AI Photo Editor for Podcast Cover Art
Make your podcast stand out in a sea of thumbnails without hiring a designer.
"Launched my true crime podcast and needed cover art fast. Grabbed a photo from my phone, replaced the background with dark moody tones, made the colors pop. Apple featured us in New & Noteworthy. The cover sells the vibe." @TrueCrimeTina
Built for Podcasters and Audio Creators
Your podcast cover is the first thing listeners see when scrolling through Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It needs to grab attention at thumbnail size. Professional designers charge hundreds and take weeks. EditThisPic lets you transform any photo into scroll-stopping cover art in seconds. Stand out in the feed without the design budget.
Tools for Podcast Cover Art
Replace Background
Swap casual backgrounds for bold, branded colors and gradients
Enhance Colors
Make colors vibrant and punchy for small thumbnail visibility
Remove Background
Create clean cutouts to composite over custom backgrounds
Enhance Face
Make host faces clear and recognizable at small sizes
Blur Background
Create depth to make subject stand out
Step-by-Step Guide
Choose a photo that represents your show
Pick a photo that captures your podcast's personality. Host headshots work great for interview shows. Props or thematic images work for topic-focused podcasts. Even casual photos can become great covers with the right edits.
Describe your cover art vision
Type what you want: 'replace background with bold orange to red gradient' or 'enhance colors for vibrant, high-contrast podcast look.' Think about thumbnail visibility - bold colors and high contrast work best.
Check thumbnail visibility
Preview your cover at small size - that's how most listeners will see it. Can you tell what the image is at 100x100 pixels? Are the colors distinct enough to stand out? If not, add more contrast.
Refine and export at full resolution
If edges need cleanup or colors need adjustment, use markers on specific areas and regenerate. Download at high resolution - Apple Podcasts requires 3000x3000 pixels minimum. Consider making variations for different platforms.
Copy-Paste Prompts for Podcast Covers
replace background with bold purple to blue gradient, dramatic lighting on face, high contrast for podcast thumbnail visibility
Gradients catch the eye better than solid colors in podcast directories
replace background with deep black with subtle blue tones, enhance contrast dramatically, moody and mysterious podcast cover vibe
Dark backgrounds work great for true crime, mystery, and drama podcasts
enhance all colors to be extremely vibrant and punchy, increase saturation and contrast, make it pop as a small thumbnail
Oversaturated colors that look too much on a monitor often look perfect as tiny thumbnails
replace background with soft gradient from light gray to white, professional headshot lighting, clean and corporate podcast style
Business, news, and educational podcasts often work best with cleaner, less dramatic visuals
Show 4 more prompts
replace background with warm orange and yellow tones, golden hour lighting effect on face, friendly and approachable podcast feel
Warm colors signal approachability - great for self-help, wellness, and lifestyle shows
replace background with bold neon pink and electric blue, cyberpunk style lighting, high energy podcast cover for tech or gaming
Neon colors stand out dramatically in podcast feeds - use for tech, gaming, or youth-focused shows
replace background with retro 70s colors, add slight grain texture, warm vintage tones, nostalgic podcast aesthetic
Retro aesthetics work great for history, music, or pop culture podcasts
remove background completely, replace with solid bold color, minimal clean design, modern podcast cover aesthetic
Sometimes simple solid colors with a strong subject create the most memorable covers
| Edit Type | Prompt | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Gradient background | replace with bold purple to blue gradient |
25s |
| Dark moody style | replace with deep black, mysterious vibe |
25s |
| Color enhancement | enhance colors to be bold and vibrant |
15s |
| Full makeover | replace background, enhance colors, improve lighting |
35s |
Real Examples
Home office to bold gradient
Casual photo at desk transformed into eye-catching podcast artwork with dramatic gradient background.
replace background with bold purple to orange gradient, enhance face lighting for dramatic podcast cover, high contrast
Outdoor photo to dark moody cover
Bright outdoor photo transformed into atmospheric true crime podcast artwork.
replace background with deep black with subtle blue fog, dramatic moody lighting, high contrast mysterious podcast cover
Dull colors to vibrant thumbnail
Flat, dull photo enhanced with punchy colors that pop at small sizes.
enhance colors to be extremely vibrant and bold, high saturation, maximum contrast, make it pop at thumbnail size
When Things Go Wrong
Cover looks great full-size but unrecognizable as thumbnail
Why: Podcast covers display at 100-300 pixels in most apps. Fine details disappear at small sizes.
increase contrast dramatically, make colors much bolder, simplify the image for small thumbnail
Zoom out to check your cover at thumbnail size before finalizing. If you can't tell what it is, add more contrast.
Gradient background has visible banding
Why: Some gradient transitions don't render smoothly, especially with compressed output.
replace background with smoother gradient, add subtle noise texture to prevent banding
Adding 'with subtle grain texture' to gradient prompts prevents visible banding.
AI changed the wrong area or something I didn't want changed
Why: The AI couldn't determine exactly which area you meant from description alone. This happens with ambiguous requests.
Tap a marker on the specific area you want to change, then regenerate with the same prompt
Markers tell the AI 'I mean THIS one specifically.' Use them when description alone is ambiguous.
Colors look oversaturated or unnatural
Why: Enhancement was too aggressive for the source image.
enhance colors moderately, keep skin tones natural, boost background saturation only
'Keep skin tones natural' prevents faces from looking radioactive when boosting colors.
Hair edges have halos against new background
Why: Fine hair strands from the original background weren't cleanly separated.
Tap markers on hair edges, then: blend hair naturally with new background, smooth transition
Dark hair against dark backgrounds hides edge issues better than light hair against bold colors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size should my podcast cover be?
Apple Podcasts requires 3000x3000 pixels minimum, 1:1 square aspect ratio. Spotify accepts various sizes but 3000x3000 works everywhere. Start with the highest resolution photo you have and export at full size. EditThisPic works with any input size, but bigger input means better output.
Do I need to mark areas before describing changes?
No! For most edits like background replacement or color enhancement, just describe what you want. The AI understands 'replace background' and 'enhance colors.' Only use markers when you need precision - like specifying a particular area to edit when multiple options exist.
How do I make sure my cover stands out at small sizes?
Use high contrast between subject and background. Bold, saturated colors work better than subtle pastels. Simple compositions with one clear focal point read better than busy images. Test by zooming out - if you can't tell what it is at 100 pixels, add more contrast.
Can I add text like my podcast title?
AI image editors struggle with readable text. For podcast covers with titles, use EditThisPic to create the visual background and subject, then add text in Canva, Figma, or another tool. This gives you precise control over typography that AI can't match.
What makes a good source photo for podcast covers?
Clear subject, looking at camera (for host photos), good lighting on face, and enough resolution (1500+ pixels ideally). The background doesn't matter since you'll replace it. Outdoor photos in shade often have the best natural lighting. Avoid extreme angles or heavy shadows.
Should I use a photo of myself or something else?
Host photos work great for interview shows, personal brands, and solo podcasts - faces are attention-grabbing. Topic-focused podcasts (history, business, science) often work better with thematic imagery. Many successful podcasts use bold graphics without photos. Choose what represents your show's personality.
Ready to create your podcast cover?
Free to try. No signup required. No watermarks.
Create Your Cover Art