SoundCloud size guide: updated SoundCloud banner sizes and more

SoundCloud is a social media platform dedicated almost exclusively to music.

It's also one of the only music platforms open to all artists, allowing even fledgling musicians to upload their music for anyone to listen to.

Artists worldwide are also creating SoundCloud profiles and using this platform to share their ideas and concerts and build their brands.

Whether you're creating a profile to upload your music, a new podcast you made, or simply listening, you can do a few things to improve your profile. In this SoundCloud size guide, we've got you covered.

This guide will help you create beautiful SoundCloud banners and covers to make your profile look polished.

But, as you may know, SoundCloud isn’t just for uploading and listening to music. Many people and companies use this platform to host their podcasts and narrated stories and publish other audio-only content.

Listeners visiting your profile will pay attention to your SoundCloud banner and profile images before clicking "play." That's why making a powerful impression with your SoundCloud profile or brand is crucial, whether creating an artist or company profile.

When creating or completing your SoundCloud profile, you should consider specific requirements. For instance, you'll need to upload a high-quality SoundCloud profile image and SoundCloud banner (also known as a profile header image).

Always strive for consistency when it comes to your visual content. If you're already present on other social media platforms, we recommend adapting your social media graphics and matching the branded content on your SoundCloud Profile.

SoundCloud Image Sizes

SoundCloud profile image size

The first thing you'll need to update once you create your SoundCloud account is the profile picture. Like other social media accounts, having a profile photo is essential because it's the first thing viewers will check on your profile.

If you're an artist, the profile image is the perfect place to add your logo, a picture of yourself, or your band. If you're creating a podcast, you can add a professional image relevant to your podcast or even your business logo.

If you want to place a professional image on your SoundCloud profile, you can hire a photographer to take a high-quality picture of you. But you don't need to be a professional graphic designer to create high-quality profile image designs.

The profile picture you upload should be a square in the JPEG or PNG file format. The profile photo size should be at least 1000 x 1000px (aspect ratio of 1:1).

SoundCloud only accepts images of up to 2MB in size, so keep this in mind if you want to update your current image.

You can use Linearity Curve to create this type of square image and export it in any format you want.

How to update your SoundCloud profile picture

You can update your profile picture directly on your profile page, or you can do it through the dedicated profile editing section on desktop.

To update your profile image, click "Update image," which pops up when you scroll over the current one. Then, select the new image file you want to use from your computer and click "Save." 

Changing your profile picture on the SoundCloud app is slightly more complex. You’ll have to follow these steps:

1. To open your collection, tap the icon in the lower right corner of the home page. Then, tap "Your Profile."
2. Tap the three dots in the upper right corner and select "Edit profile."
3. Tap on your current profile image. You can then choose a new image from your device.
4. Pick the image you want to use and confirm by saving the changes.

Remember that the profile photo you upload will be displayed in a circle. They're circular because SoundCloud wants to differentiate profile photos from the track and playlist artwork.

Once you click on it, the full square image will expand. The static image on your profile will not display the corners. If you’re publishing on SoundCloud as a brand or company, then it'll be best to place your logo in the middle and not place any critical information in the corners.

You can drag the image to the left or right and zoom in or out to ensure the image in the circle is perfectly aligned. We recommend aligning your logo or photo to the circle's center for a cleaner look across your account, but you can also experiment with other placements.

SoundCloud banner size

The SoundCloud banner, also known as your profile header image, is the most prominent image you can customize on your SoundCloud profile.

This header banner takes up a larger space at the top of your profile compared to your profile picture, so it's the perfect place to add a full picture of your band or a live concert that you played recently.

If you're a business professional, you can use your SoundCloud banner to highlight your latest album cover art or images associated with your company's products and services.

To get the best header image quality, you should upload a custom banner image of at least 2480 x 520px. You have two options for the image file type: JPEG or PNG.

As with the profile image, your SoundCloud banner size should be within a 2MB limit. To make things even easier for you, we have presets for setting file size on export right inside Linearity Curve.

If you include text in your banner design, be aware that certain parts of the text might be cut off on some mobile devices. That's why it's best to avoid text in your Header image.

How to upload your SoundCloud banner image

You can upload a banner image from your profile. All you have to do is click “Upload Header Image” in the top right-hand corner.

After uploading your banner image (done directly from your profile page), you can adjust its position by dragging it up and down. You can also zoom in and out to resize the image, but this option is only available for images larger than 1240 x 260px.

To replace or delete your current banner image, click the "Update Image" button. Deleting the image will return the banner to a gradient based on the colors in your profile image.

Tips to make your SoundCloud profile stand out

Every SoundCloud profile is unique. So, whether you have a personal or company profile and want to use this platform to build your brand, you should always strive for uniqueness.

Competition becomes more challenging as more profiles improve and thrive to become unique in their own space. However, there are some things you can do to make your profile stand out from the rest. Here are three tips for you:

1. Be consistent

If you want your profile to look more professional, avoid using stock photos. Instead, use high-quality professional images that best represent you and your brand, or create custom graphics using stock images and Auto Trace, making them your own creation.

2. Add clear visuals

Everyone who visits your profile should be able to tell your genre of music or podcast just by looking at your design visuals. Use graphic design tools to create powerful visuals representing you and your brand.

Also, use graphic design elements such as white space (the extra space around designs) to your advantage when creating clean visuals tailored to the SoundCloud banner size and profile image thumbnail.

3. Use very few elements

You don't have to go over the top with design elements to make an eye-catching SoundCloud profile header or profile image. A straightforward design will go a long way and make a great impression, especially if you match the background color palette with your profile image.

If you follow the profile picture and banner dimensions requirements, you won't encounter any problems uploading your custom graphics.

4. Optimize for mobile

Many users access SoundCloud through mobile devices. If your banner image isn't optimized for mobile, it might not display correctly or might appear distorted, negatively impacting the user experience.

Some parts of your banner might be hidden on mobile devices. Keep crucial information (like your artist name or podcast title) within the central area to ensure it's always visible. Your images must look good on desktop and the SoundCloud app, so test out different variations until you’re happy.

5. Consider your audience

Tailor your banner design to resonate with your specific audience.

Musicians:

• Genre-focused: Let your music speak visually. For electronic artists, a vibrant, abstract design with geometric shapes and neon lights could set the tone. Country musicians could utilize a rustic background with a vintage microphone or guitar.
• Album artwork: If you have a recent album release, consider featuring the eye-catching cover art as your banner. This instantly connects listeners to your music

Podcasters:

• Theme visualization: Bring your podcast's theme to life visually! A history podcast might benefit from a historical image or map. A true-crime podcast could utilize a dark and suspenseful background, and a design podcast could feature one of your best designs.
• Guest spotlight: Do you have a highly anticipated interview coming up? Featuring a photo of yourself alongside a prominent guest can pique listener interest.

Five examples of the best SoundCloud profile pages

1. Billie Eilish

The first example we’ll look at is Billie Eilish's SoundCloud profile. What we love about her profile is that she always keeps it updated. Eilish ensures her profile photo and SoundCloud cover reflect her latest work. In this example, we can see that she has kept it simple.

The Profile photo only shows a close-up of her underwater, while the SoundCloud Banner shows the entire picture. We also see the name of her latest album titled “Hit Me Hard And Soft”, which stands out in a soft blue against the dark background.

2. The Roop

This pop-rock band from Lithuania proves that you can create a beautiful profile with black-and-white photos. What we love is the creativity and uniqueness of their profile picture. They've used an image that reflects an area of each band member's face through the mirror pieces.

In addition, they've kept their banner simple and have selected a black-and-white photo from one of their live shows.

3. Dancing Pineapple

The third example is also a great one. We see how the electronic music curators Dancing Pineapple play around with design elements like retrofuturism and bold, oversized text and incorporate the modern logo into the profile image.

They've used a profile picture that matches the background of the banner image. This way, the profile image does not cover any part of the banner but complements the entire design. Plus, the banner image is so simple and sleek that they could copy its design across to other marketing assets—like a festival poster or a t-shirt.

4. Criminal 

Let’s take a look at one of the profile pages of a popular SoundCloud podcast, Criminal. The profile image is their logo, while the banner is a black-and-white artwork (a bold choice) of people looking scared. 

Even though the logo is black, thanks to the white circle around it, it still stands out rather than blending in and getting lost. The text is kept to a minimum, and the image choice is striking due to its connection with the podcast's topic.

5. Double Toasted

Another SoundCloud podcast we love the cover image of is Double Toasted. Their logo and image have a retro theme, reminding us of an old-school diner or game show. 

The blue and orange colors contrast, making their profile image stand out against the banner image behind it, and the words stand out on the banner, too.

SoundCloud album cover art size

Once you upload a track or an album to SoundCloud, the next thing to do is upload your album art. Album and track artwork are square images, so you'll want to ensure text isn't cropped away when you design your album cover art images.

Album art file size of up to 2MB. JPEG or PNG of at least 800 x 800px. SoundCloud Cover artwork is where you should upload the cover art of your album or song, podcast episode, or other audio content.

As we discussed earlier, each SoundCloud profile is different. Some accounts have commercial profiles, while others are personal ones.

If you have a personal SoundCloud profile, you can pick and upload any visual content you want. Once again, you don't have to be a professional graphic designer to create simple yet powerful album cover art. There are also thousands of album cover templates out there that you can use.

If you have a commercial profile, you'll be more restricted regarding what Album cover art or any other branded content you may upload.

You may be instructed to upload your album cover image not only on your SoundCloud profile but also on other social media platforms that you're using.

Sometimes, a SoundCloud account is a collaboration between you and other companies, such as a music studio. In these cases, you may have to collaborate with your company's graphic designer, use their artwork, or become an amateur graphic designer yourself.

Use the same album cover art on SoundCloud and other social media platforms. This will increase visibility and avoid confusion for listeners trying to find your songs or albums.

Adding a catchy design to your SoundCloud album cover art will instantly set you apart from other profiles as well. There are several ways to find design ideas, including staying in the loop with the latest trends in graphic design.

Now that you have the basics down to create a memorable SoundCloud Profile, it's time to design your profile images. If you're ready to try vector design, start with Linearity Curve, which includes extensive pre-made templates for SoundCloud images.

Are you SoundCloud ready?

This guide has equipped you with the knowledge to create a top-notch SoundCloud profile. Now, you can leave a lasting impression and get more listeners to hit play.

Key takeaways:

• Consistent branding: Maintain a consistent visual style across all your social media platforms, including SoundCloud. This creates a professional look and makes it easier for listeners to find you.
• High-quality images: Use high-resolution images (at least the minimum recommended sizes) to avoid pixelation on any device.
• Strategic design: Keep your profile image clear and avoid placing important information in the corners (it will be cropped in the circular display). For the banner, consider using a captivating image to grab attention.
• Mobile-friendly design: Remember that many users will view your profile on mobile devices, so avoid text-heavy banners.

By following these tips and using our image size guide, you can create a SoundCloud profile that showcases your music or brand in the best possible light.

Linearity Curve has all the tools you need to create stunning designs. Try the free version today to create unique visuals for your SoundCloud account.

Frequently asked questions