Create a Slideshow with Apple Photos for Mac

Welcome to Hey Ivan, a channel where you can ask a tech guy tech questions. In this video, I show you how to create slideshows with Apple Photos for Mac.
CHAPTERS
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:28 Chapters
00:01:05 Creating Slideshows on the Mac
00:01:31 Pick a New Photo Library
00:02:34 Import Photos to Include
00:02:59 Make the Slideshow Project
00:03:35 Overview of the Slideshow Project Area
00:04:42 Slideshow Options
00:04:49 A Preview of Each Theme
00:05:11 Let’s Talk Music
00:06:14 Slideshow Duration
00:07:08 My Own Slideshow Workflow
00:07:47 Export the Slideshow Project
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~Ivan
Music by Mr. Chase - Rainbow Road - thmatc.co/?l=E0C8AACC
Music by VirgoZilla Beatz - Feelin’ Good - thmatc.co/?l=480153D6
Channel Art by Len Peralta - www.lenperalta.com

[@majalali2009]

Ivan, this is one of the best instructional videos I have ever seen. Thank you so much, it was short precise and covered all the points, amazing.

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks.

[@COASTRECOVERY]

Ivan you are amazing, thanks for this, i searched and was delighted when you came up. No doubt you are the best IT trainer on KZbin. Thank You.

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks. Very kind.

[@Mrskaliabell]

I have been searching for WEEKS for something like this, and you solved my problem in 5:46 THANK YOU

[@HeyIvan]

I’m so glad the video helped!

[@suniltiwari2494]

Terrific Video Ivan. I've been struggling for quite a while to try and create or just view pictures in my Pictures folder as a slide show. Following your instructions, I created my first slide show in a matter of minutes and it turned out great. The best part of the instruction was the ability to export the slide show as a 1080p video. This eliminates the need to use iMovie or similar apps to create a movie. Great job. I'll be watching your other videos too.

[@HeyIvan]

Thank you, Sunil! I’m glad you found the video helpful.

[@Krizz139]

Hi Ivan thank you, you're a star! I have spend over an hour trying to work out how to export the slides in Reflections theme and you've solved the problem for me. I've subscribed.

[@HeyIvan]

Hooray! I’m glad I was able to help.

[@wendyholman8368]

Great instructional video--clear, concise, complete, with great tips. Thanks!

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks!

[@chopinlvr]

Very, very nice Ivan! Straight to the point, very clear. You're a great instructor! Subscribed!

[@kippmajors]

great video. Quick, to the point, awesome tips and very well presented. THis is how they should be!

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks! What else would you like to see?

[@fmurray3435]

Thank you so much for making this approachable, definately will be following you.

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks. And welcome. I take requests so let me know if you have a tech question.

[@jchrisbotz6035]

great instructional video, filled with all the steps. subscribed on this one alone, thanks, looking forward to your other videos!

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks! That's very kind of you.

[@mattcalautti852]

I love your new video also some important stuff about new advice plus in between music slideshow

[@HeyIvan]

thanks

[@kimbosler5879]

Best instructions ever. So pro! I subscribed. Thank you!

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks! Let me know if you have any tech topic requests.

[@elissasherlock3354]

Ivan, I’ve been given the task of creating a memorial video, thank you soooo much for this - it’s going to keep me from pulling out my hair! You’re awesome.

[@HeyIvan]

You're very welcome. I've had to do several of these memorial videos myself, and a couple for weddings, too. Slideshows are create at showcasing memorable moments. Good luck with everything.

[@theknightteam1045]

@@HeyIvan I also am creating a memorial slideshow. The issue is how to drag and drop if the photos are not a folder on your desktop as in your video.

[@HeyIvan]

@@theknightteam1045 Where are the photos currently? In email? In text messages? Already in your photo Library?

[@music7169]

Great presentation, easy to follow and understand. Will definitely be returning to your site again.Thank you.

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks. I’m glad it helped.

[@luciahassell133]

Exactly what I was looking for! Thanks!

[@HeyIvan]

Hooray!

[@mahdisundukchi4664]

Thank you for great presentation. You made it so easy for me. Many thanks!

[@HeyIvan]

Thank you. You are too kind.

[@mattcalautti852]

Wow that’s beautiful picture I love your new video and also thanks for the update

[@HeyIvan]

I'm glad you like it

[@jakemendelssohn5991]

Ivan, you are amazing and this video REALLY helped me. Thanks!!!

[@HeyIvan]

I’m glad it helped! 😁

[@tomimaging]

Thanks Ivan, It looks like your suggested approach works for me, Thank you,

[@HeyIvan]

Awesome!!

[@RichardJohnson-xj5pg]

great video. Well done. Never thought I would need this instructuion but glad I found your video,

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks! I appreciate that.

[@allanfischer9417]

Excellent Job!! Thank you!!

[@HeyIvan]

Thank you for the kind words.

[@camilovalencia641]

Amazing! Muchas gracias 👊

[@HeyIvan]

De nada.

[@unheardwordspodcast]

Great video I needed this for a graduation party and birthday party double header. THANK YOU!!!

[@HeyIvan]

You’re very welcome!

[@andreasleonidou3620]

Very helpful, thanks!

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks

[@ottorasconphotography7180]

This was an amazing tutorial! Man I didn't know Apple Photos was able to do so much. Thank you!

[@HeyIvan]

That's very kind of you to say. Thanks for the nice comment. Which slideshow software have you been using?

[@ottorasconphotography7180]

@@HeyIvan Back in the day I used Photodex software and loved it. But they went out of business a few years back. So I've been looking for something of that level of ease and pro-looking results.

[@HeyIvan]

Nice. I was going to check it out, but I guess I missed my chance. I have a plug-in for Final Cut Pro that acts like a slideshow. In a few weeks, I’ll loop back around to iPhones and Androids for slideshow options, too. Thanks for the reply.

[@AnthonyThomas06]

Thanks a lot bro. Great Video

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks, Anthony.

[@user-bg4ou6ou7p]

thank u so much! I was literally going insane trying to create a slideshow and this solved everything omg!

[@HeyIvan]

That's great! Glad it helped.

[@ronytovar4716]

This is awesome!!! Keep it up!

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks!

[@Belka50]

Thank you!

[@HeyIvan]

Hey, Rich. Thank YOU!

[@goliath9081]

Great vid

[@norinemueller4588]

Great video thank you

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@carlosnuno8858]

Thank You

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks, Carlos!

[@m.mirasol]

Wow!! New Mac user here and this is super helpful!!!

[@HeyIvan]

Glad it was helpful! Let me know if you have any other Mac questions. :)

[@jk-fotovideo550]

Thank you:)

[@HeyIvan]

You're welcome!

[@pekiecesimdinerede4727]

like it , thank u

[@HeyIvan]

Thank you, too.

[@srizualemgr]

Thank you very much for the helpful video. I am creating a slideshow for my friends Hendo party ☺️

[@HeyIvan]

Glad it helped.

[@makerous]

very well done Ivan

[@HeyIvan]

Many thanks, @Dee!

[@heathcofran6115]

Thanks Ivan.

[@willdazzleyou]

Great Video!

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks!

[@mattcalautti852]

Hey Ivan I love your new video basic video and I love it I’m doing the same thing thank you for your point of view

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks, Matt. I appreciate it.

[@jakemendelssohn841]

Your instructions were clear, precise and turned me into a big hero. But I will not tell anyone about you since I want them to think I am a genius who just knows all of these techy things. Sorry for keeping you my secret power. 😀

[@HeyIvan]

That's why I'm here. Please feel free to take all the credit! :) I'm just glad I could help in some small way.

[@blendmasterbeats8303]

best slideshow tutorial ever!

[@HeyIvan]

Aw, thanks!!

[@gregwyard]

Great tutorial - I learned a lot, thanks! One big issue I have is the ability to add more photos to the end of the slide show once it's created. It seems new photos get added to the beginning - is there are way to force them to be added at the end? Can any slide be re-ordered once added?

[@HeyIvan]

In the strip at the bottom, all the the way to the right, click the plus to add photos. Dragging them in will put them at the front, which isn’t what you want.

[@user-yc3ht6ug5f]

very easy to follower and good audio instruction

[@HeyIvan]

Glad it was helpful!

[@israeldorantes780]

" Ask for a family member to create a slide show for an upcoming anniversary .. this is a totally random example by the way" HAHAHAHA so accurate!!! this example is exactly why Im watching your video!! thank you very much!!

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks. :)

[@samradogna2133]

Thanks!

[@HeyIvan]

Thank YOU!

[@Scoharr]

Great video - very straightforward and easy to follow - thank you - I've got a reunion coming up!

[@HeyIvan]

Good luck with it!

[@joanaustin121]

Grateful for this video and creating different libraries was especially helpful. I would have appreciated you speaking just a bit slower so I'll just watch it again. Thank you!

[@HeyIvan]

Thank you. Please let me know if you have questions.

[@MrCsaid]

Another awesome video Ivan. I just created one of these the other day for my family summer holiday.

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks, Colin! I appreciate that. It means a lot coming from you.

[@HeyIvan]

Did you use Photos or a different app?

[@christopherhernandez1305]

You are my hero. Thank you buddy. Mos def shot you the subscribe. Thank you brotha.

[@HeyIvan]

Too kind. And thank you!

[@JohnBoyceOTG]

Very clear and helpful instructions! I have one question. The string of photos at the bottom of the Slideshow project...can they be enlarged somehow to better be able to organize them? I have about 160 slides and the icons are very small, even on my 27" iMac screen. Thank you for any advice you can provide.

[@HeyIvan]

Change the size of slideshow thumbnails in Photos for Mac

[@HeyIvan]

Yes, you can. I recorded a short video to show you how.

[@jazzflavs]

Thank you for your video. It was very helpful. I do have a question, once the slideshow is complete and you have exported it to the desktop are you able to access it on your other devices( iPad or iPhone) if so how do I do this?

[@HeyIvan]

Great question. There are lots of options. You could put it into Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, or iCloud Drive. But, I think the simplest thing is to put it into Photos. If you have iCloud Photo Library turned on, then it will show up on your Apple devices. Last year, I made a video showing how I transferred my wedding ceremony from VHS tape to my computer. I put it in Photos and now if I need to share it, I can find it easily and send a link to someone or just pull it up on my phone.

[@chrismalveaux7638]

Love the video to he point and easy. Questions can I share the video via I cloud link to none apple users?

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks. Yes, you're right. If the person isn't an Apple user, then the link opens in the browser where they can access it.

[@HeyIvan]

Hey, @Chris. I'm rereading my comment and realize that you must first save your video slideshow back into your primary Photos library and THEN you can retrieve an iCloud link. I hope you connected the dots on that, but I realize I could have been clearer. - Ivan

[@1208Lotus]

Great stuff you make!! Thanks!! I wonder: Is it possible to split a too long slideshow into two? ( to upload it to KZbin ) Or do you have to delete some of the photos first?

[@HeyIvan]

When you create a slideshow and export it, you end up with a movie file, an MP4. To split it you would need some sort of video editing program. It will be far simpler to create two shorter slideshows and export them separately. Of course, if you’re planning to use music, uploading them to KZbin may not be the best idea, depending on the music you use. On a related note, KZbin does offer an audio library that contains royalty-free music and sound effects you can use without fear of getting copyright strikes. support.google.com/youtube/answer/3376882?hl=en-GB

[@1208Lotus]

@@HeyIvan thanks a Lot for you Quick answer 👍

[@HeyIvan]

It is my pleasure.

[@stevecarrillo]

nice video thanks! do you know if there's a way to change the slide show from horizontal to vertical?

[@HeyIvan]

Not that I know of. I’ll check. You can, however, make what I’ll call an “instant slideshow” or “memory slideshow” using Photos on your iPhone or iPad. On those you can make either a horizontal or vertical video you can share with people. The options don’t give you quite as much control as the. photos for Mac app, but it’s pretty quick and easy. I made a video for how to do this on iPhone or iPad: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ip20mo13nNVrgqMsi=_rCID1WtOfumh2rf

[@reginasilvestain5685]

HI Ivan, Thanks for the video, it is helping me a lot. I have a question. How can I combine two separate pictures into one slide? ie separate pics of 2 people at the same age? Thanks.

[@HeyIvan]

Using this method, you're at the mercy of the slideshow theme you chose. I usually rearrange my slides until I find that the two slides I want show up next to one another at the same time. My go-to theme is Vintage Prints, which offers a few different layouts with multiple photos on a single slide.

[@gaybishop1092]

Thanks for the great tips and information! I have a family DVD and can’t find the right program to upload the DVD to burn for others. Is there a program I can purchase to do this? Apple couldn’t help me with this 😮 Thank you!

[@HeyIvan]

So, if I'm understanding correctly, you have a DVD with a family move on it that plays in DVD players. However, you'd like to take what's on the DVD and convert it into a video file -- or set of files. That's called ripping a DVD, the process of grabbing video off of a DVD. I've used an app called Dumbofab DVD Ripper to do this. You could also use Handbrake to rip DVDs. Although, Handbrake will not work on most commercial DVDs.

[@adoseofreality8301]

Hi Ivan. Loved your video. Thank you but I was wondering if there was a way to make the slideshow faster than what is offered under the custom area on the right hand side of where we are creating the slideshow?? I want my video to go faster, Like maybe only a second on each photo as the pictures keep moving on video.

[@HeyIvan]

Thank you! And, great question. I did some tinkering and I see that each Theme requires a different minimum amount of time. I couldn't get my 12-slide show to play in less than 33 seconds. If you want to go faster than that, you may wish to consider a different tool to create the show, like maybe Keynote, iMovie, or Davinci Resolve. It'll take longer to assemble, but you'll have more flexibility.

[@mimiwentz2734]

Thank you for this awesome and concise instruction. Q: in a slideshow, how can I extend the time one slide shows? thx

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks! You know I just learned this. There are two things you can do. 1. For each slide image, you can click the stopwatch icon on the right and there you’ll find a checkbox that looks like it’s not clickable. You can click it and override the time an individual slide is displayed. 2. For videos, the theme you choose affects how long the video appears. If you want to see an entire video in a slideshow, you’ll need to choose the classic theme.

[@mimiwentz2734]

@@HeyIvan appreciate it, but after clicking the stopwatch I did not find a checkbox( that looks like it’s not clickable). I only see the custom time, the theme, and the theme picker. I'm using Vintages, maybe that's why.

[@HeyIvan]

I just confirmed and the checkbox is called, "Play Selected For." However, that option isn't available for most themes. I see it on the following themes: Ken Burns and Classic.

[@ranjithdesilva1141]

Hi Ivan - Many thanks for the excellent video. Everything very clearly explained. Are you able to present a short video on how to import Apple Music. Thanks - Ranjith

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks for the comment! As a matter of fact, I have a short video that explains how to "Avoid Unsupported Audio in Photos for Mac Slideshows. This video gets into what happens if you try to use a song from the Apple Music streaming service in a slideshow kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZuzoad-aq2hps0. In about two weeks, I'll be dropping a video on how to import other music you have, like from CDs, into the Mac Music app.

[@gjman1972]

Hi thanks for making your videos, question, I’m finding that the slideshow maker your using here is randomly deciding to combine two photos into one slide on my MacBook pro and I’m trying to figure out how to split a slide so I am not forced to keep two photos together because there are certain photos I want to be shown by themselves. Also is there maybe a settings area somewhere that I can toggle something that says never combine more than one photo together when making a slideshow? Thank You!

[@HeyIvan]

I know exactly what you mean. To my knowledge there isn’t a setting to turn that off. You can try a different theme to see if that works better. For me, I tend to reorder my pictures to work with the groupings the app makes. Alternatively, you could look at making your slideshow with a presentation app like Keynote or PowerPoint, or maybe a video editing app like iMovie.

[@EstherLWarda]

great! fast, clear, easy!!! BUT... can I import this into iMovie to make it even more customizable?

[@HeyIvan]

Yes! You can take the exported mp4 slideshow into a video editor to add more to the presentation. Once you do that, it’s a video project.

[@EstherLWarda]

@@HeyIvan Thank you!!! :-)

[@emilyrussell6683]

Great Video!!! I am wondering is there a way to create a slideshow and include video clips along with photos (and also be able to hear the sound of the clips)?

[@HeyIvan]

Hey, Emily. I haven't been able to control how much of a video plays back during a slideshow. I suspect that it isn't possible. One alternative might be to use PowerPoint or Keynote to make a slideshow and then save that as a video.

[@HeyIvan]

Hey, Emily. I just learned that my Photos library was misbehaving. If you choose the Classic Slideshow theme then the whole of a video you insert into a slideshow should play.

[@gd6323]

Ivan your video is amazing, thank you . I would like to add a recording of my voice on top of the slide show. Would that be possible?

[@HeyIvan]

Great idea! It's not like Final Cut where you'll be able to add a voice over. However you could record an audio file, like using voice memo or something. Then you could use an app like Garage Band or Audacity to edit the audio, and maybe add background music to it or something. Then, you can take that audio and put it into the Mac's Music App. And finally, after that, you could add your recorded audio as the "music" for this slideshow. It's kind of a patched together solution that takes a lot of effort. And it's definitely not something that Apple thought of including as a feature, but that is one way you could accomplish what you're describing.

[@sereenahogan8926]

Hey Ivan, great video! I have been using Photos on my MacBook for about 10 years to make video slideshows with music for an annual 9-day educational seminar. I like to use the sliding panels theme because it allows me to use a large number of photos to create a slideshow lasting about 5-6 minutes. I like the slideshow to depict an overview of the training seminar from start to finish. It seems that the sliding panels theme has become harder to use in recent years because the photos will not stay in sequence, especially if I add new photos as I go along. They are automatically inserted at the front of the timeline and when I try to move them, everything shifts around. Is there any way to get around this or should I try a different theme?

[@HeyIvan]

Hey, @sereenahogan8926. I did just a small amount of testing and it looks like when you click the small plus sign at the end of the slideshow strip at the bottom of the presentation, new pics are added to the end. I'm guessing you've been dragging images from the photo library and dropping them on the slideshow project. When I do that, those pics land at the front of my slideshow.

[@PGerace]

Hi Ivan. Thanks for the informative video. Is it possible to make a single slide stay on for more time than the other slides in the same show? And is it possible to move the text around? Thanks.

[@HeyIvan]

Yes. It's possible to change a slide's duration, depending on the Theme you choose. If you pick Ken Burns or Classic, you'll see an option labeled, "Play Selected For." It will appear grayed out, but you can check the box next to it and set a value. If you have videos in your slideshow, you won't be able to change their durations. And, in Ken Burns, videos kind of get glossed over. The Classic theme will play any videos in their entirety. As far as text goes, yes. I've released 2 videos that talk about this topic: 1. Apple Photos for Mac: Working with Slideshow Text kzbin.info/www/bejne/hHzTe6ubeq9sgrM 2. Annotate Slideshows, Photos, and Slides in Photos for Mac kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4XPl4OAiKeVg5Y I hope this helps. -Ivan

[@PGerace]

@@HeyIvan Thanks much!

[@bigmac1293]

Hey Ivan, Thanks for the video! I have encountered an issue wondering if you have any advice. I am dealing with a lot of pics that will be playing over several hours. They are saved in the order I added them in iphoto but I want them to show up randomly during the actual slide show. I am finding it hard to drag each photo around in the bar at the bottom to randomize them manually. Is there an easier way that you are aware of? Thanks!

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks for the nice comment. With the Photos app, you’re creating a specific order for the photos. It’s using the metaphor of old-style slide projectors. Back in the 1970s slideshow projectors had a physical carousel shaped like a ring that sat on top. A person would drop small slides into each slot. Then, the carousel would turn to show each slide for a few seconds. Here’s a KZbin video that shows how this old projectors worked: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGOQfZipq72Cma8 I haven't found an option to create a random slideshow. Although, some folks use the built-in screen saver on their Mac and point to a photo collection. Once they do that, they set it to choose random. It's not the same, but it kind of gets at what you're trying to do.

[@carlosprovyrivera8522]

Thx for this overview. I assume there isn't a way to increase the duration of individual slides in a slideshow. In some cases I want a photo to stay longer or a small video to play,

[@HeyIvan]

Yes. It's possible to change a slide's duration, depending on the Theme you choose. If you pick Ken Burns or Classic, the whole video slide can play. You'll also see an option labeled, "Play Selected For" in the slideshow under the stopwatch button. It will appear grayed out, but you can check the box next to it and set a value.

[@tomimaging]

Ivan, This video is great and got me on track quickly. I'm having trouble getting the names and comments entered via the edit process to stick to the image on the slideshow. I've attached names to images when the image is in the Library/Recent files, however those edits do not appear on the slideshow. Where must the edits be applied so the names/comments appear in the slideshow?

[@HeyIvan]

I see what you mean. I've been experimenting with different themes to see whether that does the trick. I think I've found what I think will work for you. Double-click on the slide image in your slideshow (in the strip at the bottom) to open the image editor. Then, click the "..." button and select Markup. On the Markup toolbar, click Text and place text on the image. You can format the text the way you want, by the way. Click "Save Changes." In my experience, this does work, but you might have to close Photos and open it again to see the edits persist. And, from what I can see, you can later elect to edit the pics again to remove the markup from the images. Let me know if this works for you.

[@HeyIvan]

Follow-up video: Annotate Slideshows, Photos, and Slides in Photos for Mac kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4XPl4OAiKeVg5Y

[@wretchedworm]

lifesaver

[@HeyIvan]

I appreciate the comment! Hopefully your life wasn't in literal jeopardy.

[@wretchedworm]

@@HeyIvan Hi i got one question. I selected keep original resolution for the photos but the slideshow still comes out cropped i think. how do i specify my own resolution if its even possible?

[@HeyIvan]

Hey, Darren. Your photos are higher resolution than the Mac Photos slideshow, most likely. In the Photos app, you have three resolution options for exporting the show. In the slideshow, click File > Export > Export Slideshow. The options will be Standard Definition (480p), High Definition (720p), and High Definition (1080p). I always choose the 1080p option, although photos taken with your smartphone or camera will probably be much higher resolution than that. For example, 1080p is something like 2.1 megapixels and the most recent iPhones take photos at 12 megapixels by default.

[@PeterGreggLive]

Loved your video and explanation👍👍 - big thumbs up!! 👍👍 Can I have NO music at all?? How?

[@HeyIvan]

I just answered this question for someone else: kzbin.infoVzxO3InnXAA

[@daskit1983]

@Hey Ivan! this is an amazing video. Is there a way to randomize the slide show once the Album has been filled with all my pictures? Right now the slide show looks great but I'd like the photos to not be chrono order. Thanks!

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks, Damien. That’s a great question! With the Photos app, you’re creating a specific order for the photos. It’s using the metaphor of old-style slide projectors. Back in the 1970s slideshow projectors had a physical carousel shaped like a ring that sat on top. A person would drop small slides into each slot. Then, the carousel would turn to show each slide for a few seconds. Here’s a KZbin video that shows how this old projectors worked: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGOQfZipq72Cma8

[@daskit1983]

@@HeyIvan Ahhh, so whatever order I drop the pictures into the "Slideshow" is the order in which they'll appear. There is no way for me to randomize the pictures except by my own doing?

[@HeyIvan]

Exactly. I’ll check to see if I can find any random slideshow apps. Surely, they must exist!

[@knewberry12]

Great video! I have a few photos in portrait layout and the pictures get cut off in the slide show, is there any way to fix this?

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks! I’ll have to double check. I think that the theme you choose will influence how much of the picture shows. You don’t have much control over placement of images on the screen.

[@knewberry12]

@@HeyIvan Thanks, that helped a lot!

[@mikosprunck8148]

Hi - I enjoyed your slideshow video. Is it possible to take a project slide show created in 'My Projects' on my Mac (Ventura) and copy into a new shared album in Photos? I would like to show these on Apple TV or other devices and I don't know how to view a Project slide show unless it's in a shared photo album.

[@HeyIvan]

Hey, Miko. I have done what you describe. The simplest thing to do is to take a copy of the Slideshow you export and save that video back into your main Photos library. Or, you could AirDrop it to your iPhone, which should accomplish the same thing if you have iCloud Photo Library turned on. If all you want to do is show it on the AppleTV, then you can just AirPlay from your Mac without exporting.

[@juliedueber247]

Ivan, good job. Your lesson was easy to follow. My only problem is that I have to do a slide show where I will have to manually click to get the next slide. How do I do that? I cannot put a time on it.

[@HeyIvan]

Hey, Julie. Thanks for the comment. If I understand you right, you want to take this photos slideshow video file and incorporate it into another presentation? If that's the case, you can use an app like PowerPoint, Keynote, or Google Slides to create a presentation where your photo slideshow video gets embedded on one of the slides. For example, If I were giving a presentation, Slide 1 of my PowerPoint might say my name and have a picture. Slide 2 might show an agenda of what we'll be talking about, and Slide 3 could have my video embedded. When I run the PowerPoint presentation, I click to advance to Slide 2, then click again to advance to Slide 3, then click again to advance to my video slideshow that plays. If I need to go to Slide 4, I click again and the photo slideshow stops as the next slide appears. Let me know if I understood you correctly.

[@HeyIvan]

Hey, Julie, me again. If you're trying to have a photo slideshow where you can advance one by one at whatever pace you like, then you might want to use an app like PowerPoint, Keynote, or Google Slides as your presentation vehicle. Essentially, you'd add a slide, then put the photo on it, ... and repeat for each photo. There are faster ways to do that. If you like, I can make a video that walks through how that process works. If you want the video, let me know which app you'd like to see me use.

[@datytama]

HeyIvan! Thanks for a great tutorial!! I have been using iPhoto and Photo slideshows for years - but recently I have come across a glitch maybe you can help with. I am using Photos, and have all the appropriate personalizations. I am using the theme "magazine". "Magazine" puts several pictures (1-6 photos) on each slide with varying layouts. My problem is I have 4 or 5 random slides that look like they should have multiple photos on them but only have one. The result is a slide that has white space (that I think would be better used for more pictures). The slides look lonely and empty :( I can drag and re-organize the picture from slide to slide but these "lonely slides' won't accept additional photos. I've also tried changing the aspect ratio of the picture witch helps by filling most of the slide's white space, but does not always solve the problem. I don't seem to be able to delete the slide without deleting the photo either. Can slide layouts be selected or changed? Any thoughts??? I'm Bewildered!!

[@HeyIvan]

Hey, datytama. You know, I was able to reproduce the problem you're having. From everything I have tried with this and other slideshows, the layouts you get when creating a slideshow are automatic. The only thing we have control over is the order in which the slides appear. In my slideshow, I had to keep repositioning the image in the filmstrip until the automatic layout finally removed my "lonely slide." For more control, it's looking like we might need to explore other slideshow apps.

[@mahdisundukchi4664]

Thank you for an excellent video. my question is how to change fonts and size on add text option? also, how to add multiple lines on add text option?

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks, Mahdi. I’ll make a follow-up that shows how.

[@mahdisundukchi4664]

@@HeyIvan many thanks for your follow up with my questions. Here is one more: how to control the number of photos in one slide?

[@HeyIvan]

The theme you pick controls the number of slides, along with the order of the pictures you choose. When I see a slide that takes two images, I drag to rearrange the order of the pictures in the timeline so that the ones I want appear on the slide with multiple images. Let me know if this helps.

[@HeyIvan]

Hey, @Mahdi. I just posted a video that shows how to work with text in Apple Photos slideshows.

[@mahdisundukchi4664]

@@HeyIvan many thanks!

[@tonylowe7091]

Hey Ivan! I followed your very clear directions and had one problem. I had spent a long time labeling each photo so that they were in sequence time-wise, but when I brought them all over to the slideshow, they were all out of order! This is for a 50th wedding anniversary celebration and I wanted the photos to be in order from the wedding forward. Any suggestions?

[@HeyIvan]

Hey, Tony. I got a similar comment a couple of months back from Tom White. I suggested the following and he got back to me to let me know it worked. My suggestion : Double-click on the slide image in your slideshow (in the strip at the bottom) to open the image editor. Then, click the "..." button and select Markup. On the Markup toolbar, click Text and place text on the image. You can format the text the way you want, by the way. Click "Save Changes." In my experience, this does work, but you might have to close Photos and open it again to see the edits persist. And, from what I can see, you can later elect to edit the pics again to remove the markup from the images. My realization: It's time for me to make a video that shows this workflow in action. Please let me know if it works for you, Tony!

[@tonylowe7091]

@@HeyIvan Wow! That was a fast reply!! I will try this and let you know if it works for me. And yes, I would love for you to do a video on this!

[@HeyIvan]

Will do. Thanks for watching. I hope this helps. I appreciate the comments. They help me to know that I'm actually helping people out there in the world. :)

[@HeyIvan]

Follow-up video: Annotate Slideshows, Photos, and Slides in Photos for Mac kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4XPl4OAiKeVg5Y

[@arneueland2912]

Thanks. Great video. Could you please tell how to post a post a slideshow from Apple Photos to Facebook? When I have mesde a slideshow the file is up to 56 mb. When i make one smaler - the slideshow is blury.

[@HeyIvan]

Apple Photos only gives you a few export options: 480p (small), 780p (medium), and 1080p (high). Each of these represents the height of the video in pixels. You can think of these as the number of rows of video your file has. For example, you could have 480 rows of small dots stacked atop one another, or you can have 1080 rows of stacked dots. More rows means greater detail, but it also means greater file sizes. Smaller file sizes will look blurry if you stretch them to take up the same height and width of the higher quality video. You can feed a 1080p video file into a video re-encoding app like Apple's Compressor to keep the same video resolution of 1080p and reduce other kinds of video quality, like bitrate, in exchange for a smaller file size. An app like Compressor gives you a lot more options for how to balance file size against quality. But, there's a learning curve. One thing you could do is share the video file to KZbin, maybe as an unlisted video and then share that video over to Facebook.

[@reginamosby1505]

great video, i use to be able to add a video to the slide show is that still possible if so can you show me how

[@HeyIvan]

Yes. It’s still possible. Although you don’t get any control over how much of the video plays. Photos treats videos like pictures. If they are in the photo library, you can add them to the slideshow.

[@shantelgarrett9916]

very helpful video - can you please tell me how to rotate a photo? When I double click on a photo and then rotate it and hit done it doesn't save the rotation. What am I doing wrong?

[@HeyIvan]

After some experimentation, it seems like rotating the picture in the Library is the easiest way to rotate an image. On the Mac, I control-click or right-click an image and choose to rotate. Then, when you next look at the slideshow, you'll see the image has been rotated. If you have iCloud Photo Library turned on, you could do the rotation on your iPhone or iPad and it will sync back to the Mac.

[@ChloeWellens]

When using the Vintage Prints, some photos are bundled together. Is there a way to choose which photos are shown together?

[@HeyIvan]

The only way to, do this is by rearranging the photos on the timeline at the bottom of the Slideshow window, the strip at the bottom. The photos bundle themselves together on their own. However, adjusting their order in that strip at the bottom can usually help you find something like what you might want.

[@andrewpalmer5765]

Hi. Great video. Exported my slideshow but it won’t play any audio, any idea why?

[@HeyIvan]

Hey, Andrew. You know, I haven't experienced that myself. However, I did find a discussion thread online that seems to describe the problem you're having. In that case, the person was able to solve the issue by downloading the same track from a different music service and loading it into the Mac Music app. That's probably overkill. I suspect that maybe the song you have saved to your Mac might have an issue. If I were having this problem, I would first confirm that the song I was trying to use was not the streaming copy. For example, if you subscribe to Apple Music, it won't let you insert the song into your slideshow. Of course, this doesn't sound like your problem. The next thing I would try would be to re-download to the Mac and save the new copy of it back into the Music app. If this is a song you purchased from Apple, then you should be able to delete it and re-download it. If you manually added this song to your music library, then you may want to save a copy of your song elsewhere so you don't lose it when you delete it. Or, you can try using a different song to see whether the different one works. If it does, then you'll know the problem is specific to the song that's giving you trouble. Another thing you could try is to make a new slideshow in the Photos app and see whether your problem song works in the new slideshow. I once had a problem with a specific slideshow. It was not acting properly with the playback options I chose. When I made a new slideshow, the new one behaved the way I expected it to. These are just a few things to try. Let me know if any work. If not, I'll see if I can come up with other suggestions for you. Here's the link to the discussion thread and to my video that talks about purchased songs versus streaming songs in slideshows. Apple Discussion Thread: discussions.apple.com/thread/252977313 Avoid Unsupport Audio in Photos Slideshows: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZuzoad-aq2hps0

[@mcnationprod]

I have a golf tournament I need to take photos of and make a slideshow for the dinner portion. Can I upload all my photos and play them directly from apple photos? I dont want to export as that would take too long.

[@HeyIvan]

On Mac? Yes. You can play the slideshow directly from the Mac without exporting it. You can use with AirPlay or an HDMI cable connected to a TV or Projector, and play the slideshow from within the Photos app.

[@cellslave]

Hi. How do I randomize the order of the slides, and make sure the slides are in a different order every time I run the slideshow? Thanks.

[@HeyIvan]

Hey, @Jen. Photos doesn’t give us a way to randomize slide order. Some articles recommend using the Mac screensaver option to simulate that, but it isn’t the same thing.

[@elizabethhardin3350]

Hey, Ivan, where have you been the last ten years? Even the last ten days? All I can say is that a whole bunch of teenagers - and the adults who love them - are glad I found this video before we gather in three days

[@HeyIvan]

Thank you! That’s so nice. :)

[@elizabethhardin3350]

Ivan, I have played this video for hours. I tihnk I know how to do this, EXCEPT the music. I spend so much time on the music that I finally defaulted to free music. Sigh.

[@HeyIvan]

@elizabethhardin3350 Aw. I get it. Basics are good, super custom is harder to do.

[@tonycabaero2179]

Ivan love your videos. please help, I have just started using Photo in my MacBook pro (Monterey). I was playing around and was trying to minimize the songs that I copied to a Library that I dont' remember, When I deleted all my songs, No music is playing when my slide show is playing, When i Click the Music Library it shows all the songs but nothing is playing, when selected. Please help what library do I need to copy my songs so I can get it to play again.... Thanks in advance Tony.

[@HeyIvan]

Hey, Tony. From what I understand about how Photos works, it's just referring to the music in the Music app on your Mac. In order for those songs to play, they need to be downloaded to the Mac. If for some reason, you deleted those tracks from your Mac and only see the cloud icon that shows they are in Apple's cloud, you'll need to download them to the Mac again. Photos accesses the Music app in the background; the Music app doesn't need to be open for the music to play. Try selecting your slideshow in Photos and then clicking on the music note button to see what song is selected. If necessary, in the menu, select Music and browse for your song again. The grayed out songs will either be streaming tracks that you can't put into your slideshow or songs that are in your Music library, but aren't currently downloaded to your Mac.

[@tonycabaero2179]

Thanks for the reply however I called Creative Photo Support and they fixed it for me. Thanks anyways.

[@HeyIvan]

@@tonycabaero2179 That’s great! Did they tell you what the problem was?

[@jillwilson9185]

Hey Ivan, Me again! I made a slideshow, it’s perfect with music etc. And I need to play it at a friends house this weekend. I tried putting it on a usb, and tried hooking the USB to my Apple TV, but nothing is working. Do you have a video on how I can export it off my Mac on to something else to show at my friends house? I have an iPhone, iPad and Apple TV.

[@HeyIvan]

If you have an Apple TV and your Mac is on the same Wi-Fi, you should be able to use AirPlay to play it on the TV, no dongle needed. Otherwise, if your Mac doesn't have one of those USB to HDMI dongles, you could use one of those and an HDMI cable to the television to play that way. Otherwise, you can export the show to a movie file. The only downside with this is that it will reduce the picture quality in the exported file. Here's were I talk about how to Export a Show: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHLNXqmhZd2heNE&si=M8Ufj_UNM32_vdmn Mac How to AirPlay to Apple TV: support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/stream-content-to-apple-tv-mh40624/mac

[@ellenquinn3446]

Can you tell me how to purchase music on the Apple Music app for my photo slideshow?

[@HeyIvan]

I show how to buy a song from the Apple Music app in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qITVXoBnZclgqLM And here's another: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZuzoad-aq2hps0

[@thomasleaper8082]

Hi, In using iPhotos to create a slideshow, I have notice that it does not show portraits or panos every well, tend to look like they have been crop, or am I doing something wrong here?, Using iPhoto for slideshows is great so easy, I didn't know iPhotos could do this, many thanks

[@HeyIvan]

The theme you choose will influence how the images appear. For example, Vintage Prints will tend to crop things more, while Classic tends to show more of the image. However, You don't really gain full control for how the images appear. Thanks for dropping the comment.

[@sharonlomonaco5029]

Good tutorial! Is it possible to add a voiceover (story read by me) instead of music?

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks. I haven’t tried. Although, I suspect you’d have to make a separate audio file, which could be tricky to time. I’ll check and see if it can be done and get back to you.

[@HeyIvan]

Hey, @Sharon. It looks like the Mac Photos app doesn't allow you to do a voiceover or narration. I'm adding this topic to my list. There are a couple of ways to go about it that I can think of, but they all require using another app. A video editing app like iMovie or Final Cut Pro could do it. However, since we're moving out of Photos altogether, we might want to look at a different app for creating the whole slideshow. If you're thinking about a particular app, let me know. I'll go try it out. In the meanwhile, this topic is on my list.

[@paijyj]

Hi, thanks a lot for your useful video.I have an issue. I have total 23 pictures and videos in a folder on my Mac with names 1, 2, 3, .. to have them in order I need. When I import them to Photos they appear with another order. Like pictures with name 1 is at the end, with name 2 is in the middle and so on. Then manually I have to drag and drop them to get in order as were on my Mac folder. What is the solution to this issue?

[@HeyIvan]

When I drag photos into the slideshow, they land at the beginning of the slide presentation. If I click the small plus at the end of the thumbnails, then they land at the end. Might that be what's going on here? After some playing around, it looks like the photo taken date controls the order that items appear.

[@paijyj]

@@HeyIvan thanks for your sincere reply, but this is not the solution. How to get control the order of the photos by name and not by date? Is there any other software/application? I have both Mac and Windows.

[@paijyj]

@@HeyIvan by the way, I have solved the issue with Premiere Pro.

[@HeyIvan]

@@paijyj What did you end up doing? By the way, you've given me some good food for thought. I think Photos does primarily by date. But you CAN create albums to impose an arbitrary order to your pictures. I'll dig in more and probably make a video about it.

[@sburech2006]

Can you mix videos with pictures in the slideshow? Do you have to crop videos or pictures to make them fit, if so, how is this done?

[@HeyIvan]

You don’t get as much control over videos. You add them the same way as photos. I’ll try adding shorter videos to see whether that makes a difference, but I expect not.

[@HeyIvan]

Hey, Stanley. I just learned that my Photos library was misbehaving. If you choose the Classic Slideshow theme then the whole of a video you insert into a slideshow should play.

[@block36079]

Hi, I was experimenting, as I’m new to Mac, and I right clicked an album and chose “play slideshow” to which it then started downloading the album. Is it possible to delete the download and still keep the album? And how do i recognize which albums/photos I have downloaded?

[@HeyIvan]

I know what you're talking about. I haven't found a way to precisely control what's on the hard drive and what's in the cloud. However, if you have Photos for Mac set to "Optimize Mac Storage," then it will automatically download pictures or videos on demand and then automatically offload them again when storage runs low or when you don't access those pics or videos for a while. It's automatic.

[@mayxv7481]

Ivan is there a way to stop the music and add video and then continue the music on the next new slide?

[@HeyIvan]

I don't know of a way to do what you're describing without thinking creatively. You COULD have a song of "silence," which could be a track that makes no noise for a certain amount of time and put that into the Mac's Music app. Then, you could use that as a way to insert pauses in your songs. But, that would be a bunch of work.

[@lisaforcier514]

Helpful video….is there a way to add text to appear throughout the slideshow?

[@HeyIvan]

I’m not sure. My gut says no, but I will check a little bit later today and post a follow-up comment.

[@HeyIvan]

Okay. I've done some checking. And it looks like the Photos app does not allow you to have text span an entire slideshow. There are a couple of options, however. The first is you cane take the final slideshow video you produce and drop that into a video editing app like iMovie, Final Cut Pro, or something else and add the extra text. However, this approach may reduce the quality of your final slideshow, based on the settings you choose. Another option is to export the photos you want from Photos and take them into Keynote and make a slideshow in it. You can use text, transitions, and so on to make something dynamic, but it won't have the same feel as some of the themes available in Photos. Alternatively, you could use PowerPoint to do the same sort of thing, too. And, of course, there are a ton of slideshow apps available on the Mac. I haven't used them, but would be willing to try some out and make videos about them. Let me know if you'd like me to show any of these methods. Thanks for watching!

[@lashawnwest2062]

Hey Ivan, this video was very helpful. However, what if I need to use it for a graduation party. How can I send this to the person it was made for?

[@HeyIvan]

The file will be too big to email, but you could send a link to it via Google drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or iCloud Drive. There are other ways, too, but those are the most popular option that people tend to use nowadays

[@edwardlin0803]

Hi Ivan, These tutorials are amazing, I didn't know that the Photos Slideshow is so powerful!! There are a few things I can't figure out, I wonder if you can help. I've made the slideshow, (chose the magazine layout), There are a few slides where there's only a single photo, but it's cropped into square, leaving the right side empty. I would like to either: 1. add more photos to fill the page or 2. just make the same photo fill the full slide But I can't figure out how to do that, please help. (I've used the "add photo" option on the slide, but the photos are added to the other slides, leaving the same slide still empty on one side. and once a slideshow is made, can you not remove an unwanted photo? it would really help. thank you in advance.

[@HeyIvan]

Thanks! To answer your second question first, yes you can remove unwanted photos. You can right-click or control-click a photo in the row of photos below the main slide viewing area. Then Delete slide. That just removes the photo from the slideshow. It doesn't delete the photo from the Photo Library. To answer your first question, the options for controlling the layout of a slideshow slide are limited. You can try dragging the thumbnails of your photos around to reorder them. Sometimes that might make a slide layout better with the theme you're using.

[@edwardlin0803]

@@HeyIvan thank you SO much Ivan, really appreciate your prompt reply. Photos slideshow is by far the easiest slideshow creator, it’s a shame for some reason they don’t alway fill the frame but leave blank spaces for no reason. Again. Thanks so much for your response.

[@HeyIvan]

My favorite theme is the vintage one. It works for me most of the time.

[@edwardlin0803]

@@HeyIvan I will give that a try!! Thanks

[@HeyIvan]

Good luck!

[@mariabrizuelagutierrez6309]

If I did the slide show first can I add music after?

[@HeyIvan]

Are you saying you already output a video file? If you've done that, then a video editor like iMovie will allow you to add a music track. Otherwise, you can go back into the slideshow project in Photos and click the music note to choose music. This is the option I would recommend.

[@lilsportsinfo6227]

Hey Ivan I need help adding my favorite song to a slide show! Other songs are available my favorite isn’t. How can I add it?

[@HeyIvan]

Hey, Lil' Sports Info! Please help me understand a bit more about what you're trying to do. Do you have a copy of the song anywhere? Or, are you saying that you don't have one and you don't know where to find it?