Motion artwork specs for Apple Music
The real requirements for animated album art on Apple Music: 2048 x 2732 and 3840 x 3840, both files required, 8 to 35 seconds, and why a 60 fps export is rejected.
Apple Music shows animated cover art on some releases. Apple calls it motion artwork; listeners call it animated album art or animated cover art. Apple publishes exact requirements, and most of what is written about them on the web is out of date.
The words move around, and all of these mean the same thing: motion artwork, motion art, album motion, motion cover art, animated cover art, animated album covers, moving album art. Apple's own term is motion artwork, and album motion is what its delivery documentation calls it.
The two files Apple asks for
| Asset | Resolution | Ratio | Shown on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Album page motion, portrait | 2048 x 2732 | 3:4 | iPhone and Android |
| Album page motion, square | 3840 x 3840 | 1:1 | Mac, iPad and smart TVs |
Why is my motion artwork rejected at 60 fps?
Because Apple does not accept it. The permitted frame rates are 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97 or 30 fps, and 60 is not among them. This matters more than it sounds: 60 fps is the default export of most modern tools, so a file that looks perfect gets bounced for a reason nothing on screen reveals.
Every Apple export from LimePulse is 30 fps for exactly this reason.
How long should motion artwork be?
8 to 35 seconds. That minimum changed in late 2025, and a great deal of published advice still says 15 seconds, so a loop built to an older guide can be rejected for being too short.
The rest of the requirements
| Requirement | Apple's specification |
|---|---|
| Frame rate | 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97 or 30 fps |
| Duration | 8 to 35 seconds |
| Codec and container | H.264 or Apple ProRes 422/4444, in MOV or MP4 |
| Bitrate | 45 to 100 Mbps |
| Colour | Rec. 709 or sRGB |
| Audio | None. Any blank audio track must be disabled |
| The pair | Both files must be delivered together, and both must be the same length |
| Looping | The animation must be a continuous loop |
| First frame | Must match the static album cover, which is what shows on a slow connection |
| Editing | The motion has to stay on the cover. No cuts to other images |
How do I upload motion artwork to Apple Music?
You cannot upload it yourself. Apple's own guidance is that you work with your distributor to deliver the artwork, and not every distributor does, so it travels with the release rather than being added in a player afterwards. Anything telling you to upload it in Apple Music for Artists is describing something that does not exist. Source: Apple's motion artwork guidance.
How is this different from a Spotify Canvas?
| Spotify Canvas | Apple motion artwork | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Vertical 9:16 | Square and portrait, both |
| Length | 3 to 8 seconds | 8 to 35 seconds |
| Frame rate | Not specified by Spotify | 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97 or 30 fps, never 60 |
| How it is delivered | You upload it in Spotify for Artists | Your distributor delivers it with the release |
| Where it plays | Spotify mobile app, Now Playing | Apple Music, across devices |
Common questions
Does animated album art have sound?
No. Apple asks for no audio track at all, and says any blank audio track should be disabled on output. The music a listener hears is the track itself.
Can I reuse my Spotify Canvas as Apple motion artwork?
Not the same file: the shapes are different and Apple wants two of them. You can reuse the design. Switch the frame in the studio and the composition reframes, cropping rather than stretching.
Why is my animated cover art not showing in Apple Music?
Either it was never delivered with the release, or you are looking on a device or a release that does not show it. Motion artwork has to go through your distributor, so if you supplied it after the release went live it usually needs delivering again.
Does Apple Music have Canvas like Spotify?
It has its own version of the idea, called motion artwork. Apple does not use the word Canvas for anything, so searching for an Apple Music Canvas finds Spotify's feature by a different name.
Do the two files have to be the same length?
Yes, and this one is easy to miss. Distributors state it plainly: if the square and the portrait file differ in duration, the delivery does not go through.
What resolution is Apple Music animated album art?
2048 x 2732 for the portrait file and 3840 x 3840 for the square one. The square is the larger of the two, which surprises people.
Related reading
- Apple Music motion art specs, sizes and safe zones
- How to make Apple Music motion art
- Build one in Motion, the Apple Music motion art studio
- Which distributors deliver motion artwork
- Animated cover art is not showing
Last updated 2026-09-15
LimePulse is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by Spotify AB or Apple Inc. Product names are used only to describe what the software makes files for.