Music QR code: how to make one that scans when printed
By the Slappcard teamFacts last checked
We make Slappcards, so we say where a plain QR code is enough and where a printed card fits.
A music QR code is a printed square that sends a phone to a link where your music plays. Put one on a poster or a case insert and anyone with a camera can reach your record without typing an address.
This guide covers what a code can hold, how small you can print one, why distributors turn it away from cover art, and when a plain code is the wrong tool.
What does a music QR code hold?
A link. A QR code stores a short piece of text, almost always a web address, and the phone's camera offers to open it. The song stays wherever the link points, so the code works for as long as that page does.
Pick the link before you print. A code that opens your artist page keeps working when the next record comes out; one that opens a single stays tied to it.
Then test it on a phone that is not signed in to any music app. Some links ask a new listener to log in first. Find that out before you print five hundred stickers.
Will it scan once it is printed?
Usually, if the dots are big enough, the code is dark on a light background and the link is short. Our check refuses a dot narrower than 0.3 mm and warns below 0.4 mm. These limits are our own rules of thumb, not a standard, so print a proof and scan it.
How small can it print?
Small enough that each dot is still at least 0.3 mm wide, and 0.4 mm to avoid a warning. The width that takes depends on the link, because a longer link needs more dots. The table is our arithmetic from the encoder our cards use.
| Link length | Dots per side | Narrowest print (refused below) | Comfortable print (no warning) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 characters | 29 | 8.7 mm (0.34 in) | 11.6 mm (0.46 in) |
| 55 characters | 33 | 9.9 mm (0.39 in) | 13.2 mm (0.52 in) |
| 80 characters | 37 | 11.1 mm (0.44 in) | 14.8 mm (0.58 in) |
| 120 characters | 45 | 13.5 mm (0.53 in) | 18.0 mm (0.71 in) |
| 200 characters | 57 | 17.1 mm (0.67 in) | 22.8 mm (0.90 in) |
Widths are for the code itself, so leave a clear border around it. Links from a share menu often end in tracking text. Cut it off if the link still works: a shorter link makes bigger dots.
Which colors scan?
Dark on light reads best. The check compares the brightness of the code with that of its background, using the ratio web accessibility rules use. It refuses anything under 2 to 1 and warns under 3 to 1, so a pale code on white fails.
| Colors | Contrast | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Black on white | 21.0 to 1 | Passes |
| Mid gray on white | 4.5 to 1 | Passes |
| Light gray on white | 2.8 to 1 | Warning: faint |
| Yellow on white | 1.4 to 1 | Fails: too close to the background |
| White on black | 21.0 to 1 | Warning: light on dark |
A light code on a dark background draws a warning at any ratio, because some older scanner apps cannot read it.
Print a proof
- Print one at the real size, on the real paper or sticker stock.
- Scan it with two phones, one of them old, from arm's length in the dimmest light it will meet, such as a club.
- Check that the page it opens is the one you meant.
Can I put a QR code on my cover art?
Not on the art you send to a distributor. DistroKid, CD Baby, Amuse, UnitedMasters and SoundCloud (as a distributor) each name QR codes on their reject lists, and the art can be turned away. Put the code on what you print yourself: a sticker, an insert, a poster or the back of a case.
| Service | Where it says so |
|---|---|
| DistroKid | DistroKid requirementsRead 9 Oct 2026. |
| CD Baby | CD Baby restrictions articleRead 9 Oct 2026. |
| Amuse | Amuse artwork pageRead 9 Oct 2026. |
| UnitedMasters | UnitedMasters rejection articleRead 9 Oct 2026. |
| SoundCloud (as a distributor) | SoundCloud digital articleRead 9 Oct 2026. |
All five also list web addresses, so a printed URL on the art fails for the same reason. Every service's full list is in the album cover size guide.
Static or dynamic: which kind do I need?
A static code holds your link itself, so it works for as long as the link does and records nothing. A dynamic code holds a short link on a company's server that forwards to yours, so it can count scans, but it can stop if the account lapses.
| What matters | Static code | Dynamic code |
|---|---|---|
| What the code holds | Your link itself. | A short link on a company's server, which forwards to yours. |
| Changing the destination after printing | Not possible. Reprint the code. | Possible. You change where the forwarding points. |
| Counting scans | Not possible. Nothing records a scan. | Usually, on the company's dashboard. |
| If the company or the account goes away | No effect. The code depends only on your link. | The code can stop working, however many you printed. |
Check what you made. Scan the code and read the address your phone shows before you tap it. If it is not your link, the code is dynamic.
Is a Spotify Code the same as a QR code?
No. A Spotify Code is Spotify's own format: a row of vertical bars beside the Spotify logo, built to be scanned inside the Spotify app. A QR code is an open format that a phone's camera reads, and it can point to Spotify or anywhere else.
Should I use a plain QR code or a Slappcard?
Use a plain code when you only need to send people to a public page and do not need to see which fans open it. Use a Slappcard when you want the music on a page that asks for a first name and an email, so you leave the show with a list.
| Compared on | QR code to your link | Slappcard |
|---|---|---|
| What the code opens | Whatever link you chose. | Your card's own page on slappcard.com. Every card in a pack shares one link per design. |
| Who can listen | Anyone who scans it or has the link. | A fan sees "Enter your email to unlock this music" and gives a first name and an email first. Anyone holding or photographing a card can open it, and search engines are told not to list it. |
| What you learn about scans | Nothing. A static code does not count scans. | Plays, downloads and scans show up on your artist dashboard. |
| Fan emails | None. | The artist can export only fans who ticked the box to get news and fans from before the card asked; other fans can be viewed but not exported. |
| Cost | Free to make. You pay for printing. | Packs of 100 to 1,000 cards, from $120.00. |
You can use both: a plain code on the poster, a card at the merch table. Packs and costs are on the pricing page.
Common questions
What size should the code be on a sticker or a flyer?
Make each dot at least 0.4 mm wide. For a 55-character link that is a code 13.2 mm across, and at 25 mm (about an inch) the dots print 0.76 mm wide. A code that only just clears the line may read in daylight and fail in a dim club, so give it room.
Want to see which fans open it? Put the music on a card
Upload your cover art and see the pack sizes before you pay.