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You don’t need a professional graphic designer to create a logo for your podcast. You can accomplish a lot on your own with a simple tool like Canva and a few good podcast logo examples for inspiration.
In this post, we’ll show you 11 kinds of podcast logos that you can put your own spin on to create a stand-out thumbnail on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and any other platform your show is featured on.
How Do I Create A Logo For My Podcast?
One of the easiest ways to create a logo for your podcast is to use a Canva Pro account. Canva is like getting the power of Photoshop, without the headaches of learning Photoshop.
If you aren’t sure you want to pay for Canva Pro, you can also use a free Canva account, but the features in Pro will expand the tools and options available to you for your podcast thumbnail. Canva also usually offers a free 30-day trial of their Pro subscription, so you can see just what you’d be missing if you decide to stick to the basic plan.
You can also use Canva’s podcast logo templates or use an AI logo-creation tool like Logome to speed up the process.
Does My Podcast Need A Logo?
Yes. There’s really no way around it. You must have a logo for your podcast.
This is because many of the streaming services you will want your podcast to appear on (for example: Spotify, Apple Podcasts) require you to submit a logo or thumbnail image when adding your podcast to their platforms. No podcast logo, no podcast listing.
Podcast Logo Image Dimensions
Most listening platforms require a square podcast thumbnail, generally in the range of 3,000 px wide x 3,000 px high.
Different audio platforms may specify slightly different logo sizes. However, if you create your podcast logo at that size and upload it to your podcast hosting provider, your hosting provider should be able to automatically sync it to all the streaming platforms you distribute your podcast on.
What Should A Podcast Logo Look Like?
A good podcast logo should be eye-catching and memorable, instantly giving listeners an idea of what your show is about, while still being easy to read.
Before we get into our specific podcast thumbnail examples below, here are a few general rules to follow when designing your podcast logo:
- Use memorable imagery.
- Use high-resolution imagery. (Don’t try to make a low-quality image work if you don’t have to.)
- Pick a font that is easy to read against the background you choose.
- Put some thought into the colors you associate with your show. (If you create a website or sell merch later, this will be important for your podcast’s brand.)
With those best practices in mind, let’s look at some logos!
11 Podcast Logo Examples
1. Photography Background
Why it works: This podcast logo style easily conveys the main topic of your show with realistic and eye-catching imagery, usually from stock photos.
What to watch for: Be wary of using overly complicated photos that make your text hard to read. A relatively simple photo will work best here.
2. Original Photography Background
Why it works: Using an original photo for your podcast logo brings a sense of honesty and authenticity to your show.
What to watch for: This strategy is likely to work best with photography that is intimately tied to the theme of your show. If your original photography could just as easily have been a stock photo, you may be less likely to be memorable with this tactic.
3. Pattern Background
Why it works: You can easily use your podcast brand colors to or a template pattern to create a dynamic logo.
What to watch for: Make sure your text is still easy to read against the pattern you choose.
4. Wacky/Unusual Imagery
Why it works: A podcast logo like this is likely to be unique and very memorable.
What to watch for: This logo style can be a bit more casual, and may not be suited for podcasts about serious or potentially sensitive subject matter.
5. Themed Text
Why it works: Your podcast show title will be easy to read and the themed design instantly conveys a little bit of what the show is about.
What to watch for: There can be a fine line between keeping your logo simple and keeping it so sparse that it’s not memorable. Find the level of detail that is just right.
6. Text Only
Why it works: Podcast logos like this are incredibly easy to read and memorable.
What to watch for: If your podcast name is on the longer side, this may not be a great tactic because your show name may be hard to read as a thumbnail.
7. Headshot
Why it works: This podcast thumbnail style is professional and easy to read.
What to watch for: Because so many podcasts have used logos like this, it can leave less of an impression on listeners and be easy to overlook in podcast feeds.
8. Avatar Headshot
Why it works: You can use this headshot artwork style to add some personality to your logo but also remain a little bit more anonymous if that is important to you.
What to watch for: If your avatar doesn’t have any features to distinguish you from other podcasters using a similar style, you could risk confusing listeners.
9. Animation Artwork
Why it works: Especially with the many AI artwork tools available these days, it can be easy to generate an animation-style artwork logo for your podcast that depicts the topic of your show and is completely original.
What to watch for: Animation artwork generally works best for depicting a concrete concept or situation. Podcasts with more abstract topics may find it difficult to create a logo in this format.
10. Symbolism / Iconography
Why it works: Icons and symbols tend to convey a lot of meaning in a concise graphic.
What to watch for: Symbols can mean different things to different cultures and people. Make sure you know what a symbol you plan to use in your podcast logo represents from different perspectives before using it.
11. Just… Out There Imagery
Why it works: So over the top that it would be hard to forget a logo like this.
What to watch for: Being excessive just for the sake of it if it isn’t reflective of your content could give listeners a misleading idea of what to expect from your show.
What Logo Style is Right For Your Podcast?
Podcast logos are a form of graphic design and, as such, the sky is really the limit for them. Yet, following a tried and true strategy for your podcast thumbnail is a good way to ensure your logo is easy to read, while also being memorable.
What variations of your podcast logo could you make using the examples in this post? Give them a try and let us know what design you settle on!
