Apple Motion cover artwork for your release

Apple Motion artwork adds a short, silent moving image to a release’s cover artwork on Apple Music. Keep the release’s visual identity recognisable and prepare separate square and portrait compositions.

Apple Motion artwork is optional and included with active paid Artist Plus and Label & Team plans, not Free or Artist plans. Add it below the cover in the Artwork step of a release draft, before submission. Submitted release artwork is read-only.

Prepare both required formats: square 3840 × 3840 and portrait 2048 × 2732. Supply silent QuickTime MOV files using Apple ProRes 422 or ProRes 4444, lasting 15–35 seconds, with BT.709 colour and a frame rate of 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97 or 30 fps. Each file must be between 5 MiB and 4 GiB.

Expand Add Apple Motion art in the release editor, upload both formats, and confirm usage rights and matching first and last frames. Files are saved privately with the draft; no linked delivery album is required during preparation.

Saved means the file is stored with the draft, not validated by the artwork service. Both formats must be saved and unfinished transfers completed or cancelled before submitting. ORB transfers the artwork with the normal release workflow and waits for processing before store submission.

Check each composition separately for legibility. The first and last frames must be identical and match the static cover. Export without an audio track or black borders.

Apple’s creative guidelines require continuous cover-focused motion, a seamless loop, full-frame high-resolution artwork, and safe-area placement for portrait text, logos and subjects. Avoid promotional copy, tour dates, parental advisory logos, flashing, and AI distortions. Use square pixels and review Apple’s official guide and downloadable templates for composition and export settings.