Podcast Cover Art Project: Check Out Podcast Art

 As an author of nine spectacularly unsuccessful self-published books (three novels and six non-fiction books), I was disconsolate to learn at a writing workshop that one of the biggest influencers on book purchases is the cover. 

So I struggle for months over 300 pages of a book, and my selling proposition for the book is based on the cover?  Pretending to be an author is my night job. My putative day job is podcast journalism. So, I wondered. How much influence does podcast cover art have on podcast downloads and popularity? 

After some internet sleuthing, I discovered that the answer is: It depends on who you are talking to. Some people claim podcast cover art does impact a podcast's "ear worthy" attraction. While others claim that podcast discoverability is based on written or verbal recommendations, so cover art is irrelevant. 

What do I think, you ask? I think that podcast cover art can have an impact on a podcast's discoverability and popularity. In effect, I'm saying, "It depends." Take a look at the cover art for true-crime podcasts. There are a lot of shadows, darkness, menacing silhouettes, and ominous taglines. Those covers are expected for the genre. Comedy podcasts are replete with funny caricatures. That cover art is part of the genre. In both cases, nothing special. 

Furthermore, a majority of podcasts have graphics-only cover art. 

Proof that cover art does promote the podcast is Indecent with Kiki Andersen. I recently wrote a glowing review of this excellent podcast and, as always, included the cover art, which, in this case, included a sex toy next to a dinner setting. I didn't think my review was exceptional or different from hundreds of my past reviews. However, views of my review skyrocketed on several online publications. When I viewed the detail, I noticed that people only stayed on my review page for an average of 17 seconds. Too short a time period to read my carefully curated review. 

What were they doing? Could it be getting a closer look at the cover art with the sex toy? Here is that cover art.

Having said all that, what would you think if I told you that there is a talented podcast producer who has developed the "Podcast Cover Art Project." 

The creator of the project is Courtney Carthy, and Podcast Cover Art is currently posting podcast cover art on Instagram.

Media enthusiast and podcast producer Courtney Carthy is based in Melbourne, Australia. No, he can't get you tickets to the Australian Open, but he can get your podcast artwork featured on Instagram as part of a long-overdue and superbly crafted project.

You can share your podcast cover art here - https://tally.so/r/nrOxJl.

Here is Courtney Carthy explaining the project: "In my job as a podcast producer making original and branded content, I'd often have to describe the actual scope of making a podcast."

"Deceptively, for people new to the format, it's not just two mics and a recorder. There's web tech, text, titles, music licensing, sound effects, engineering, marketing and, one of my favorite non-audio elements, the cover art."

 Carthy continues: "It's arguably a unique artistic format, having a history (albeit quite short), a function, a number of experienced practitioners and some community understanding of it as a form. It's always square, is viewed by listeners, has to be useful in both as a large (desktop website) and quite small image (podcast apps)."

"What's compelling for me about podcast art, besides how it's developed under the restrictions imposed, is the diversity. Everywhere in the world, people are making podcast cover art."

Carthy explains that there's not a lot of writing, analysis or documentation about podcast cover art. There are listicles, templates and other surface level resources readily available. But artwork is often a lower priority, done once and becomes familiar.

Carthy says: "The goal with Podcast Cover Art firstly is to celebrate the diversity of artwork and the thinking/story behind it. Not the podcast description, but how the artwork came about."

Here's an example from Carthy:

From the caption of artwork for Containers podcast by @alexismadrigal, "And as I got deeper into the Containers project, I kept thinking about the way that cargo ships get sold and resold. And when they do, they need a new coat of paint."

"This realization created a colorful concept for a subject that might be assumed as visually bland or utilitarian only."

"I hope the project will let the design be appreciated on its own."

To date the account has shared 175 original designs from the Americas, Australia, Europe and other countries.

It would be easy to pick out artwork and share it without the story, but Courtney Carthy chooses to use submissions where there would be some buy-in from people who are proud of their artwork.

Carthy says that he has some plans to make a gallery online, but there's only so much time in a day.

Until then - follow the project on Instagram or send your podcast cover art with its story!

The Instagram account has posted over 170 artworks so far from podcast creators who've shared them.

Indie podcasters, this is a great way to get your podcast noticed.

 Very easy to do via a short form here.