Cloud Photo Show guide
Getting Started with Cloud Photo Show
Watch the complete Cloud Photo Show tutorial and learn how to import Google Photos, add music, customize timing and transitions, and create a downloadable slideshow video.
Official video walkthrough
See the complete workflow in 15 minutes
Follow the process from importing an album through downloading the finished MP4. The player does not autoplay.
The written walkthrough
Learn how to turn a Google Photos album into a slideshow video with music, transitions, photos, videos, titles, and a downloadable MP4. Use these six steps if you prefer a concise written guide.
1. Import your Google Photos
Paste a shared-album link to bring the complete album into Cloud Photo Show while preserving its current order. Signed-in users can instead open the official Google Photos Picker to choose individual photos for the current editing session.
For a project you plan to save and reopen, the shared-album workflow is the dependable choice because Picker selections are temporary. See the broader slideshow workflow guide for help choosing between these approaches.
2. Choose your photos and videos
Photos begin included. Select or deselect items, drag them into a new order, or randomize the included slides. Album video clips begin deselected because they require more preparation; include only the clips you want and adjust their trim and sound controls.
3. Add music
Add one or more music files from your device, arrange the track order, adjust volume, crossfade between songs, repeat the playlist, or fit the slideshow's default timing to the playlist. When an included video uses its original sound, you can lower the background music while that clip plays.
- Add and arrange multiple tracks
- Set track volume and between-song crossfades
- Repeat a short playlist or fit slide timing to its length
- Balance music with original video sound
4. Customize your slideshow
Choose a default slide time and override individual slides when an important photo needs longer. Select transitions, add a title over the first photo or on its own title slide, and apply Pan and Zoom—often called the Ken Burns effect—for gentle motion on still images.
5. Preview your Photo Show
Play the complete preview and check the story from beginning to end. Look for awkward framing, slides that move too quickly, abrupt transitions, and places where music or original clip audio needs adjustment.
6. Create and download your video
Choose the resolution available for your plan and browser, then create the video locally in your browser. Keep the tab active and the device awake until rendering finishes. Download the completed MP4 and play it once before presenting or sharing it.
If your starting point is an album you already arranged, the album-to-video guide offers additional planning advice.