A SoundCloud banner is 2480 × 520 pixels, saved as a JPG or PNG under 2 MB. Phones crop its sides, so keep your name, face and logo in the middle 60%. The fastest way to get it right is the free SoundCloud banner maker: drop a picture, move it inside the dashed safe zone and press Download. It runs in your browser, uploads nothing and needs no account.

The size and the rules

SoundCloud shrinks anything bigger and stretches anything smaller, so start at exactly these sizes. A smaller banner turns soft on a big screen.

Where SoundCloud covers your banner

SoundCloud draws on top of your banner, and it shows less of it on a phone:

• Your profile picture sits over the left side, a circle about 400 pixels wide.
• Your name and location sit right beside it, on the left half.
• Phones crop the sides. On a phone, only about the middle 60% of the width shows.

SoundCloud doesn't publish an official pixel safe zone. The practical rule: keep everything that matters in the middle, and keep the left edge free of anything you need people to read.

Make it with the banner maker

1. Open the SoundCloud banner maker.
2. Drop a picture. Cover art works. It opens framed as a SoundCloud banner.
3. Drag it to move it. Use the slider, or scroll, to zoom.
4. Keep your name and logo inside the dashed line, the safe zone. The circle and bars show where SoundCloud draws your profile picture and name.
5. Switch between Computer and Phone to see what a phone crops. The cropped sides go dim.
6. Pick JPG, PNG or WebP. Upload JPG or PNG to SoundCloud.
7. Press Download. Press All 3 for a zip with the banner, the profile picture and the track artwork.

The quality slider sits behind the small sliders button. When a file would go over 2 MB, the tool lowers the quality for you until it fits. If your picture is too small for the banner, you'll see a low resolution warning.

Turn square cover art into a banner

A square cover on a wide banner either loses its top and bottom or leaves empty space at the sides. Choose which:

• Fill covers the whole banner. You lose part of the top and bottom, so drag until the important part sits in the safe zone.
• Fit shows the whole cover, centred, with a backdrop on both sides. Pick Blur for your cover blurred behind itself, or Color for one color you choose.

Fit with Blur works for almost any cover and keeps your title and face whole. More in How to turn cover art into a banner.

Do it yourself in Photoshop

1. File > New: 2480 × 520 pixels, 72 ppi, RGB color in sRGB.
2. Add guides for the safe zone (View > Guides > New Guide): vertical at 496 px and 1984 px, horizontal at 52 px and 468 px.
3. Keep the left 460 px or so clear of text. That is where the profile picture sits.
4. Place your art (File > Place Embedded) and scale it to cover the canvas. Keep your name and face between the guides.
5. File > Export > Export As, choose JPG at about 85% quality, and check the file size shown is under 2 MB.

No Photoshop? PhotoCraft is a free alternative that works the same way. GIMP and Canva can do it too: set the same canvas size and the same guides.

JPG, PNG or WebP?

• JPG for photos and painted art. Smallest file, and SoundCloud takes it.
• PNG for flat colors, logos and sharp text. Bigger files, so watch the 2 MB limit.
• WebP is smaller than both, but SoundCloud takes only JPG and PNG. Keep it for websites.

Common mistakes

• Text near the edges. Phones cut it off. Keep it in the middle 60%.
• Your name under the profile picture. The circle covers the left side.
• A small picture blown up. A 1000 pixel wide picture stretched to 2480 looks blurry. Start from your full size cover or photo.
• A file over 2 MB. SoundCloud refuses it. Export JPG, or lower the quality.
• A banner that repeats your name. SoundCloud already prints it beside your picture.

Need the same picture for Instagram, YouTube, X and Spotify too? See Social media image sizes for musicians, or drop it on the Social preview to frame it for every platform at once.

FAQ

What size is a SoundCloud banner?

2480 × 520 pixels, JPG or PNG, up to 2 MB. Anything smaller looks soft on a big screen.

What is the SoundCloud banner safe zone?

SoundCloud publishes none. Keep your name, face and logo in the middle 60% of the width and away from the top and bottom edges: from 496 to 1984 pixels across and 52 to 468 pixels down. The banner maker draws this as a dashed line.

Why does my SoundCloud banner look cropped on my phone?

Phones show only the middle of the banner and crop both sides. Anything near the left or right edge disappears. Use Phone in the banner maker to see exactly what is cut.

How do I turn square cover art into a SoundCloud banner?

Drop the cover on the banner maker, choose Fit, then Blur or Color for the backdrop. The whole cover stays visible in the middle, with no crop.

What size is a SoundCloud profile picture and track artwork?

The profile picture is 1000 × 1000 pixels and shows as a circle. Track artwork is 800 × 800 pixels. Both are JPG or PNG, up to 2 MB.

Is there a free SoundCloud banner maker?

Yes. The SoundCloud banner maker is free, runs in your browser and needs no account. It also makes the profile picture and track artwork, and downloads all three as a zip.