How to Make an iTunes Artwork

Artwork in iTunes is a great way to promote your podcast, and it's a way to give your auditory art some visual appeal. When someone searches the iTunes Music Store for podcasts, the artwork is something that can make or break their decision to download. Here is how you can apply iTunes artwork and help legitimatize your work.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Decide on a program to use to make your artwork. A great choice is Adobe Photoshop because it has versatility and broad application. However, Photoshop can be pricey and has a steep learning curve if you've never used it, so there are other options. You can download open source programs like Gimp or CinePaint, or you can simply use Microsoft Paint or other graphics programs on your computer.

2. Create your artwork. This is where technical know-how and artistry meet. You need to visualize a design for your artwork as well as have the ability to accomplish what you visualize. It is important to put a lot of thought and work into your design because this is what may attract people to your show. Use photos, images, the internet, nature, music and anything else you can think of for inspiration.

3. Make your artwork 300 by 300 pixels. This is different from what is recommended for a standard RSS image, so be aware. You want to make sure that your image will look good as a small thumbnail because that is how most people will see it.

4. Save your artwork as a JPEG. This is the preferred image format for iTunes. You can also use PNG format.

5. Upload your artwork and add your image location to your iTunes feed.

6. Add an iTunes artwork to individual episodes in iTunes. To do this, right click on the podcast in your library and select the "Get Info" option. Here you can find a place where you can include an artwork with the specific file. Browse your computer for the image and add it to the file.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to get artwork for music in your iTunes library, try a program like Curator from Kavasoft that will help you fill in those missing artworks.