How to Make a Funeral Slideshow
Even with only a few days
Ask the venue for the slot and screen, gather the photos in one place, choose and order them, build it in a tool you know, add one or two songs, export a 1080p MP4 and test it on the venue screen.
To make a funeral slideshow, ask the venue how long it can run and what screen it plays on, gather photos from family in one shared place, choose 50 to 80 of the strongest, put them in life order, build it in Canva, PowerPoint, iMovie or Google Photos, add one or two songs, export a 1080p MP4 and test it at the venue.
Sources checked 4 October 2026: Parting Stone on format and length, Obitus on venue screen sizes. Photo counts are explained in how many photos for a funeral slideshow.
What are the steps to make a funeral slideshow?
Nine steps, in the order that saves the most time. The venue questions come first because the slot and the screen shape decide everything after them.
- 1
Ask for the slot and the screen
Ask the funeral director or venue how many minutes the slideshow has, the screen shape and the file type they play.
- 2
Gather photos in one place
Send one request with a deadline and one place to add photos. Scan printed albums at the same time.
- 3
Choose the strongest photos
Keep clear, characteristic photos and drop near-duplicates. Most service slideshows hold 50 to 80.
- 4
Put them in life order
Childhood, young adult years, family years, later years. Open and close with one portrait.
- 5
Pick your software
Canva, PowerPoint, iMovie and Google Photos all make a video file. A funeral home can build it for you.
- 6
Build it with short captions
One photo per slide at about 6 seconds, a title card with the name and dates, and a closing card.
- 7
Add the music
One or two songs. Check how music is licensed at the venue, then fit the photos to the song length.
- 8
Export a 1080p MP4
Export MP4 (H.264) at 1080p in 16:9, then watch the file end to end before you send it.
- 9
Test it at the venue
Play it on their screen and speakers before the service. Bring a USB copy and keep a cloud link.
How To Create A Funeral Slideshow For Free
The Funeral Channel Network builds a free slideshow in Google Slides: gathering photos, putting them in order, adding transitions and presenting it at a service.
Watch on YouTubeHow long does it take to make a funeral slideshow?
Pick how much time is left, the tool you will use and where the photos are. The planner splits the nine steps across your days with rough hours, and shows the export step for your tool.
About 7 h 30 min
of hands-on time, spread over the days
- 1Day 130 min
- Ask the venue for the slot length, the screen shape and the file type they want15 min
- Send the family one photo request with a clear deadline15 min
- 2Day 23 h
- Pick the strongest photos and drop near-duplicates2 h
- Put them in order, from childhood to recent years, and write the title and closing cards1 h
- 3Day 33 h 30 min
- Build it in Canva as a video design, one photo per page2 h
- Add the song and fit the photos to its length1 h
- Export the video and watch it end to end30 min
- 4The day before30 min
- Test it on the venue screen and keep a copy on a USB drive and in the cloud30 min
Canva: Download it as an MP4 video. Canva's help page says free accounts can download videos up to 30 minutes at up to 1080p. Source, checked 4 October 2026.
The hours are rough planning estimates for about 50 to 80 photos, not measured times. Grief makes everything slower, so leave room.
Where the hours go: in every version of the plan, finding, scanning and choosing photos take longer than the software. If you can hand off one job, hand off the scanning.
How do you collect photos for a funeral slideshow?
The photos are usually spread across many homes, phones and shoeboxes, and there are only a few days. A specific request and one place to send photos help the most.
One request, one deadline
One message to the family with a clear ask, such as photos from before 1990, and a time to send them by. Vague asks bring slow replies.
One place to add them
A shared album link or QR code lets relatives add photos from the phone browser. You build from one folder instead of ten chat threads.
Scan prints as you go
Albums and shoeboxes hold the early years. A free scanner app such as Google PhotoScan reduces glare on glossy prints.
A message you can send, illustrative
“We are making a slideshow for Ellen's service on Saturday. Could you add any photos of her to this album by Thursday evening? Older photos and ones with family are the most helpful. Thank you.”
Want the full playbook, with prints, messages and the person's own phone? Read how to collect photos for a memorial.
Not sure how many to ask for? How many photos for a funeral slideshow has the chart by length and by song.
Some of the best photos of Ellen are on other people's phones.
Cousins, old friends and neighbors each hold a few photos the family has never seen. One QR code or link lets them add photos and videos from the phone browser, no app and no account, with their name on every upload.
Scan to join the album
No app, no account
UPLOADING
Saving your moment
THE ALBUM
Remembering Ellen
Example album
164 photos · 29 guests
Scan. Upload.
One album to build from.
Watch a relative scan the QR code and add photos and videos from the phone browser in seconds, no app and no account. Every upload lands in the one album you build the slideshow from.
MEMORIAL ALBUM
Remembering Ellen
Example album
The opening portrait
Found in the hall closet
Let the family add their photos to one album
One private QR album for the people who loved them. They add photos and videos from the phone browser, no app and no account, and every upload shows their name. The first 20 uploads are free.
A voice note from Daniel
Scan to join the album
No app, no account
UPLOADING
Saving your moment
THE ALBUM
Remembering Ellen
Example album
164 photos · 29 guests
SCAN TO TRY
pix.wedding/
your-wedding
What is the best free funeral slideshow maker?
Usually the one you already know, because there is little time to learn a new tool. Each of these makes a slideshow a venue can play. Facts come from each vendor's own help or pricing page.
| Tool | Cost | Works on | Export | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canva | Free plan, paid plans add more | Browser, desktop and phone apps | MP4 up to 1080p and up to 30 minutes on the free plan | Title cards and captions from templates |
| PowerPoint | Part of Microsoft 365 or Office | Windows and Mac | MP4 or WMV, up to 4K on Windows 10 or later, 5 seconds per slide by default | Anyone who already knows slides |
| iMovie | Free | Mac, iPhone and iPad | File, Share, File with a resolution menu. 4K only if the first clip is 4K | Fine control over timing and music |
| Google Photos | Free app | Web, Android and iPhone | A highlight video saved to your library | A quick video from photos already in Google Photos |
| Google Slides | Free with a Google account | Browser | Plays live. Publish to the web can auto-advance and restart after the last slide | A loop at a visitation from a laptop |
| Animoto | Free plan, paid plans remove the watermark | Browser | 720p with a watermark on free, 1080p on Basic, 4K on Professional | Licensed music: 50 tracks free, 3,000 on Professional |
| Funeral home tribute service | Varies. One UK crematorium lists £55 for up to 25 photos, £85 timed to music | None, they build it | Played on the venue screen. Some systems post it to the online obituary | Families with very little time |
Swipe to compare tools
Checked 4 October 2026 on the Canva, Microsoft, Apple, Google and Animoto help or pricing pages and the South West Middlesex Crematorium fee list. Plans and limits change, so check before you start.
How much does a funeral slideshow cost? From free to a venue fee.
US funeral homes set their own prices, so ask yours. Many use tribute software such as Tribute Technologies, which builds a video from obituary photos with music and themes.
Can you make a funeral slideshow on your phone?
Yes. A phone is enough for a single-song tribute. For more than about 60 photos, sorting is easier on a computer.
iPhone and iPad
iMovie is free and exports a video file. The Photos app also makes memory movies with your own photos and song.
Android
Google Photos makes a highlight video from photos you pick, on Android, iPhone and the web.
Canva app
The same Canva design works on a phone and a computer, so you can start on one and finish on the other.
Before the day
Watch the exported file on a big screen once. Small text and cropped faces are easy to miss on a phone.
How do you make a funeral slideshow with music?
Choose one or two songs, note their runtime, then fit the photos to the music. Here is where the song goes in three common tools.
PowerPoint
- 1Insert, Audio, Audio from File
- 2Select the audio icon
- 3Playback tab, Play in Background
The song starts on its own and plays across slides. Source, checked 4 October 2026.
Google Slides
- 1Save the song to Google Drive
- 2Insert, Audio
- 3Choose the .mp3 or .wav file
Slides takes .mp3 and .wav files stored in Drive. Source, checked 4 October 2026.
Photos on iPhone
- 1Open a memory movie
- 2Pick the photos yourself
- 3Change the song, title and length
Songs come from memory soundtracks or Apple Music. Source, checked 4 October 2026.
Can you use any song? It depends where it plays.
Played in the room
Many US funeral homes hold an NFDA music license for the BMI, ASCAP and SESAC catalogs, which the NFDA says is over 90% of copyrighted music.
At a place of worship
17 U.S.C. section 110(3) exempts music performed in the course of services at a place of worship. It does not cover transmissions to the public.
Livestreamed
The NFDA says streaming a service with copyrighted music needs a separate license. Ask the funeral home who holds it.
Uploaded to YouTube
Content ID can block, monetize or track a video with claimed music. You may be able to mute the claimed audio.
A short music checklist
- Ask the funeral home whether it holds a music license, and say which song you want
- Do not rely on a personal streaming app: the NFDA says those are licensed for personal use only
- Keep a version with licensed or no music if you plan to post it online
- Note each song's exact runtime before you start placing photos
Still choosing the songs? Our funeral slideshow songs guide collects hymns, classics and modern picks. Animoto's plans include licensed tracks if you want music that is cleared for sharing.
General information about US rules, checked 4 October 2026, not legal advice. Rules differ in other countries, so ask your funeral director or venue.
What format should a funeral slideshow be? An MP4 at 1080p.
Parting Stone recommends exporting an MP4 (H.264) at 1080p in a 16:9 widescreen shape, and asking the venue which format and shape its system prefers. Obitus, which runs screens in many UK crematoria, lists 1920 x 1080 for landscape screens and 1080 x 1920 for portrait ones.
The export settings, in one card
What the room sees on a 16:9 screen
If the venue plays your own file: Obitus accepts avi, m4v, mov, mp4, mpg and wmv for family supplied videos (checked 4 October 2026). Other venues differ, so ask yours.
How long should each photo be in a funeral slideshow?
About 5 to 7 seconds, in life order, framed by a title card and a closing card. Quiet captions and one transition keep the attention on the faces.
Swipe along the slideshow
- EllenExample title card6 sec01Title cardName and dates, about 5 to 7 seconds
- 6 sec02ChildhoodSchool photos, holidays, early family
- 6 sec03Young adultA wedding, a first home, work
- 7 sec04Family yearsGroup shots get a little longer
- 6 sec05Later yearsRecent gatherings, quiet moments
- Thank you for being hereExample closing card6 sec06Closing cardA thank-you or a favorite line
Illustrative example, seconds per photo are a suggestion
Captions: names, places, years
A caption should be readable in two seconds. "Lake Tahoe, 1974" works. A paragraph does not, so save stories for the eulogy.
One gentle transition
Use one simple crossfade throughout. Spinning or flashy effects pull attention away from the faces.
Pace that lets faces land
Parting Stone suggests 3 to 4 seconds per photo and 5 to 7 for group shots and title cards. We start slower, at 6 seconds. Counts by length are in how many photos for a funeral slideshow.
How do you test a funeral slideshow before the service?
A file that plays on your laptop can still fail on a venue system. A short test the day before catches most problems while there is still time to fix them.
Play it on their screen
Run the whole file on the venue's own screen. Colors, cropping and text size look different at full size.
Check the sound
Listen in the room at service volume. Music that sounds right on a laptop can be too quiet or too loud in a chapel.
Stop sleep and pop-ups
If it plays from a laptop, turn off sleep, screen savers and notifications, and plug in the charger.
Name one person to press play
Agree who starts it and on which cue, so the family does not have to think about it on the day.
What are the most common funeral slideshow mistakes?
None of these are about taste. They are the practical slips that cost time on the day, and each one has a simple fix.
Opening the software first
Choosing photos inside an editor is slow. Pick and order the photos in a folder first, then build.
Playing music from a streaming app
The NFDA says personal streaming subscriptions are not licensed for public performance, and ads or buffering can interrupt the service.
Only portrait photos on a wide screen
A slideshow made of phone portraits shows black bars on every slide. Mix in landscape photos where you can.
One copy on one laptop
Bring a USB copy and keep a cloud link. If the file will not open, there is no time to rebuild it.
Running past the slot
A 10 minute video in a 6 minute slot gets cut short. Check the exported length against the program.
Leaving nobody in charge on the day
The person who made it is often too close to it to run it. Hand the file and the cue to someone calm.
Still gathering? Start a free shared album for the family.
Why the build order matters more than the software
Most of the time in a funeral slideshow goes into finding, scanning and choosing photos. The software step is short once the photos are chosen and in order, whichever tool you use.
Working in that order also keeps the hardest choices out of the editor. You decide what to show in a calm folder, then the editor only has to place, time and export.
- Venue first: slot length, screen shape and file type
- Photos second: gather, scan, choose, order
- Software third: build, caption, add music
- Test last: the venue screen, the sound, two copies
After the service
Families often find more photos after the funeral. A shared album gives late photos a place to go, and the finished slideshow file belongs in the same family archive.
If you plan to share the video online, keep the version with licensed or no music, so it is not muted or blocked.
Questions about making a funeral slideshow
Steps, software, music, format and time, with sources checked 4 October 2026.
Ask the venue for the time slot and screen format, gather photos in one shared place, choose 50 to 80 of the strongest, put them in life order, build the slideshow in a tool such as Canva, PowerPoint or iMovie, add one or two songs, export a 1080p MP4 and test it on the venue screen before the service.
Use a free tool that takes your own song. iMovie is free on Mac, iPhone and iPad. Canva's free plan downloads MP4 video up to 1080p and 30 minutes. Google Slides can play an .mp3 or .wav file stored in Google Drive. Check with the funeral home how the music will be played in the room (checked 4 October 2026).
Put one photo on each slide, add a title slide and a closing slide, then insert the song with Insert, Audio, Audio from File and choose Play in Background so it plays across slides. Export with File, Export, Create a Video at Full HD 1080p. Each slide shows for 5 seconds by default, which you can change (Microsoft help, checked 4 October 2026).
Parting Stone suggests 3 to 4 seconds per photo and 5 to 7 seconds for group shots and title cards. A slower 5 to 7 seconds gives the room time to recognize faces. PowerPoint's video export uses 5 seconds per slide by default.
Parting Stone puts most funeral slideshows at 3 to 8 minutes, with 4 to 5 minutes as a sweet spot, usually one to three songs. The venue's time slot comes first, so ask before you choose photos. Our guide on how many photos for a funeral slideshow has the counts by length.
Yes. iMovie is free on iPhone and iPad and exports a video file, Canva has phone apps, and the Photos app makes memory movies where you choose the photos, song, title and length. A computer is easier for sorting a large number of photos.
In the US, many funeral homes hold an NFDA music license that covers the BMI, ASCAP and SESAC catalogs at their services, and federal law exempts music at services in a place of worship. Livestreams and YouTube uploads are different: streaming needs its own license, and YouTube may claim, mute or block the music. Ask your funeral home. This is general information, not legal advice.
An MP4 file (H.264) at 1920 x 1080 in a 16:9 landscape shape plays on most venue screens. Some venues use portrait screens, so ask first. Bring a USB copy and keep a cloud link as a backup.
Making it yourself can cost nothing with Canva's free plan, iMovie or Google Photos. Funeral homes set their own prices. As one example, South West Middlesex Crematorium in the UK lists £55 for a slideshow of up to 25 photos and £85 for one timed to music (checked 4 October 2026).
Send one message with a clear deadline and one place to add photos. With Pix Wedding memorial photo sharing, relatives scan a QR code or open a link and add photos and videos from the phone browser, with no app and no account. The first 20 uploads are free.
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