Apple Music Motion Artwork Specs: The Ultimate Export & Delivery Guide (ProRes vs. H.265)

If you have spent any time trying to upload dynamic artwork to streaming platforms, you already know the frustration. You spend days dialing in the perfect loop, send it off to your distributor, and immediately get hit with a vague rejection email telling you your video file doesn’t meet platform guidelines.

Navigating Apple Music motion artwork specs can feel like walking through a technical minefield. Apple’s quality assurance system is notoriously strict, and minor oversights—like leaving a muted audio track attached or missing your resolution target by a couple of pixels—will get your file tossed right back to you.

Whether you are an independent artist, a visual designer, or a label manager, this guide breaks down everything you need to know about preparing, exporting, and delivering motion artwork that passes QA on the very first try.

Technical Specifications: The Non-Negotiables

Apple Music accepts two primary visual formats for motion artwork depending on where it appears in the app: Album Motion (which shows up on the main album page) and Artist Page Motion (the full-bleed background on artist profiles).

For standard release artwork, you will primarily deal with square and vertical aspect ratios. Here is the exact technical baseline your video project must meet before hitting export:

Square Motion (1:1 Ratio)

• Resolution: $3000 \times 3000$ pixels (exact)
• Aspect Ratio: 1:1
• Frame Rate: $29.97\text{ fps}$ or $30\text{ fps}$ (constant frame rate)
• Duration: Between 5 and 30 seconds (15 to 25 seconds is the sweet spot for seamless loops)

Vertical Motion (3:4 Ratio)

• Resolution: $3000 \times 4000$ pixels (exact)
• Aspect Ratio: 3:4
• Frame Rate: $29.97\text{ fps}$ or $30\text{ fps}$ (constant frame rate)
• Duration: Between 5 and 30 seconds

General File Rules

• Color Space: Rec. 709 (SDR). Standard dynamic range is expected. Avoid exporting in HDR or HLG unless your label distributor specifically requested an specialized HDR delivery pipeline.
• Audio: No audio track at all. It is not enough to just mute your audio clip on the timeline—the final container file must be completely devoid of an audio stream.
• Looping: The animation must loop cleanly. Sudden jumps or jarring cuts at the transition point look unpolished and can occasionally draw a QA flag from distribution partners.

ProRes vs. H.265: Which Container Codec Should You Use?

One of the most common points of confusion during delivery is choosing between Apple ProRes and H.265 (HEVC).

Why Apple ProRes 422 is the Best Choice

Whenever possible, you should deliver your motion artwork as an Apple ProRes 422 or Apple ProRes 422 HQ file wrapped in a .mov container.

ProRes is an intra-frame mezzanine format. This means every frame is compressed individually rather than across a group of pictures (GOP). As a result, ProRes preserves fine detail, smooth color gradients, and subtle film grain without introducing nasty compression artifacts or macroblocking. Because Apple transcodes all incoming media on their end to generate optimized streams for iPhones, iPads, and Macs, providing them with a high-bitrate ProRes master ensures your visual art looks crisp on every screen.

When Does H.265 (HEVC) Come Into Play?

H.265 offers much higher compression ratios while keeping visual fidelity reasonably sharp. Some independent aggregators ask for H.265 or H.264 MP4 uploads simply to save server bandwidth on their end.

However, if your distributor supports ProRes .mov files, always choose ProRes. Using H.265 introduces an extra layer of lossy compression before Apple ever receives the file, which often leads to color shifting (such as the dreaded QuickTime gamma shift) or banding in dark gradients.

Step-by-Step Export Tutorials by Software

Here is how to set up your render queue across the three major editing platforms to ensure your files land within spec every single time.

Adobe Premiere Pro

1. Open your sequence and go to File > Export > Media (or hit Cmd+M / Ctrl+M).
2. Set the Format dropdown to QuickTime.
3. Under the Preset menu, pick Custom.
4. In the Video tab:
   • Select Apple ProRes 422 as the Video Codec.
   • Uncheck the lock box next to Frame Size and set Width to 3000 and Height to 3000 (or 4000 for vertical).
   • Set your Frame Rate to 29.97 or 30.
   • Check Render at Maximum Depth and Use Maximum Render Quality.
5. Move over to the Audio tab and uncheck the Export Audio box. This strips the audio track completely from the .mov file.
6. Click Export.

Final Cut Pro

1. Click the Share icon in the upper right corner and pick Export File (default) or Master File.
2. Head into the Settings tab inside the share window.
3. Change Format to Video Only (this guarantees no silent audio tracks leak into your file).
4. Set Video codec to Apple ProRes 422.
5. Under Resolution, select Custom and enter $3000 \times 3000$ (or $3000 \times 4000$).
6. Choose your destination folder and click Save.

DaVinci Resolve

1. Switch to the Deliver page (the rocket icon at the bottom of your screen).
2. Under Render Settings, select Custom Export.
3. Set Format to QuickTime and Codec to Apple ProRes.
4. Choose ProRes 422 under the Type drop-down menu.
5. In the Resolution fields, select Custom and type in $3000 \times 3000$ (or $3000 \times 4000$).
6. Make sure Frame Rate matches your timeline (29.97 or 30).
7. Open the Audio tab at the top of the Render Settings panel and uncheck Render Audio.
8. Click Add to Render Queue and start your render.

Delivery: Uploading Through DistroKid, TuneCore, and Preferred Distributors

Once you have rendered your master file, inspect it before uploading. Open the file in QuickTime Player or VLC, hit Cmd+I (or Ctrl+I) to view the inspector, and double-check three main things:

1. Dimensions are precisely $3000 \times 3000$ or $3000 \times 4000$.
2. There are no audio tracks listed in the stream details.
3. The frame rate is locked to $29.97$ or $30\text{ fps}$.

Submission Tips

• File Naming: Keep your file names clean. Avoid spaces, emojis, or unusual characters. Use a clean naming convention like ArtistName_AlbumTitle_Motion_3000x3000.mov.
• Lead Time: Always submit your motion artwork at least 2 to 3 weeks prior to release date. Automated intake systems at distributors like DistroKid, TuneCore, Symphonic, or CD Baby process media files quickly, but manual QA teams at streaming services take time to approve motion assets.
• Troubleshooting Rejections: If your file gets flagged for “Incorrect Format,” 90% of the time it is because the video container still holds an empty audio track or the video was exported with a variable frame rate (VFR). Re-export following the exact steps above, ensuring “Export Audio” is toggled off.

Getting your visual presentation right on streaming services builds an immediate layer of credibility for your project. By locking in your ProRes export settings and sticking strictly to Apple’s specifications, you will eliminate delivery delays and keep your release strategy running smoothly.