To make a picture slide show to a track - any suggestions for a simple program?

[Toril S]

Hello friends To moderator first: I really don't know where to put tris request, so please move or delete if not in the right place.
Several members here make slide shows with their music in hte background, Ryszard, Flip, Tim, Wal, and certainly others too.
I am trying to achieve the same. I struggle with Windows movie maker, the project format is not allowed on YouTube, and to convert I need other programs, that are not free, but even the trial versions can't do the conversion.
So my question is: Is there a simple program for making a slide show, adding your music and saving the file in MP4?
I have torn out almost all my hair trying to do this!

[Fred Smith]

I'm not sure about simple, Toril, but I use PowerDirector. It can easily produce MP4s 

Cheers,
Fred

[Toril S]

Thanks Fred I will take a look at it!

[Normanfernandez]

VSDC it's free and simple to use.

And Lightweight.

I've used it a lot.   

[Al Ram]

Toril
not sure if there is one single/simple product for what you want . . . . for me it is a process .. . .

I start with slides in PowerPoint, where i create the structure of the presentation/slides and then i bring in an mp3 for the music.  I synch the slides to the mp3 . . . . . transitions, fade in, fade outs, titles, etc.
Export the PowerPoint to MP4 video format. 

I then bring the PowerPoint/mp4 file into Windows Movie Maker to do the finishing touches.  By the way Movie Maker can export to MP4.  Here is a video that explains how to save from Movie Maker into MP4. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch--kIzJAJs

Once you have the MP4 you can bring into your YouTube channel.   

So, if you already have a file in Movie Maker, it seems all you need to do now is to save as MP4.

Hope this helps.

[Toril S]

Thanks a lot Norman and Al! I will look at this. The Windows Movie Maker I have on my Windows 7 PC will not save to MP4, but the windows 10 version can. It is a bit complicated, and it is rather expensive. I installed something called Movavi Video Editor this evening, had to pay NOK 359, but it is fairly easy to use.
My reason for wanting to make picture shows to my music is that I don't want videos of me playing, that is NOT interesting for the public! Better to show pictures of landscapes and such

[valimaties]

I used for some time Proshow Producer. (this is a video)
Professional slides with a very large amount of transitions.
You will find some good tutorials on youtube.

Regards,
Vali

[Toril S]

Thanks a lot Vali! 😀

[RoyB]

Hi Toril

I used to use Movie Maker with Windows 7 and I was able to produce simple movie files for YouTube using the Save As function, but I'm not sure what movie formats it used (it had generic names like 'For Android Phone). I'm sure there were 'For Computer' movie types I used.

These days I use Cyberlink Powerdirector which I find really easy tro use. However, recently I have had difficulty uploading the mp4 files it produces into Youtube, and have to use converter software to recompile them to mp4 (which tend to be a little smaller than the original PowerDirctor files.)

There are a number of good free converter software available for converting between formats- I use AnyVideo Converter and Format Factory.

Regards

Roy

[Ryszard Bieszczad]

Hi Toril 
My suggestion is simple.
Download the Microsoft free program from this link (I have already marked Norwegian - Bokmål).
https://www.microsoft.com/nb-NO/download/details.aspx?id=11132
"Photo Story 3 for Windows"
The program is free, in the link you have the instructions for use.
I used it on Windows XP before, then 7 and now 10.
The program is very simple, quick in operation and gives an excellent final result.
First you add photos, then music, before you set the parameters of the show and finally save, for example in Mp4 format and on YouTube.
I will add that I made over 3400 slide shows in this program.
The choice is yours.
Best regards.
Ryszard

[Toril S]

Roy and Ryszard, thanks a lot!!😀😀