How to Make a TikTok Slideshow with Music

Creating a stellar TikTok slideshow with the perfect background music is one of the easiest ways to produce engaging content without filming a full-blown video. Whether you're sharing a photo dump from your latest trip, showcasing your product in action, or telling a short story, this guide will walk you through every step. We’ll cover the basics inside the TikTok app and share some next-level tips to make your slideshows stand out.

Why Use a TikTok Slideshow?

Before getting into the how-to, it’s helpful to know why photo slideshows work so well on a video-first platform. They aren't just a workaround, they’re a powerful content format in their own right.

• Fast to Create: You don't need fancy equipment or a perfect filming location. You can repurpose existing photos from your camera roll into fresh content in just a few minutes.
• Perfect for Storytelling: Slideshows allow you to guide a narrative. You can show a step-by-step process (like a recipe or a DIY project), a before-and-after transformation, or highlights from an event in chronological order.
• Ideal for Viral Trends: Many trending sounds and formats on TikTok are specifically designed for photos. Think of trends like "photos that look like album covers" or "show me a picture of you when..." Slideshows make it simple to jump on these trends.
• Showcases Static Work: If you're an artist, designer, photographer, or run an e-commerce brand, slideshows are perfect for showing off your work or products without needing complex videography.

Getting Started: Gathering Your Photos and Music

A great slideshow starts with great assets. A little preparation here will make the entire process smoother and the final product much better.

Choosing Your Photos

Don't just randomly select the first 10 photos you see. Take a moment to curate your images with intention:

• Quality Over Quantity: Use high-resolution, clear, and well-lit images. Blurry or dark photos will immediately make your slideshow look unprofessional.
• Tell a Cohesive Story: Do the photos work together? Whether it's a "day in the life," a product lineup, or a vacation recap, make sure there's a common theme.
• Think Vertically: TikTok is a vertical platform (9:16 aspect ratio). While you can use horizontal photos, vertical shots will fill the screen and look more native to the platform. Crop or adjust horizontal images if you need to.
• Order Matters: Think about the flow. Start with a hook image that grabs attention, build the narrative in the middle, and end with a compelling final shot.

Finding the Right Music

Sound is at least 50% of the experience on TikTok. The right track can turn a simple collection of photos into an emotional or high-energy masterpiece.

• Browse the "For You" Page: The best way to find trending audio is by simply scrolling through your FYP. Notice a sound that’s being used over and over? Tap the spinning disc icon at the bottom right corner of the video and add it to your Favorites.
• Use The Search Bar: You can search for specific moods or genres like "cinematic background music," "upbeat pop," or "lofi beats." TikTok's music library is massive.
• Consider the Vibe: Match the music's energy to your photos. A relaxing slideshow of nature photos calls for a calm, ambient track, while a workout recap needs something high-energy and motivating.

How to Make a Slideshow in the TikTok App: The Step-by-Step Guide

TikTok gives you two excellent ways to create a photo slideshow directly in the app: the dedicated "Photo Mode" and the traditional "Video Mode." Each has its benefits, and we'll cover how to use both.

Step 1: Open the Creation Screen

Launch the TikTok app and tap the plus icon (+) at the bottom center of your screen to open the camera.

Step 2: Upload Your Photos

To the right of the record button, you'll see an "Upload" button. Tap it. This will open your device's camera roll. Go to the "Photos" tab at the top and select the images you want to use. You can select multiple photos at once. When you're done, tap "Next."

Step 3: Choose Between "Photo Mode" and "Video Mode"

This is where many people get confused, but it's super simple. After you select your photos, TikTok will present you with two options at the bottom of the screen: "Switch to Photo mode" or "Switch to Video mode."

What is Photo Mode?

Photo Mode is TikTok's newer, carousel-style slideshow feature. It keeps each image as a high-quality static photo, and users can swipe through them manually at their own pace. Music plays in the background, but the photos don't play like a video.

When to use Photo Mode: This is perfect for high-quality image collections where viewers might want to linger on each shot - think photography portfolios, detailed product shots, or funny memes with text you need to read.

What is Video Mode?

Video Mode takes your selected photos and automatically turns them into a video clip. It adds automated transitions and motion between the images, syncing them to a default sound (which you can change). You get a single, playable video.

When to use Video Mode: This is the classic slideshow format and works best for fast-paced sequences, storytelling, or anytime you want to control the pacing and rhythm of the visuals.

For the rest of this tutorial, we will focus on Video Mode, as it offers more editing possibilities.

Step 4: Edit Your Clips and Transitions

Once you're in the Video Mode editor, you can start customizing your slideshow.

• Reorder Photos: Press and hold any photo in the timeline at the bottom to drag it into a new position.
• Adjust Timing: Tap a photo in the timeline to make it shorter or longer by dragging the white handles at either end.
• Change Transitions: Tap the small white icon between any two photo clips. This will open the transitions menu. You can add fades, slides, zooms, and other effects to make the flow between images more dynamic.

Step 5: Add and Sync Your Music

This is the fun part! If you don't like the default sound TikTok added, it's easy to change it.

1. Tap "Add sound" at the top of the editing screen.
2. Browse trending sounds, search for a specific track, or select one from your "Favorites."
3. Once you've chosen a sound, tap the red checkmark.
4. To sync your photos to the beat, find the "Edit" button on the right-side toolbar (it looks like scissors). In this editor, you might see an option for beat-sync if TikTok detects a strong rhythm in the music. It can automatically time your clip changes to the beat of the song. If not, you can manually adjust each photo's duration to line up with the kicks, snares, or big moments in the music.

Step 6: Add Text, Stickers, and Effects

Now you can add layers of personality to your slideshow.

• Text: Tap the "Text" tool on the right-hand menu. Type your message, choose your font and color, and set the duration so it appears only on specific photos. This is great for adding context or telling a story.
• Stickers: Browse TikTok's library of stickers, GIFs, and polls to add interactive elements.
• Effects: Tap the "Effects" button to browse dozens of filters and AR effects. You can apply one effect to the entire video or press and hold an effect to apply it to a specific section only.

Step 7: Finalize and Post

Once you're happy with your creation, tap "Next." This takes you to the final posting screen where you can:

• Write a compelling caption.
• Add relevant hashtags to help your content get discovered.
• Tag any relevant accounts.
• Choose your cover image.
• Share to your account!

Pro Tips for Making Your Slideshow Go Viral

Knowing the steps is one thing, but making something truly special requires a bit of strategy. Here are a few tricks the pros use.

Sync Every Photo to the Beat

We mentioned this earlier, but it’s worth repeating. Nothing makes a video more satisfying to watch than perfect audio-visual sync. Listen to your chosen song and identify the key beats or melodic changes. Trim each photo clip so the change to the next image lands exactly on that beat. It takes a little extra time but makes a world of difference in how professional your video feels.

Use a Text-Based Story Hook

Your first image is your most critical. Use a strong text hook to stop people from scrolling. For example:

• "You won't believe where this photo was taken..."
• "The 3 biggest mistakes I made when starting my business."
• "Wait for the best part of our vacation..."

This gives viewers a reason to stick around and see the rest of your slideshow.

Try Third-Party Apps for More Polish

While TikTok's editor is powerful, sometimes you need more control. Apps like CapCut (which is also owned by ByteDance, TikTok's parent company) offer more advanced features for free:

• More sophisticated transitions and video effects.
• Fine-tuned control over text animations.
• Ken Burns effect (slowly panning and zooming on a static photo to create motion).

You can create your slideshow in CapCut, export it to your camera roll, and then upload it to TikTok as a finished video.

Final Thoughts

Creating a TikTok slideshow with music is a quick, fun, and highly effective way to tell stories, hop on trends, and keep your audience engaged without the pressure of full-scale video production. By picking the right photos, a great soundtrack, and syncing everything to the beat, you can create polished, professional-looking content in minutes.

After you master creating these slideshows, you’ll find you can batch-produce a week's worth of content in an afternoon. That's where planning and scheduling become so important. At Postbase, we designed our visual content calendar specifically for today’s creators. You can upload all your newly-created slideshows and videos, drag and drop them to organize your schedule, and trust that they will publish reliably when they're supposed to, so you can focus on creativity, not administrative tasks.