Photos + Background Music

I’m looking to put together a photo slideshow and layer some background music over it.
What’s the best way to pull this off? Specifically, I need recommendations for software—preferably something free.

Google Slides (which usually comes bundled if you have Google Workspace). It’s not exactly free, though I guess if you already have the suite installed on your machine, you're good to go. Now, whether you actually own a legitimate license or, well... you know how it goes... 😬

Yeah, obviously, I didn't even think of that..🙂 I'm already testing it out..

Is there anything else besides that?

And how the hell am I supposed to take a song I found on YouTube and use it as background music? I've been trying, but it just isn't working..

It’s been a while since I’ve messed around with Google Slides.
Basically, you need an audio file saved locally—you know, those standard .mp3 or .wma files—but you might need to convert them to a .wav format first if things get finicky. You can just grab a free converter online for that. Once you have the file, you head over to the transitions section in Google Slides 😂—I’ve spent so many years using Google Workspace in English that seeing different terminology feels a bit surreal, like trying to read a foreign language in my own house—where you can select sounds. If you scroll down to the custom sound option, you can upload your .wav file there. As I recall, the track should keep playing through the transitions, though you might need to tweak a few settings to make sure it doesn't cut out between slides. Hopefully, that points you in the right direction.

Casey Bishop26 said:Yeah, obviously! I totally blanked on that for a second..🙂 I'm actually starting to play around with it now..

Is there anything else I should know about?

Also, how would I go about using a song I found on YouTube as background music? I've been trying to figure it out, but I can't quite get it to work..

Basically, you just grab the URL from the YouTube video -> head over to www.vixy.net -> paste that YouTube link in -> then pick the option to convert it specifically to an mp3. Once it's done converting, you just download the track to your computer and you can do whatever you want with it.

P.S.: I think vixy has been acting a little glitchy lately, so if it doesn't work right away, maybe just give it another shot a bit later...

Casey Bishop26 said:I’m looking to put together a photo slideshow and layer some background music over it.
Does anyone know how I can pull this off? Specifically, does anyone have recommendations for free software?

http://memoriesontv.en.softonic.com/

Raymond Campbell35 said:www.vixy.net

P.S.: Vixy has been acting up lately and freezing on me. If it isn't working for you right now, just give it another shot later...

I’ve been grinding at this all morning and getting absolutely nowhere. It hits 99% and then just crashes with an error. Does anyone know of a similar program that actually works?

copperfalcon77 said:http://memoriesontv.en.softonic.com/

That’s exactly what I need. But only if it doesn't cost me a dime...

A really solid option for that kind of project would be Adobe Premiere Elements, though it isn't free—luckily, I already have it in my toolkit. It’s quite intuitive and straightforward to use, featuring about a hundred different transitions to play with. You can export directly to a DVD with a custom menu, or even an executable file, depending on what you need.

iMovie is totally free and comes loaded with plenty of transitions and everything else you need to whip up and edit great videos...