A Canvas is the short vertical video that loops behind your track in the Spotify app, and it is one of the cheapest ways to make a release feel finished. This preset opens the Image to Video tool already set to a 9:16 frame and an 8-second clip, with a prompt written for a subtle loop. Upload your cover art or any still from the campaign, adjust the motion description if you want more or less movement, choose a quality tier, and generate. The result is a vertical MP4 you download and upload in Spotify for Artists under the track's Canvas setting. Spotify's public spec asks for a 9:16 video between 3 and 8 seconds that loops, or a still JPG, so keep the duration at 8 or drop it to 5 and prefer motion that starts and ends in a similar place: slow camera drift, drifting light, particles, and gentle parallax loop far better than a big action. The clip is billed in credits with the price shown before you generate, and the same tool makes matching loops for Shorts and Reels. Check Spotify for Artists for the current Canvas requirements and eligibility.
Canvas replaces the static cover with motion for listeners on mobile, which is where most streaming happens, and it shows on the Now Playing screen and in shares to Instagram Stories. Spotify has published its own figures on shares and saves for tracks with a Canvas; treat them as directional rather than a guarantee, but the cost of finding out for your track is one image and a few credits.
Describe motion that could continue forever: a slow push-in on the artwork with drifting dust and warm light, clouds moving behind the figure with hair lifting in a breeze, neon reflections shimmering on wet ground. Keep the subject where it is, name one or two moving elements, and avoid anything with a clear start and finish. Rain, smoke, light leaks, water, and camera drift are reliable; text reveals and fast cuts are not.
A Canvas is a short looping video, 3 to 8 seconds long in 9:16, that plays full-screen behind a track in the Spotify mobile app instead of the static cover. Artists add one per track through Spotify for Artists.
Spotify's published guidance is a 9:16 vertical video between 3 and 8 seconds, uploaded as MP4, or a 9:16 still image as JPG. This preset renders 9:16 at 8 seconds by default; requirements can change, so confirm the current spec in Spotify for Artists before you upload.
Upload the cover, keep the pre-filled prompt or describe the motion you want, choose a tier, and generate. Download the MP4, open the track in Spotify for Artists, and add it under Canvas.
A 9:16 frame is taller than a square cover, so the engine extends or reframes the artwork to fill it. For full control, crop a vertical version of the art first in the Image Editor and animate that, or pick 16:9 if the loop is for YouTube instead.
Spotify loops whatever you upload, so the clip does not have to be a perfect loop, but slow, continuous motion hides the restart best. Avoid prompts with a clear beginning and end, such as a door opening or text appearing.