How to Make a Video Using Pictures & Music

Online video watching is a popular pastime, with 82.5 percent of American Internet users watching online video in February 2011, according to ComScore. Slideshow videos -- those made up of only pictures and music -- are cheap to produce and common on user-generated video sharing sites like YouTube. To create these types of videos on Windows 7, you don't need anything more than Windows Live Movie Maker. You may want to crop and resize your pictures in Paint first.

Instructions

1. Transfer your pictures and music to your computer.

2. Click the Start button. Type "Movie Maker" in the search box. Click "Windows Live Movie Maker" in the results list. If you don't see it, download and install Windows Movie Maker from Microsoft's website (see Resources).

3. Click "Add Videos and Photos" in the bar at the top of the window. Select photos to add. Click "Open."

4. Click "Add Music" in the bar at the top of the window. Select the music file to add. Click "Open."

5. Click the File icon in the upper-left corner. Click "Save Movie" and "Recommended for this project." Type a name for the movie in the box and click "Save."

Tips & Warnings

• Add transitions and effects if desired.

• Apple users can make pictures and music into movies using iMovie.

• Save your project file often to avoid losing your work.

• Don't use copyrighted materials without permission.

References

• YouTube: Upload Audio to YouTube?
• YouTube: Supported YouTube Formats
• ComScore: ComScore Releases February 2011 U.S. Online Video Rankings
• Windows Live: How Do I Add Videos and Photos in Movie Maker?

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Windows Live: Windows Live Essentials: Movie Maker