Fun fact – YouTube started as a site to share a zoo video. Now it is a massive video sharing platform with an immense audience. Millions of people upload their clips, movies, and whatnot and millions of other people watch them.
In case you don’t have a video, but rather just a heap of pictures, there is a way onto this platform for you as well. All you need is to create a YouTube slideshow. An animated video featuring your photos can be a fun way to showcase your latest vacation pics, present your craft portfolio, or share a business presentation. If you have never tried creating a slideshow for YouTube, we have an easy guide for you. In this article, we’ll give you a blow-by-blow instruction on how to make a slideshow for YouTube. For the job, we’ll be using SmartSHOW 3D. This YouTube slideshow maker offers you both ready-made solutions and endless creative freedom. The software is equipped with hundreds of effects, transitions, and templates that will help you make a one-of-a-kind video. Let’s see how it’s done.
- Decide on a Project Type
When creating your first slideshow for YouTube, you might be hesitant to make one from scratch. In case you lack time, inspiration, or vision of the end result, you’ll be better off using a slideshow template as the basis. SmartSHOW 3D comes with tons of templates. These are ready-made sets of animated slides that you only need to add your photos to.
If you are feeling particularly creative, then you are free to come up with a design of your own. SmartSHOW 3D harbors over 400 animations, transitions, titles, 3D collages, and nature effects that can be applied with an easy drag-and-drop. Besides, the software comes with a custom animation module that allows for keyframe-based animation creation. So consider the time you have to create your YouTube slideshow and go with the appropriate project type.
- Add Your Media
Once you have the idea for your movie in mind, you need to fill it with your images. Make sure to use only the best-looking photos for it and skip all the mediocre ones. SmartSHOW 3D lets you add as many pictures as you want and even use video clips for your project.
There is no particular rule to how many pictures you can use, but here is a little formula. An average slideshow should run for 5 to 8 minutes. Each slide should be shown for at least three seconds for the audience to perceive it. So take the desired running time of your slideshow, divide it by three seconds, and you’ll have an estimate of how many pictures you will need.
- Spice Up the Project with Effects
If you want your YouTube photo slideshow to be memorable and not get lost among hoards of similar videos, make sure to add some effects to it. Animate your slides so that your slideshow looks dynamic and engaging. Add some transitions for a polished and professional feel. Decorate pictures with frames, filters, cliparts, captions, or stickers.
SmartSHOW 3D has a nifty Live Photo feature that can further spice up your movie. This feature helps you create a sensation of movement on a still image. For instance, you can make mist, water, or smoke move. Although it seems complicated to achieve, this feature is surprisingly easy to use.
- Accompany Your Project with Music
A YouTube slideshow won’t be complete without a soundtrack. SmartSHOW 3D offers a sizable music library – over 200 free-to-use tracks that are divided by categories based on genre, mood, or tempo. You can also add a track of your own. There is no limit to the number of tunes you can use. You’ll also find audio editing tools that will allow you to adjust the volume, mix the tracks, etc.
If you want to accompany your slideshow for YouTube with narration, SmartSHOW 3D has a great feature just for you. The program lets you record voice comments and add them to the project.
- Save Your YouTube Slideshow
Now that your movie is done, your next step is to save it in a format appropriate for the platform. There is no need to fiddle with settings since SmartSHOW 3D has several saving presets exclusively for YouTube. Just pick the one you need and your movie will be rendered in a matter of minutes. If you created an original slideshow – without the use of pre-designed style packs – make sure to save it as a template for future use.
And that’s it – now you’ve learned how to make a slideshow video for YouTube. So you can now take a heap of still images and turn them into an engaging presentation that you will be able to expose to millions of viewers through this popular platform.
Lucas Noah, armed with a Bachelor’s degree in Information & Technology, stands as a prominent figure in the realm of tech journalism. Currently holding the position of Senior Admin, Lucas contributes his expertise to two esteemed companies: OceanaExpress LLC and CreativeOutrank LLC. His... Read more