition, as it helps to build anticipation and excitement about the new album/track by linking all three items together. For ideas on successful paid social integrations from other teams, check out YouTube for more specifics and examples.
