Spotify Canvas Size: Exact Dimensions, Length and Specs for 2026

If you have ever tried to upload a looping video to Spotify for Artists only to see it rejected, the problem almost always comes down to Spotify Canvas size. Spotify enforces strict pixel dimensions, aspect ratio, duration, and file format rules, and getting even one of them slightly wrong can stop your Canvas from going live. This guide breaks down the exact specs, the most common reasons Canvas uploads fail, and the fastest way to export a video that passes on the first try.

Spotify Canvas Dimensions and Resolution

Spotify Canvas is built exclusively for the vertical, mobile Now Playing screen, which drives every spec that follows. <cite index="12-9">The current specs are 3 to 8 seconds long, vertical 9:16 aspect ratio, 720 to 1080 px tall, and MP4 or JPG file format.</cite>

The recommended target most creators use is 1080x1920 pixels. <cite index="5-14,5-15">The ideal dimensions for a Spotify Canvas are 1080 pixels wide by 1920 pixels tall, and this 9:16 aspect ratio ensures that your visuals look great on all devices.</cite> That said, 720x1280 is the technical floor. <cite index="3-1">Spotify guidelines recommend a minimum resolution of 720 by 1280 pixels.</cite> If you export at the minimum, expect softer detail on newer high-resolution phone screens, so 1080x1920 is worth the extra render time.

The 9:16 ratio is not a suggestion. <cite index="6-10,6-11,6-12">The 9:16 vertical format is non-negotiable, since Spotify Canvas is designed exclusively for mobile, where the screen is held vertically, and any horizontal or square content will be cropped or letterboxed.</cite> If you are repurposing a square Instagram post or a widescreen music video clip, you need to reframe it, not just resize it, or key elements will get cut off.

Spotify Canvas Length, Duration and File Format

Canvas length is one of the strictest parts of the spec. <cite index="2-22,2-23,2-24">Length must be 3 to 8 seconds. Shorter than 3 seconds won't be accepted, and longer than 8 seconds won't be accepted.</cite> This trips up more people than the pixel dimensions do, because the boundary is exact, not approximate. <cite index="11-8">A file shorter than 3 seconds or even a single frame over 8 seconds will fail to upload.</cite>

Because it loops on repeat, the loop point matters as much as the length. <cite index="2-25">The loop repeats from the beginning each time, so if your clip has a hard cut at the end, that cut shows on every loop.</cite> For a genuinely seamless feel, either design a continuous motion loop that returns to its starting frame, or intentionally use a hard cut as a stylistic choice rather than an accident.

On file format, Spotify keeps things simple. <cite index="1-3">It requires MP4 format with H.264 encoding</cite> for video, with JPG accepted for static images. Frame rate isn't rigidly enforced, but <cite index="10-2">for best performance, keep file sizes optimized and export using standard video settings such as 24 to 30 fps.</cite> On file size, guidance varies slightly by source, but keeping your export as small as possible without visible quality loss is the safest approach across the board.

Once uploaded, don't panic if your Canvas doesn't appear instantly. <cite index="4-16">Processing can take up to 10 minutes before the Canvas appears live.</cite>

Common Canvas Upload Errors and How to Fix Them

Most rejected Canvas uploads trace back to one of four issues:

• Wrong aspect ratio. Anything other than 9:16 vertical gets cropped or rejected outright.
• Duration just outside 3 to 8 seconds. Trim a fraction of a second off either end if your export lands exactly on a boundary. <cite index="14-9,14-10,14-11">If your Canvas is exactly 8 seconds long and fails to upload, it could be due to Spotify's strict timing requirements, so try shortening your Canvas by a fraction of a second and attempt the upload again.</cite>
• Resolution below 720px tall. Anything shorter than that height on the vertical axis won't meet spec.
• Wrong file type. MOV, GIF, AVI, and other formats need to be converted to MP4 first. <cite index="11-11,11-12">Spotify only accepts MP4 files for Canvas uploads, so if you have a video in another format like MOV, GIF, or AVI, you'll need to convert it to MP4 before you can add it.</cite>

If you're building your loop from scratch rather than fixing an existing file, it's far easier to just start on the correct canvas size from the first frame. That's exactly what a purpose-built Canvas editor does: templates and export presets are locked to 1080x1920 and the 3-8 second window, so you're not guessing at crop lines or re-exporting five times to hit a duration boundary.

How to Convert Any Video to Spotify Canvas Size

If you already have footage, a clip from your music video, a performance reel, or an abstract background loop, you can convert it to Spotify Canvas size in a few steps:

1. Crop or reframe to 9:16. Identify the focal point of your shot (your face, a logo, a lyric) and make sure it stays inside the vertical frame after cropping.
2. Trim to 3-8 seconds. Pick a segment that has a natural start and end point, ideally one where the first and last frames look similar enough to loop cleanly.
3. Resize to 1080x1920. Upscale carefully if your source is smaller than this; avoid stretching, which distorts faces and text.
4. Export as MP4 with H.264 encoding, at a standard frame rate, and keep the file size lean.
5. Upload through Spotify for Artists on the specific track, then wait for processing.

Doing this manually in a general video editor works, but it's easy to get the aspect ratio or duration slightly wrong, especially if your editor's default export presets are built for YouTube or Instagram rather than Spotify. Using a tool built specifically around these dimensions, including an AI option that can generate a ready-to-upload Canvas straight from your Spotify track link, removes most of that guesswork. For a quick visual reference on exact pixel dimensions before you export, check the Canvas size reference page.

Quick Spec Cheat Sheet

| Spec | Requirement |

|---|---|

| Aspect ratio | 9:16 vertical |

| Recommended resolution | 1080 x 1920 px |

| Minimum resolution | 720 px tall |

| Duration | 3 to 8 seconds |

| File format | MP4 (H.264) or JPG |

| Frame rate | 24-30 fps recommended |

| Upload location | Spotify for Artists, per track |

| Processing time | Up to 10 minutes |

Once you've got the specs memorized, the actual creative work is where Canvas pays off. <cite index="6-6">According to Spotify's own data, tracks with Canvas see higher listener retention, more playlist adds, more profile visits, and significantly more shares to Instagram Stories and other social platforms.</cite> That's a meaningful return for an 8-second video that costs nothing to add to your release.

If you'd rather skip manual cropping and duration math entirely, MakeCanvas's free editor is already locked to Spotify's exact Canvas size and length requirements, with templates and effects built for the 9:16 loop format. You can also generate a Canvas automatically from a track link using the AI option, or upgrade for extra export features on the Pro plans. For more release-ready tips like this, browse the rest of the MakeCanvas blog.