Windows Slideshow Maker

If you want to make a slideshow on Windows, most likely you use PowerPoint, as it's one of the standard inbuilt Office apps. You can also use it online, in Office365, and save your projects in a cloud.

Another option — Google Slides. This service works online, so you can share the file with other users and edit your project together.

These default options have many advantages, but still, some drawbacks exist.

They work only with visuals, so you can't create a slideshow with music on your Windows device.
Google Drive provides you with 5GB of free storage space. And you may need more if you use this cloud frequently.

That's why another free software will come in handy. And we have a couple of nifty and comfy solutions for you from Clideo.

Our tools work online and don't exhaust your device's memory. All of them are intuitively comprehensive, so it will not take much time to master them. There is a Pro subscription, but our free users can enjoy the full functionality of all the tools and process files up to 500 MB for free.

Let's have a closer look at each tool.

How to make a slideshow in Video Editor

Clideo's ultimate all-in-one video editor is our gem and ornament. This tool allows you to edit your video in many ways, and new features are regularly added. You can easily assemble a presentation from scratch in it.

Upload assets to the tool

Open Video Editor in any browser. As it's an online tool, you don't have to worry about its compatibility with your device or operating system.

Hit subsequently the "Get started" and "Upload" buttons to import the needed files from your device, Google Drive, Google Photos, or Dropbox.

A hint! Save all the assets to the same folder and bulk upload. This way, if you have less than 10 files, they will be automatically placed in the timeline tracks.

Another hint! You can organize files of the same type on the same track. Thus you can have separate tracks for pictures, videos, GIFs, audio files, and captions (you can add them directly in the tool).
Make a presentation

Arrange the files as you need. Make sure the "Snap" option is turned on: this way, the edited chunks "stick" to each other without gaps or overlapping. You can find it at the top left of the timeline.

When it comes to videos, you can make them shorter with the help of yellow handles, but you can't expand them over their initial duration. Static pictures' timing can be adjusted as you need.

Don't forget that you can also play around with the visuals on the editing canvas: drag their corner to change their size and place them one over another or as you wish.

When all the positions are defined, it's time to start editing.
Edit the project

Go to the "Canvas" tab to edit the whole project. Here you can select its aspect ratio and background color.

A hint! You can create your unique color! There are three ways to do it:
- A slider
- A hex code (for example, blue is #0000ff)
- Red/green/blue proportion. Just set their ratios in the boxes and get the result on the palette.
If you want to edit separate files, you have to first click on them to make them active. The exact editing options depend on the file type.

Visuals:
- Crop options (fill the frame or fit the chosen aspect ratio).
- Rotation (you can turn your visual 90 degrees in one click or go with a 5-degree step).
- Mirroring along the vertical or the horizontal axis.
- Opacity, brightness, contrast, saturation, hue, blur.
- Slowing down or speeding up a video.
Audio:
- Volume.
- Fade in.
- Fade out.
Captions (the "Text" tab):
- Font and its color.
- Text weight.
- Size.
- Line height.
- Letter spacing.
- Alignment.
- Special features.
- Text background.
When you have played around with your project enough and you're sure you like what you see, it's time to save it.
Save your slideshow

Hit the "Export" in the top right part of the screen and choose the output resolution. The file will be exported as an MP4 video file.

If you haven't subscribed to Clideo Pro yet, it may be time to do so, as Pro subscribers can save their presentations in better quality and have no watermark.

Click "Continue" and wait while your project is being processed. Now you can just give it the final trial to make sure there are no unexpected imperfections and save it wherever you want: your device or cloud storage account.

If you want to change something, it's still not too late: hit the "Edit" button and return to the editing area.

How to make a slideshow in Slideshow Maker

This tool has fewer options, for example, it can't add captions. That's why it demands less time to master and get what you need without much fuss.

Upload your files

Open the Windows Photo Slideshow Maker and hit the "Choose files" button to import visuals from your camera roll or computer folder. If you keep your assets in a cloud, click the down-faced arrow to call the dropdown menu and select your option.
Create a slideshow

Arrange files on the timeline as you wish. In this tool, you should work with them as they are, you can't customize their size or video duration.

On the right pane, you can change the crop option and select one of the four aspect ratio presets. If your slideshow includes static photos, set their duration. Remember, this setting will be applied to all the images in the project!

Tick the "Crossfade" box to smooth the transition between frames.
Add an audio track

Hit the "Add audio" pane to import some music or voiceover. Go to the "Trim audio" pane to make it shorter. Click the bars icon to the right of the pane to adjust your track volume. If your presentation includes video files with their initial soundtracks, you can change their volume here too.

When everything is done, select the output format below the timeline or leave the default one. Then hit the "Export" button and let the tool do its job.
Save the project

This step is no different from the one for an ultimate Video Editor. You can either save the slideshow to the chosen location or return to editing.

Conclusion

Did you get lost in the variety of options? No worries, we'll help you to decide.

Choose the all-in-one Video Editor if you:

Have enough time to try different options and functionalities out.
Want to create a complicated project with videos, audio, captions, various color schemes and effects, etc.

Stick to the Slideshow Maker if you: