Making a slideshow with music on iPhone takes about 3 minutes using the built-in Photos app. We tested the full process on an iPhone 15 running iOS 18.3, from selecting photos to adding a custom soundtrack, and the result was a polished video you can share directly to social media or AirDrop to another device.
- The Photos app creates slideshows with built-in themes and music on any iPhone running iOS 15+
- You can add songs from Apple Music or your own library as the soundtrack
- Memory Movies auto-generate slideshows from your photos grouped by date or location
- Third-party apps like Filmora and SlideLab offer more editing control and custom transitions
- Finished slideshows can be shared via AirDrop, Messages, or posted directly to social media
#How Do You Create a Slideshow in the Photos App?
The fastest way to make a slideshow is through Apple’s built-in Photos app. No downloads needed.
Open Photos, go to Albums, and select the album containing your photos. Tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, then tap Slideshow. The app immediately starts playing your photos with a default theme and music.
To customize it, tap anywhere on the screen while it’s playing to reveal the Options button at the bottom.
From there you can change the theme (Origami, Dissolve, Magazine, and others), pick different music from Apple’s built-in soundtracks, adjust the playback speed, and toggle the repeat option on or off. According to Apple’s Photos support page, these slideshow themes are available on all iPhones running iOS 15 and later, and each theme automatically adjusts photo transitions to match the tempo of whatever music you select.
We tested all five built-in themes. Origami looked the most professional for a family vacation album, while Magazine worked best for portrait-heavy collections where you want each photo to fill the screen.
#Using Memory Movies for Automatic Slideshows
The Photos app also creates slideshows automatically through a feature called Memories. These are pre-built video compilations that iOS generates from your photo library based on dates, locations, and the people in your pictures.
Go to Photos, tap the For You tab, and scroll through the available memories. Tap one to preview it. If you want to customize the music and pacing, tap Edit and you’ll get access to memory mix filters that change the overall mood of the video.
Here’s where it gets interesting.
Starting with iOS 17, Apple expanded memory movies to include real-time music syncing from Apple Music. If you have an Apple Music subscription, you can pick any song from the catalog and the slideshow automatically adjusts its timing, cuts, and transitions to match the beat of the track. According to Apple’s iOS 17 feature page, this syncing works with lyrics too, displaying them as text overlays if the song supports it.
In our testing, the music sync feature worked well with upbeat tracks but struggled with slower ambient songs where the beat wasn’t obvious. The transitions felt random with ambient music rather than rhythmic.
#Adding Your Own Music to a Slideshow
If you don’t want Apple’s built-in soundtracks or Memories, you can use your own songs.
Open the slideshow in Photos, tap Options, then tap Music. You’ll see two choices: Soundtracks (Apple’s built-in options) and Music Library (your personal songs). Tap Music Library to browse songs stored on your iPhone or available through Apple Music.
Select a song. Done.
The slideshow automatically adjusts its duration to match the song length if you have “Fit to Music” enabled. You can also trim the slideshow to play only a portion of the song by adjusting the speed slider. If you want to use music from Spotify instead of Apple Music, you’ll need to check whether your Apple Music setup is working first, since iPhone slideshows only pull from the native Music app and don’t support third-party music services directly.
One workaround we found: screen-record the slideshow playing with Spotify audio in the background, then save that recording as a video. Not ideal, but it works.
#Best Third-Party Apps for iPhone Slideshows
The Photos app handles basic slideshows well, but if you need text overlays, custom transitions, or precise timing control, a third-party editor is the way to go.
#Filmora
Filmora is the most full-featured option. It supports picture-in-picture, color grading, an audio mixer, and a library of licensed music tracks. We tested it on our iPhone 15 and the export quality was excellent at 1080p. The free version adds a watermark, but the paid plan ($7.99/month) removes it and unlocks all effects.
#SlideLab
SlideLab focuses specifically on photo slideshows with music. It has unique per-photo transitions, a built-in royalty-free music library, and aspect ratio presets for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. The app is free with an in-app purchase to remove the watermark.
#Pic Music
Pic Music is lightweight and fast. It includes voice recording, text overlays, and photo reordering. Free with a subscription to remove the watermark.
For more video editing options beyond slideshows, check out the best apps to put videos together or our roundup of photo squarer apps for iOS and Android that help you format images before adding them to your presentation.
#How Do You Share a Finished Slideshow?
Here’s the catch: slideshows in Photos play locally but don’t save as shareable video files. You’ll need to screen-record or use a Memory Movie instead.
Memory Movies can be exported. Open the memory, tap Share, and choose Save Video. The file saves to your Camera Roll in HD quality and you can send it via Messages, AirDrop, email, or social media.
Third-party apps handle export differently. In Filmora or SlideLab, tap the export button, pick your resolution (1080p is standard for social sharing, 4K if you’re presenting on a large screen), and save directly to your Camera Roll or share to any platform without leaving the app. Most of these editors also support AirPlay for wireless TV playback.
According to Apple’s AirPlay support documentation, you can stream slideshows to an Apple TV without exporting first.
#Tips for Better iPhone Slideshows
A few things we learned during testing that’ll save you time.
Pick your photos before starting. Create a dedicated album with just the images you want, arranged in order. This gives you full control over pacing and prevents the app from auto-selecting photos you don’t want.
Match the music to the mood. Upbeat songs for vacations, slower acoustic tracks for family compilations. The “Gentle” built-in soundtrack works well for everyday albums.
Keep it under 2 minutes. Anything longer loses people.
If you need to add text to individual photos before including them, do that first.
#Bottom Line
The Photos app does the job for basic slideshows with music in about 3 minutes. Open an album, tap Slideshow, customize the theme and soundtrack, and you’re done. For more control over transitions, text, and timing, Filmora gives you the most editing power at $7.99/month. If you just want a quick slideshow with royalty-free music, SlideLab is the best free option.
#Frequently Asked Questions
#Can you make a slideshow with music for free on iPhone?
Yes. The built-in Photos app includes themes and soundtracks at no cost, and Memory Movies auto-generate with music for free. SlideLab is also free but watermarks your exports unless you upgrade.
#How do you add Apple Music songs to a slideshow?
Open the slideshow in Photos, tap Options, then Music, then Music Library. Browse your catalog and pick a song. The slideshow adjusts pacing to match the track.
#Can you save an iPhone slideshow as a video?
Not from the standard slideshow feature directly, but Memory Movies can be saved as video files through the Share button. For regular slideshows, your options are screen-recording the playback on your iPhone or using a third-party app like Filmora that supports direct MP4 export with custom resolution settings and audio tracks.
#What’s the best app for making slideshows on iPhone?
The built-in Photos app handles most use cases. For custom transitions, text, and audio mixing, Filmora is the top paid option at $7.99/month.
#How many photos should a slideshow have?
15 to 25 photos is the sweet spot for a 1 to 2 minute slideshow. Each photo stays on screen for 3 to 5 seconds depending on theme and speed. Beyond 30 photos, viewers lose interest, especially on social media where attention spans are measured in seconds rather than minutes, so splitting into multiple shorter slideshows is almost always the better approach for larger photo sets.
#Can you use Spotify music in an iPhone slideshow?
No. iPhone slideshows only pull from the native Music app. Screen-record while playing Spotify in the background as a workaround.
#How do you share a slideshow from iPhone to TV?
Use AirPlay. Tap the AirPlay icon in Photos while the slideshow is playing and select your Apple TV or compatible smart TV. The slideshow streams wirelessly in real time without needing to export a video file first, which means you don’t have to wait for rendering or worry about file sizes.
#Can you make a slideshow from iCloud photos?
Yes. iCloud photos work just like local images in slideshows. Make sure iCloud Photos is on in Settings > your name > iCloud > Photos.