The simplest way to make a slideshow with music

The easiest route depends on what you already have on your computer. Windows comes with Photos, which can turn a folder of images into a video with music in about five minutes. Mac users have iMovie, which does the same thing. If you use neither, DaVinci Resolve is free, works on Windows, Mac, and Linux, and handles both photos and music without limits.

All three let you pick the photos, choose the music, set how long each photo stays on screen, and export the result as a video file you can play anywhere — on your TV, share with family, or upload to the web. None of them require you to learn video editing. You point them at a folder, pick a song, and they do the rest.

Key Takeaways

  • Windows Photos and Mac iMovie are built in and can create a basic slideshow with music in minutes without any setup.
  • DaVinci Resolve is free on all operating systems and gives you more control over timing and transitions if you want it.
  • You need the music file on your computer before you start — either an MP3 you own or a song you have downloaded.
  • The slideshow exports as a video file (usually MP4), which you can then play, email, or upload anywhere a video works.

Using Windows Photos to make a slideshow

Open the Photos app (it comes with Windows 10 and 11). Create a new folder on your computer with all the photos you want in the slideshow, in the order you want them. Open Photos, navigate to that folder, and select all the images. Right-click and choose "Create" — you will see an option for "Create a video with music."

Photos will ask you to pick a music file from your computer. Browse to an MP3 or other audio file you have saved locally. It will then show you a preview where you can adjust how long each photo appears (the default is about 3 seconds). You can also add a title at the beginning. When you are happy with it, click "Export" and choose where to save the video file. It will be an MP4 file, which plays on any device.

The whole process takes about 5 minutes. The limitation is that Photos does not let you add transitions between photos or fine-tune which part of the song plays when — it just syncs the photos to the music automatically.

Using Mac iMovie for slideshows

Open iMovie and create a new project. Drag your photos into the timeline in the order you want them. iMovie will automatically give each photo a few seconds of screen time. You can click on each photo and adjust its duration by dragging the edges of its clip shorter or longer.

To add music, drag an audio file (MP3 or other format) from your computer into the audio track at the bottom of the timeline. The music will play under the photos. You can slide the music clip left or right to change where it starts relative to the photos, and you can trim it by dragging its edges. When the slideshow looks right, go to File and choose "Share" — then pick a format like "File" to save it as an MP4 video.

iMovie also lets you add simple transitions between photos (cross-dissolve, fade, etc.) by clicking the transition icon between clips. This gives your slideshow a more polished feel than the automatic Photos app version.

Using DaVinci Resolve if you want more control

DaVinci Resolve is professional video software that is free to download from Blackmagic Design's website. It works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Open it and create a new project. In the media pool on the left, import your photos and your music file. Drag the photos into the timeline in order, then drag the music underneath them.

Click on each photo in the timeline to select it, then look at the inspector panel on the right — you can set exactly how long it stays on screen (in seconds or frames). You can add transitions by right-clicking between clips. When you are done, go to the Deliver tab, choose your export settings (MP4 is fine for most uses), and render the video. This takes longer than Photos or iMovie but gives you pixel-perfect control over timing.

DaVinci Resolve has a learning curve if you have never used video software, but the basic workflow — import, arrange, export — is the same as the other tools. There are many free tutorials online if you get stuck.

What you need before you start

You need two things: a folder of photos and a music file. The photos should be JPG, PNG, or another common image format — all three tools handle these. The music file should be MP3, WAV, or another audio format your computer recognizes. If you have a song on a streaming service like Spotify, you cannot use it directly — you need a file saved to your computer.

If you own a CD, you can rip it to MP3 using free software like MediaHuman Audio Converter (Windows and Mac). If you have a song you purchased from iTunes or another store, that file is already on your computer. If you want royalty-free music for a slideshow you plan to share online, sites like Pixabay Music and YouTube Audio Library have free downloads.

Organize your photos in a folder in the order you want them to appear. Name them so they sort correctly (for example, 001.jpg, 002.jpg, 003.jpg) — this makes it easier to arrange them in the right sequence.

Adjusting timing and transitions

The most common adjustment is how long each photo stays on screen. In Photos, this is set globally — all photos get the same duration. In iMovie and DaVinci Resolve, you can set each photo individually. A typical slideshow gives each photo 3 to 5 seconds, but you might want a photo to linger longer if it is important, or move faster if you have many photos and a short song.

Transitions are the visual effect between photos — a fade, a cross-dissolve, a slide, or a wipe. Photos does not offer transitions. iMovie has a few built-in options that you can apply with one click. DaVinci Resolve has many more, but for a simple slideshow, the default fade or dissolve is usually enough. Too many transitions can make a slideshow feel cluttered.

Music timing is usually automatic — the slideshow stretches or compresses the photos to fit the song length. If you want a specific photo to appear at a specific moment in the song, you will need to adjust individual photo durations in iMovie or DaVinci Resolve. In Photos, this is not possible — the app handles it for you.

Exporting and sharing your slideshow

All three tools export to MP4, which is the most widely compatible video format. An MP4 file plays on Windows, Mac, phones, tablets, and most streaming devices. The file size depends on the number of photos and the resolution you choose — a slideshow with 50 photos might be 100 to 500 MB depending on settings.

Once you have the MP4 file, you can email it (if it is under your email provider's size limit), upload it to Google Drive or OneDrive to share with family, or upload it to YouTube or Vimeo if you want to share it publicly. You can also copy it to a USB drive or burn it to a DVD if you want to give it to someone without internet access.

If you plan to upload to YouTube, check YouTube's guidelines on music copyright. If your slideshow uses copyrighted music you do not own, YouTube may mute the audio or claim the video on behalf of the copyright holder. Royalty-free music avoids this problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use music from Spotify or Apple Music in my slideshow?

Not directly. Streaming services do not let you download the audio files. You would need to own the song (purchase it or have it on a CD you ripped) or use royalty-free music from a site like Pixabay Music or YouTube Audio Library, which you can download as an MP3 file.

What if my music is longer than my photos?

All three tools will stretch the photos to fit the music length. If you have 20 photos and a 5-minute song, each photo will get about 15 seconds on screen. You can shorten the music file using free audio software like Audacity, or add more photos to fill the time.

Can I add text or titles to my slideshow?

Yes. Photos lets you add a title at the beginning. iMovie and DaVinci Resolve let you add text overlays on any photo — click the text tool and type what you want. You can position it, change the font, and set how long it stays on screen.

What resolution should I export at?

1080p (1920 x 1080) is the standard for most uses — it looks good on TVs and computers and is not so large that it is hard to email or upload. If you are only showing it on a phone or tablet, 720p is fine. If you want the highest quality for a big screen, 4K is an option, but the file will be much larger.

Can I edit the slideshow after I export it?

Not easily. Once it is an MP4 file, you would need video editing software to change it. It is better to make all your edits in Photos, iMovie, or DaVinci Resolve before you export. If you need to make changes later, go back to the original project file and re-export.