Header / banner
Recommended2480×520 ~4.77:1
SoundCloud help cites at least 2480×520 (~4.77:1, often rounded to ~5:1). Avoid relying on tiny text—small screens crop the sides.
Use in toolSoundCloud · Image size
SoundCloud Header Size
SoundCloud help asks for a header at least 2480×520. Keep text out of the far edges phones crop, stay under 2MB, then download a clear file in your browser.
Browser crop · stays on your device
Crop your SoundCloud header
2480 × 520
Add a photo to crop
Upload a wide photo—or try the sample—then keep headlines inside the center band before you download.
Size specs
Export at least 2480×520. This is the profile header—not the circular avatar and not the square track cover.
Publish
Export this for SoundCloud upload.
| Asset | Pixels | Ratio | Notes | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Header / banner Recommended | 2480×520 | ~4.77:1 | SoundCloud help cites at least 2480×520 (~4.77:1, often rounded to ~5:1). Avoid relying on tiny text—small screens crop the sides. | Use in tool |
SoundCloud headers are very wide—and phones eat the sides
SoundCloud help recommends a header image of at least 2480×520. That is a short, very wide strip—about 4.77:1, often described as roughly 5:1. It is closer to a panoramic billboard than to an X 3:1 or Patreon 4:1 cover.
Help also warns against putting important text on the image: smaller screens crop the sides, so edge slogans vanish. Put the story in atmosphere and a bold mid-band subject, not a paragraph of type along the rim.
Stay under 2MB. A huge uncompressed TIFF will not look sharper on the live page once SoundCloud compresses it—export a clean sRGB JPG or PNG that already fits the limit.
The circular profile photo and the square track cover are different uploads. Do not stretch this banner into either square, and do not paste a track cover into the header slot.
Good vs weak crop
Same short banner strip—quiet lower-left for the avatar, subject in the open mid/right band.
Reads after mobile crop
- Subject locked to the center band
- True ≥2480×520 export
- No slogan hugging the side rims
Edge text or wrong ratio
- Tiny captions only on the far edges
- Facebook cover stretched into ~5:1
- Track square forced into this short strip
Before you upload
Tick these off against your crop preview—nothing is saved.
Related surfaces compared
Similar-looking slots often use different ratios—do not reuse one export for all of them.
Header / banner
2480 × 520
This page. Wide profile strip—sides may crop on small screens.
Profile picture
1000 × 1000 (try)
Circular avatar—separate square export.
Track cover
800 × 800
Square release artwork—not a banner substitute.
| Surface | Typical size | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Header / banner | 2480 × 520 | This page. Wide profile strip—sides may crop on small screens. |
| Profile picture | 1000 × 1000 (try) | Circular avatar—separate square export. |
| Track cover | 800 × 800 | Square release artwork—not a banner substitute. |
Avoid text—especially on the edges
SoundCloud’s own guidance is blunt: do not rely on text in the header. Small screens trim the sides. If words must appear, keep them large, few, and inside the center band—and prefer putting the real message in your bio or track titles instead.
- Atmosphere and a face or instrument beat a paragraph of type.
- Test at phone width before you publish.
- Coordinate color with the circular avatar so the set feels intentional.
~4.77:1 vs “about 5:1”
2480÷520 is about 4.77:1. Creators often round that to “roughly 5:1.” Export the exact 2480×520 help size rather than guessing a different panoramic ratio from another network.
- Minimum useful: 2480×520 per SoundCloud help.
- Do not stretch a 1500×500 X header and hope.
- Keep file weight ≤2MB.
File requirements
Photos usually look best as JPG; hard-edged logos can stay PNG. Prefer sRGB. Stay under 2MB.
- Header (help minimum)
- 2480 × 520 px (~4.77:1)
- File limit
- 2MB
- Text tip
- Avoid—sides crop on small screens
- Formats
- JPG or PNG (sRGB)
- Not this slot
- Profile circle, 800×800 track cover
Common mistakes
- Putting the only slogan on the far left or right.
- Stretching an X or LinkedIn cover into SoundCloud without a fresh crop.
- Uploading a soft upscale instead of a true 2480×520 file.
- Using a track cover square as the profile header.
How to use the crop tool
Upload a wide photo, choose Header / banner (2480×520), drag until the subject clears the side risk, then download. Processing stays in your browser.
- Use the center safe band as a hard keep-in for any mark.
- Skip tiny captions on the image.
- Re-check on a phone after you publish.
After you download
From this download to a live upload in a few minutes.
- 1
Download the 2480×520 JPG (or PNG for hard-edged graphics)—confirm it is under 2MB.
- 2
On SoundCloud, open profile edit / header image and upload the file.
- 3
Check phone and desktop. If type sits on a cropped edge, re-crop here and upload again.
Frequently asked questions
What is the SoundCloud header size in 2026?
At least 2480×520 pixels (~4.77:1 / roughly 5:1). Keep subjects centered—small screens crop the sides—and stay under 2MB.
Can I put text on my SoundCloud header?
Help advises against it. Edge text disappears on small screens. Prefer atmosphere and a clear mid-band subject.
Is SoundCloud header the same as an X banner?
No. X uses 1500×500 (3:1). SoundCloud wants a wider ~2480×520 strip. Reuse the photo, then re-crop.
What is the file size limit?
Help cites 2MB for the header image.
Can I crop SoundCloud headers in the browser?
Yes. This guide includes an in-browser crop—files stay on your device until you download and upload to SoundCloud yourself.