How to Use Spotify Canvas to Enhance the Visuals of Your Music

Branding yourself and your craft is taking leading positions in the modern Spotify music promo. Spotify Canvas is one of the most useful features of this music-streaming platform. This feature lets users upload three to eight seconds looping video for any of their songs on the platform. Spotify Canvas comes in really handy for many artists because it has proven to draw a lot of attention to the music.

According to Spotify, beta testing of high-quality Canvases increased streams by 5 percent, track shares by an average of 145 percent, profile visits by 9 percent, and playlist adds by an impressive 20 percent. This is highly practical and it all makes sense because video can stir high-impact and immediate emotional connection.

Adding this visual branding tool on Spotify to all your songs on the platform only shows that you are serious about your music. This will enhance your creativity and make more people want to listen to your songs.

A Guide to Creating Engaging Spotify Canvases

Some music distribution companies are working with Spotify to provide their subscribers with access to Spotify Canvas. Verified Spotify artists can find the option to use Canvas within their “Spotify for Artists” dashboard automatically. Here are some helpful suggestions from Spotify when you are editing or shooting the looped video that will follow your song.

Avoid footage with singing, rapping, or talking: Spotify recommends you avoid footage with rapping, singing, or talking, as the looped video will not synchronize with the music. Since it will not be synced with the song, any mouth movement or sound will be a distraction.

Keep the action in the middle: The controls for the player might be at the bottom half of the screen. Hence, you should keep all the important things at the center of the screen or slightly lower. You should position it in a way that the controls will not cover it.

No flashing effects and frenetic cuts: The purpose of this feature is to draw the attention of the listeners, not to give them a stroke. Hence, you should avoid using flashing effects.

Only vertical video format: This feature only works with vertical videos. This means your video has to be in a 9:16 aspect ratio. The framing within Spotify for Artists is not editable.

No album, track, or artist names: You do not need to add your name, the name of your track or album, as listeners can already view them.

Tell a Story: You can tell short stories with this platform, as you do on short video platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels.

Tell bigger stories: You can upload Canvases for all the songs on your album that progress along a timeline or speak to one another.

Change Canvas at any time: you can change the canvas of any song whenever you want. This means you can modify your canvas and make it more dynamic and interactive.

Amplify your brand consistency: If you have more than one visual on Spotify, you should try to make sure their Canvases blend. Their header image and profile image should fit.

Try out different types of loops: There are different types of loops on the platform, and you should experiment with them. The main loop options you have are Continuous Loop, Hard Cut Loop, and Rebound Loop.

Spotify Canvas Video Specs

• Spotify Canvas videos have a requirement, and every video you want to upload needs to meet these requirements.
• Vertical video format with an aspect ratio of 9:16
• A minimum height of 720px
• JPEG or MP4 file
• The MP4 file must be three to eight seconds long

Spotify also allows you to keep track of the number of people that have viewed your video on the platform. After Spotify grants you access to Canvas, you will see a column for views within the MUSIC tab of your account. You will be able to track your success and know if your efforts are paying off based on the number of views your canvases get. If you are not getting any views, then you know there is something you are not doing right and you would need to step up your game.

Steps for Uploading a Spotify Canvas for Your Track

With the requirements of Spotify above, you should be able to create the right video. After creating it, you can upload the video as a Canvas within your “Spotify for Artists” account. You can do this on both desktop and mobile applications, and they have the same process. Here is how to add a video as a canvas on the mobile application:

• To start creating a Canvas, you need to choose a single or an album. Select the right song within Spotify for Artists.
• Select a track. Click the “+” to add a track.
• Select a video from your gallery (on the desktop, you can drag and drop the video on the box provided).
• Trim the video and make sure it is 3 to 8 seconds long.
• Review the uploaded content and upload it by clicking next.
• You will have to verify that you have the right to post the content, after which you can share it on social.
• You Can Hire a Professional to Create Your Spotify Canvas

Canvas Design is now a category in Spotify’s SoundBetter program. The SoundBetter program of Spotify is a collaboration marketplace where you can hire producers, session players, and mixers with ease. You can find a professional designer, animator, or videographer on the platform to help with the creation of your Spotify Canvas.

This new feature on Spotify provides artists with a better and exciting way of saying more about themselves on Spotify. It allows them to become more creative with their content and create short videos that best express how their songs feel and what it says. This will increase their fan base and bring more listeners to them. The more canvases you create, the more listeners you will attract to yourself – and you know what an increase in listening time means.