How to Create Movie Slideshows in Apple Photos on Your Mac
If you’ve ever needed to turn photos and videos into a slideshow on your Mac, Apple Photos already has powerful tools built in — you just need to know where to look.
This guide walks through every slideshow option in Apple Photos, from quick one-click slideshows to fully customizable projects you can export, enhance, and even merge using Keynote and iMovie.
🎓 What You’ll Learn
• The difference between instant slideshows, Memories, and slideshow projects
• How Apple Photos handles videos in different slideshow themes
• Which slideshow themes play full video clips — and which don’t
• How to add music, text, timing, and transitions
• How to export slideshows as videos
• How to use Keynote for custom title slides
• How to merge multiple slideshows using iMovie
🎞️ Slideshow Options in Apple Photos
Apple Photos offers three distinct slideshow experiences, each designed for a different purpose:
1️⃣ Instant Slideshows
These are quick, one-click slideshows created directly from an album.
• Cannot be saved or exported
• Great for quick viewing
• Limited customization
They’re useful for previewing photos but not ideal for sharing.
2️⃣ Memories
Memories are automatically generated videos created by Apple Photos.
Pros:
• Automatically paced to music
• Easy to rename and share
• Can be exported as videos
Limitations:
• No control over timing
• Limited text editing
• No music customization
Memories are great for fast results with minimal effort.
3️⃣ Slideshow Projects (Most Control)
Slideshow Projects are where Apple Photos really shines.
These allow you to:
• Choose themes
• Add text slides
• Control timing
• Add music
• Export videos
Projects are saved locally on your Mac and don’t sync to iPhone or iPad.
🎨 Slideshow Themes Explained
🎬 Ken Burns
• Adds pan and zoom effects
• Allows manual control of start/end framing
• Does not play full videos
📄 Origami / Reflections / Sliding Panels / Vintage Prints
• Uses dynamic layouts
• Groups photos automatically
• Limited control over placement
• Videos may be trimmed
These themes look stylish but can feel unpredictable.
🎥 Classic & Magazine (Best for Video)
• Plays full video clips
• Supports transitions
• Allows per-photo duration adjustments
If your slideshow includes video, these are usually the best choices.
🎵 Music & Timing Controls
You can add:
• Built-in theme music
• Songs from Apple Music (downloaded tracks only)
Timing options include:
• Fit to Music (auto-length)
• Custom Duration (manual control)
Music availability depends on whether tracks are downloaded locally.
✏️ Adding Text & Custom Titles
Text slides can be added directly in Apple Photos, but placement options are limited.
For full creative control:
• Use Apple Keynote
• Create a custom title slide
• Export it as an image
• Import it back into your slideshow
This allows complete control over fonts, layout, and design.
🎬 Combining Multiple Slideshows with iMovie
For larger projects, a powerful workflow is:
1. Create multiple slideshows in Apple Photos
2. Export each without music
3. Import them into iMovie
4. Add transitions, titles, and music
5. Export a single polished video
This avoids repetitive themes and gives professional-level flexibility.
🧭 Final Thoughts
Apple Photos can be deceptively powerful when it comes to slideshows.
Whether you need:
• A quick slideshow
• A shareable Memory
• Or a fully customized video
You can build it entirely with tools already on your Mac — and take it even further with Keynote and iMovie when needed.