How to Create a Memorial Video: The Complete Guide

A practical, step-by-step guide to creating a memorial or funeral video: what to include, how many photos you need, choosing music, and whether to DIY or ask for professional help. Written for Australian families planning a funeral, memorial service or celebration of life.

By Kathleen G, reviewed by Scott G

If you're planning a funeral, memorial service or celebration of life, a memorial video is simply a short film, usually photos with some video clips and music, that tells a small part of someone's story. You don't need expensive equipment, professional editing skills or a huge archive of photographs to make one that feels right. Plenty of memorial videos come together from nothing more than a folder of phone photos, a couple of favourite songs and a few hours of careful work.

This guide covers what a memorial video is, what to include, how to gather your material, and whether to make it yourself or ask for help. Each section links through to a more detailed guide if you want to go deeper on a particular step.

What Is a Memorial Video?

A memorial video is a short, edited video, typically photographs and sometimes home video clips, set to music, created to mark someone's life after they've passed away. It's usually played at a funeral, memorial service or celebration of life, though many families keep a copy to share privately or watch on anniversaries.

The point isn't to tell someone's whole life story in perfect detail. It's to give family and friends a few quiet minutes to see a familiar face, hear a familiar song, and be reminded of the person as they were: as a child, a parent, a friend, at work, on holidays, with the dog, at family gatherings.

A memorial video can be as simple as twenty photos and one song, or something more involved with narration, home videos and several chapters. Both are fine. What matters is that it reflects the person, and that putting it together feels manageable for the family doing the work.

Funeral Slideshow, Memorial Video, Tribute Video or Celebration-of-Life Video?

People in Australia use these terms fairly loosely, which can be confusing when you're trying to plan one. Here's roughly how they tend to differ in practice, and Funeral Slideshow vs Memorial Video: What's the Difference? works through the distinctions in more detail.

Honestly, the differences are more about tone and context than any strict rule. A "funeral slideshow" and a "memorial video" might contain almost identical material; the difference is often just the name the family or funeral home happens to use. Don't get too hung up on picking the "correct" term. Focus instead on what you want the video to include and how it will be used.

When Might a Memorial Video Be Used?

A memorial video can turn up in several different settings, and many families end up using it in more than one:

• Funeral or memorial service. Played on a screen before the service begins, or as part of the service itself.
• Celebration of life. Often the centrepiece at a more informal gathering, sometimes with more personality and humour than a traditional service.
• Wake or visitation. Played quietly in the background as people arrive, gather and talk with one another.
• Online or private family sharing. For relatives who couldn't attend in person, or as something to come back to later.
• Anniversary or remembrance event. Some families create or re-share a version of the video on significant dates, like a birthday or the anniversary of the death.

If this planning process feels difficult, Lifeline (13 11 14) and Griefline are both available for support.

What Should You Include in a Memorial Video?

Most memorial videos draw on some combination of the following:

• Photographs. The core material for almost every memorial video, ideally spanning different life stages.
• Home videos. Short clips add movement and voice, even if the audio isn't great.
• Voice recordings. A voicemail, a recorded story, or an old video with the person's voice in it can end up being the most meaningful inclusion of all.
• Captions and dates. Brief on-screen text adds context without needing narration, such as a year, a place, a relationship.
• Personal messages. Short written tributes from family members, sometimes shown as text on screen.
• Music. Sets the pace and emotional tone of the video (more on this below).
• Opening and closing screens. Usually the person's name and dates, sometimes a favourite quote or a simple thank-you at the end.
• Stories, objects or documents. Some families scan in letters, certificates or a meaningful object photographed just for the video.

You don't need every one of these. Some of the best memorial videos are simple: good photos, a well-chosen song, and enough time on screen for each image to actually be seen.

For a full breakdown of what to include and how to structure it, see our guide: What to Include in a Memorial or Funeral Video.

How Many Photos Do You Need?

This really comes down to how long you want the video to run and how long each photo stays on screen. There's no correct number to aim for.

As a rough guide:

• Photos are usually shown for somewhere between 3 and 6 seconds each, long enough to register without dragging.
• A 3–5 minute video might use somewhere in the range of 30–60 photos, though this varies with pacing and whether video clips are mixed in.
• Longer videos need proportionally more material, but longer isn't automatically better. Attention tends to drop off once a slideshow runs much past 5–7 minutes in a funeral setting.

The relationship is fairly simple: more photos means either a longer video or less time per photo. Fewer photos means either a shorter video or more time on each one, which can actually work well if the photos are strong.

Quality beats quantity here. A well-chosen set of 25 photos, spread across different periods of someone's life, often makes a more watchable video than 100 photos of similar, repetitive moments.

For more detailed guidance on numbers and pacing, see: How Many Photos Do You Need for a Funeral Slideshow?

What If You Only Have a Few Photos?

Some families just don't have many photographs to work with. It's more common than you'd think, and it doesn't mean a meaningful video is off the table.

A few things that help:

• Use what you have thoughtfully. A handful of well-chosen photos, given more time on screen, can carry a video perfectly well.
• Repeat images carefully. The same photo shown in different ways, say a wide shot followed by a closer crop, doesn't have to feel repetitive.
• Crop and restore what you have. Cropping into a section of a photo, or lightly restoring an old or damaged image, can stretch the same source further.
• Add text and captions. Names, dates, places and short notes fill space meaningfully instead of just padding out the run time.
• Bring in voice recordings. If photos are limited, a voicemail, video clip or recorded story adds depth without needing more images.
• Lean on the music. A song that mattered to the person can carry real emotional weight even over simple visuals.
• Consider objects, letters or documents. A handwritten card, a certificate, a meaningful item photographed simply: any of these can add another layer to the story.

For a full walkthrough of this situation, see: How to Create a Memorial Video When You Only Have a Few Photos.

How Do You Choose Music?

Music often carries more of the emotional weight in a memorial video than anything else. A few things worth thinking through:

• Personal meaning first. A song the person loved, danced to, sang along to in the car, or associated with a particular time in their life will usually land harder than a generic "funeral song."
• Instrumental versus lyrical. Instrumental music can feel gentler and less distracting if the video includes captions or spoken elements. Lyrics can add meaning, but they can also pull attention away from what's on screen.
• Religious and cultural considerations. Some faiths and cultural traditions have specific expectations around music at a funeral or memorial service. Check with the officiant, celebrant or family elders if this applies to you.
• Using more than one song. Longer videos, or ones with distinct sections such as childhood, family, career, sometimes work better with two or three songs rather than one on repeat.
• Getting family agreement. Music choice can be surprisingly emotional for families to agree on. Where you can, bring close family into the decision early rather than finalising it alone.
• Licensing and online publication. Playing a song once at a funeral service is generally treated differently to publishing a video containing that song online, on YouTube or a public memorial page, for instance. Licensing in Australia can depend on the venue, the platform, and how the video is shared, so it's worth checking with the venue or a body such as APRA AMCOS or OneMusic Australia rather than assuming it works the same as playing music in the car.

For song suggestions across different moods and styles, see: Best Songs for a Funeral Slideshow or Memorial Video.

DIY or Professional Memorial Video?

Neither option is objectively better. It really depends on your circumstances. Some things worth weighing up:

• Time available. Editing a video takes longer than most people expect, especially once you factor in sourcing and sorting photos. If the funeral is only days away, that changes what's realistic.
• Technical skill and comfort. Some people are happy enough with a basic editing app. Others find the whole process stressful on top of everything else that's going on.
• Emotional workload. Going through old photos and videos while grieving can be hard. Some families find it therapeutic; others would honestly rather hand the material to someone else.
• Family involvement. A DIY video can be a shared task among family members, which some people value. A professionally made video can still involve the family closely in choosing material and giving feedback.
• Quality expectations. If you know the look and pacing you want and have the patience to get there, DIY can work well. If you'd rather have a polished result without managing the editing yourself, professional help may suit better.
• Urgent deadlines. Funerals in Australia are often held within a week or two of a death. Both DIY and professional options need to fit that timeframe, so check turnaround availability early either way.
• Cost considerations. DIY has no direct cost beyond your time, and possibly a paid editing app or music licence. Professional services do cost money, and the amount varies by provider and scope, so ask for a clear quote based on your specific material and timeframe.
• Revisions and approval. DIY editing gives you full control as you go. With a professional service, find out upfront how many rounds of revision are included and how final approval works.

It really comes down to your time, your comfort with the material, and the kind of result you're hoping for.

For a more detailed comparison, see: DIY Funeral Slideshow or Professional Tribute Video?

How Do You Prepare the Material?

Whether you're making the video yourself or working with someone else, it helps to gather the following in one place:

• Photos, physical or digital, from as many family members as practical.
• Videos, home videos, phone clips, or old recordings that may need converting.
• Names and dates for captions, especially on older or less familiar photos.
• Captions, any specific wording you'd like included, such as nicknames, places, occasions.
• Music preferences, songs the person loved, or that the family agrees on.
• Personal stories, short anecdotes that might inform captions or narration.
• Family approvals, particularly for sensitive photos, videos or messages involving other people.
• Production deadlines, the date and time the video needs to be ready, including any venue testing time.

Getting this together early, even roughly, makes the editing process a lot smoother, whether you're doing it yourself or briefing someone else.

For a full preparation checklist, see: How to Prepare Photos, Videos and Information for a Memorial Video.

Preparing the Video for the Funeral Service

A memorial video that looks great on your laptop can still run into trouble at the venue if the technical setup hasn't been sorted. Worth checking:

• File format. Most venues work well with MP4, but confirm with the funeral home directly.
• Screen compatibility. Some venues use projectors, others large screens or multiple screens, and formatting can differ slightly between them.
• Aspect ratio. Widescreen (16:9) is the common standard, but some venues may specify otherwise.
• Audio. Check sound levels are consistent and that the venue's audio system suits your file.
• USB backup. Many venues still prefer a USB drive as the primary or backup playback method.
• Cloud backup. A copy in cloud storage protects you against a lost or faulty USB on the day.
• Offline playback. Don't rely solely on an internet connection or streaming link at the venue. Have an offline copy ready regardless.
• Venue testing. Where you can, test the file at the actual venue, or check with staff, before the service rather than just on your own device.
• Final family approval. Build in time for a close family member to review the finished video before the day itself.

For a full technical checklist, see: Funeral and Memorial Video Technical Checklist.

What Happens After the Funeral?

Many families want to keep and share the video beyond the service itself. Some common options:

• Sharing privately with family, via a private link, email, or shared drive for relatives who couldn't attend.
• Online memorial pages. Some families create a dedicated page to host the video and other tributes.
• Anniversaries and remembrance events. The video, or an updated version, can be revisited on significant dates.
• USB or digital keepsakes. A physical copy is a simple, lasting way to keep the video accessible.
• Long-term preservation. File formats and storage platforms change over time, so give some thought to where the video will actually live in five or ten years, not just this week.
• Access and privacy controls. If the video goes online, decide early who can view it and whether it should be public, unlisted, or password-protected.

For more detail on these options, see: What Happens to a Memorial Video After the Funeral?.

Memorial Video Ideas

If you're not sure how to structure the video, a few storytelling approaches can help:

• Life-stage timeline. Childhood through to later life, in chronological order.
• Family and relationships. Organised around the people in the person's life rather than a strict timeline.
• Career or community contribution. For someone whose work or volunteering was a big part of who they were.
• Hobbies and passions. Built around what they loved doing, whether that's fishing, gardening, music or sport.
• Humour and personality. For a celebration of life that leans into who the person was day-to-day, sense of humour included.
• Cultural or faith identity. Structured around traditions, community or belief that mattered to them and their family.

None of these are mutually exclusive. Plenty of videos blend two or three approaches.

For fifteen more detailed ideas, see: Memorial Video Ideas: 15 Ways to Tell Their Story.

How Still Frames Can Help

Putting together a memorial video on top of everything else a funeral involves can be a lot. Still Frames makes it simple: choose from purpose-built templates, add your photos and videos, and pick from our curated music library. No editing skills needed, just simple guided steps from start to finished video.

Ready to start? Create your memorial video and see how it comes together.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a memorial video be? Most run somewhere between 3 and 7 minutes. Shorter videos tend to hold attention better in a funeral setting, though the right length really depends on how much material you have and how the video will be used.

How many photos should be included? There's no fixed number. It depends on the length of the video and how long each photo stays on screen. A 3–5 minute video often uses somewhere around 30–60 photos, though a smaller, well-chosen set can work just as well.

Can a memorial video be made with only a few photos? Yes. A small number of photos, combined with thoughtful pacing, captions, voice recordings or music, can still make a meaningful video. Our dedicated guide on working with limited photos has practical approaches for this.

Can I use copyrighted music? It depends on how and where the video will be shown or shared, and licensing arrangements can change over time. Check with the funeral venue and, if you're planning to publish online, with a licensing body such as APRA AMCOS or OneMusic Australia, rather than assuming the rules match playing music privately.

What file format is best for a funeral service? MP4 is the most widely compatible format for funeral venues, but confirm directly with the venue, along with details like screen size, aspect ratio and whether they prefer a USB drive or another playback method.

Conclusion

A memorial video doesn't need to be complicated to be meaningful. Gather what photos, videos and recordings you have. Choose music that feels right. Decide whether to edit it yourself or ask for help. Make sure the finished file actually works at the venue on the day. Whether you have hundreds of photos or only a handful, what matters most is that the video reflects the person as the people watching it remember them.

If any part of this feels unclear or overwhelming, each of the linked guides above goes into more detail on that specific step, or you can jump straight in and let Still Frames' guided tool walk you through it.

About the author

Kathleen G Kathleen G writes and edits Still Frames' guides on planning and personalising a memorial video, with a focus on the family-facing side of the process, what to include, working with limited material, and what comes after the service. Her aim is always the same: practical, calm guidance that doesn't add to an already difficult week.

Reviewed by Scott G.