How to Use ReleasKit: Complete Guide

ReleasKit transforms your musical vision into professional album artwork in four steps. This guide walks through the entire process—from describing your first idea to downloading assets ready for Spotify, Apple Music, and everywhere else you release.

The whole process typically takes 10-15 minutes, though you can spend longer refining if you want. Let's walk through each step.

Everything starts with your description. This is where you tell us what your music feels like—the colors, moods, places, emotions, anything that captures the vibe.

The description field is your main input. Write naturally, like you're explaining your music to a friend who's never heard it. Focus on atmosphere and feeling rather than literal objects. "Late night drive through empty streets, rain on the windshield, melancholy but peaceful" works better than "a car and rain."

For detailed guidance on writing effective descriptions, see our AI prompting guide.

The AI Boost toggle enhances your description with additional visual details. If you write something brief, turning this on expands it with complementary imagery while preserving your core vision. Useful when you have a strong feeling but aren't sure how to elaborate.

Visual style selection shapes how your description gets interpreted. Choose from presets like Minimalist, Photorealistic, Illustrated, Vintage/Retro, Surreal/Psychedelic, or Dark/Noir. Each style brings different aesthetic qualities. You can also type a custom style description if the presets don't fit.

Sometimes visuals communicate better than words. ReleasKit supports two types of reference images:

"Include in Artwork" references are images you want incorporated directly into your cover. Upload photos of yourself, band logos, specific imagery you want to appear. You can add up to 5 images, and optionally describe how each should be used.

"Style Inspiration" references guide the overall aesthetic without appearing literally. Upload album covers you admire, photographs with colors you love, artwork with the right mood. These influence how your description gets visualized without being directly reproduced.

You can generate reference images with AI too—useful if you have a concept but no existing photos that match.

Once you submit your description, ReleasKit generates three different artwork concepts based on your input. Each interprets your vision differently—same core feeling, different visual approaches.

Take your time reviewing the options. Look at each one and consider: which best captures how your music actually feels? Sometimes the answer is immediately obvious; sometimes you need to sit with them.

Select the one that resonates most strongly. You'll be able to refine it further, so choose based on overall direction rather than perfect execution.

With your favorite concept selected, you can now refine it. The edit function lets you request specific changes:

Color adjustments: "Make the shadows warmer," "shift the overall palette toward blue," "increase contrast."

Element changes: "Remove the shape in the lower right," "make the central figure more prominent," "add more texture to the background."

Mood shifts: "Make it feel more melancholy," "increase the sense of space," "add more visual tension."

Each edit creates a new version while preserving your history. You can undo changes if an edit doesn't work, or try multiple directions from the same starting point.

When you're satisfied, you're ready to generate distribution assets.

Your final artwork becomes the foundation for platform-specific assets. ReleasKit automatically generates versions optimized for:

Streaming platforms: Square artwork at correct dimensions for Spotify (3000×3000), Apple Music (4000×4000), and other services. Proper color profiles and file formats are handled automatically.

Social media: Sized and formatted for Instagram posts, Twitter cards, Facebook, and other platforms where you'll announce your release.

Additional formats: YouTube thumbnails, banner images, and other promotional assets derived from your core artwork.

Everything downloads as a package ready to upload directly to your distributor and social platforms. No additional editing required—the technical specifications are handled for you.

Iterate freely. Your first description rarely produces your final artwork. Treat early generations as exploration—see what works, refine what doesn't.

Use reference images. When words aren't capturing what you want, visual references communicate complex aesthetics efficiently. Upload images that have the right feeling, even if they're not exactly what you want.

Be specific about feelings. "Melancholic" is okay; "the melancholy of looking at old photographs of people you've lost touch with" is better. Specificity produces uniqueness.

Try different styles. The same description with different style selections produces very different results. Experiment before settling on a direction.

Save sessions you like. If you generate something interesting but not quite right, you can return to it later. Sessions persist between visits.

Start simple, then refine. Begin with your core feeling, generate options, then add complexity through the edit function. This often works better than trying to describe everything perfectly upfront.