Best Songs for a Funeral Slideshow or Tribute Video
Why Music Matters in a Funeral Slideshow or Tribute Video
The music you choose for a funeral slideshow or tribute video quietly sets the tone for the whole piece. It shapes how the photographs feel, how the story unfolds, and how easy it is for people to sit with their memories while they watch.
For some families, the right song is obvious — a favourite band, an ABBA track they always sang along to in the car, or a piece of classical music they loved at concerts. For others, the choice is much harder, especially when different generations, cultures and faiths are in the same room.
I've created hundreds of funeral slideshows and tribute videos over the past ten years, and music is one of the things families ask me about most. This guide is designed to help you narrow things down calmly — whether you are planning a simple funeral slideshow, a full memorial tribute video, or a funeral film to share privately afterwards.
Start with the Person, Not the Playlist
efore you open any music list, it helps to step back and think about the person you are remembering. Rather than asking "What are the best songs for a funeral slideshow?", a gentler starting point is: "What music feels like them?"
You might think about:
What they actually listened to — favourite artists, albums, radio stations, or concerts
Music that connects to their story — songs from a particular decade, country, language, or faith tradition
The mood you want the tribute to have — quietly reflective, warm and reassuring, or more like a celebration of life
Sometimes the right choice is not a "typical" funeral song at all. One of the most memorable slideshows I've created combined an ABBA song in both English and Spanish — blending the two languages to reflect the person's heritage and the different parts of their family. It was personal, honest, and immediately recognisable to everyone in the room. That's what good music selection does.
The key is that it feels true to the person, not that it ticks a box on a list of popular funeral songs.
Matching the Music to the Type of Tribute
The best song for a funeral slideshow also depends on how the visuals and audio work together. A simple photo tribute needs something different from a full funeral tribute film with recorded messages and readings.
There are broadly three common setups:
Simple slideshow with music only — photos fade in and out with one or two songs playing throughout. This suits many memorial slideshows shown during the service or playing on a loop at a wake or celebration of life.
Slideshow shown as part of a wider service — the slideshow has music only, but live readings, eulogies and prayers happen around it. Here the music needs to sit comfortably within the wider order of service without feeling out of place.
Tribute video with spoken voice — a more detailed funeral tribute film with recorded messages from family and friends, perhaps combined with audio from the service itself. This almost always works best with instrumental music underneath, kept at a gentle level so the words can breathe.
Choosing Between Lyrics and Instrumentals
A simple rule of thumb:
If you are showing images set to music with no spoken words, you can use either instrumental pieces or songs with lyrics — as long as the music genuinely fits the person and the images.
If there is any spoken voice over the photos — whether a live eulogy or a pre-recorded message — use instrumental music only. Songs with lyrics will almost always clash with spoken words and make both harder to follow.
Instrumental pieces work especially well when:
The images carry a lot of emotion on their own
You want the tribute to feel calm and spacious
You are combining live or recorded speech with a memorial video and need every word to be clearly heard
Songs with lyrics can be beautiful when they truly match the situation — particularly in simple slideshows where the images and song together are the whole experience, or in a celebration of life video where the music is meant to feel more like "their" playlist.
How Many Songs Do You Actually Need?
The number of songs depends on the length of the slideshow and how many photos you're using. If you're still deciding on photos, my guide How Many Photos Should a Funeral Slideshow Have? walks through typical numbers and timings in more detail.
In practice, most families fall into one of three situations:
Slideshow during the funeral or celebration of life Usually one main song, around 35–40 images, running for roughly 3–7 minutes. If you have up to around 60 photos a second song can be added, but the aim is for the piece to feel calm and contained within the service.
Tribute piece with spoken words and messages Typically 2–3 instrumental pieces in the 5–10 minute range, with recorded tributes or live speech layered over. Music is there to support the voices, not dominate — so instrumentals at a gentle level work best.
Personal tribute film to keep Occasionally a family wants a much larger memorial video as a lasting keepsake. The largest I've created combined just under 600 images with 12 songs and ran for around 49 minutes. Not something you'd play in full during a service, but a deeply meaningful way for close family to revisit memories together at home. You can read more about this kind of extended tribute in my guide on how to create a funeral tribute film.
Types of Songs Families Often Choose
Every family is different, but over time certain patterns emerge. Most tribute videos and funeral slideshows draw from one or more of these:
Gentle and reflective songs — quieter modern songs or ballads that feel calming rather than heavy, sitting well during a slideshow in the middle of a service
Instrumental or classical pieces — piano, strings or light orchestral works, especially when there is speech, readings or prayers as part of the tribute
Warm and uplifting songs — pieces that acknowledge sadness but lean towards gratitude and love, often chosen for celebration of life videos and receptions
Faith-based music and hymns — traditional hymns, worship songs or devotional pieces that match the person's beliefs and the tone of the service
Personal favourites — anything from ABBA to film soundtracks to reggae or highlife, if that genuinely reflects who they were
Rather than forcing the music into a "funeral song" category, it usually works best to choose something that would make friends and family say "Yes, that feels like them" — even if it wouldn't appear on a standard list of popular funeral music.
To see how different songs and styles change the feel of a tribute, my guide to funeral slideshow examples shows how music, photos, and pacing come together across five different real family approaches.
When One Song Isn't Enough
There are many ways to combine music in a tribute video without it feeling disjointed. For example:
Use one main song for the slideshow during the service, then a different track in a longer keepsake memorial video shared afterwards
Start with a short instrumental section while people settle, then bring in a song with lyrics as the photos move into a more celebratory phase
Use a favourite upbeat song at the very end of a tribute film, over footage of the person laughing, travelling, or doing what they loved
This is where bilingual or culturally specific music choices can be particularly powerful. The ABBA example I mentioned earlier — blending an English version with a Spanish version in a single funeral video — quietly honoured both the woman's heritage and the languages of her family. Similar ideas can work with songs in other languages, regional music, or pieces connected to particular faiths and communities. I've done this with Caribbean gospel, Greek Orthodox chants, and West African highlife music — each time creating something that felt specific and personal rather than generic.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
There are no strict rules, but a few choices tend to create problems in funeral slideshows and tribute videos:
Clashing words — lyrics competing with live readings, eulogies, or recorded messages. Instrumentals are almost always safer under speech
Songs that distract — tracks so famous, humorous, or unusual that people end up listening to the song more than watching the photos
Music that doesn't match the images — very light music under extremely raw images, or very heavy music under simple, gentle family photos
Overly long playlists — using four or five full songs during a service can feel exhausting and push the funeral over time
The aim of a good funeral slideshow, memorial video, or tribute film is not to show off clever editing or dramatic music. It is to create a calm, honest space where people can look at the photographs, listen, and remember.
How I Can Help
If you're creating a funeral slideshow or tribute video and would like help with song choices, structure, or how everything will play on the day, I'm always happy to talk things through before you commit to anything.
I create around 50–60 funeral slideshows each year for families across the UK, starting from £220. Once you get in touch, I'll look at the photos you have, talk through the tone you want, and help you choose music that feels right — whether that's a simple single-track slideshow or a longer, more detailed tribute film.
You can read more about my funeral slideshow and tribute video service, or explore these related guides:
Or call or text me directly on 07772 509101 — I'm available seven days a week from 9am to 10pm and always happy to help.