Dr. Patricia Caldwell(click for bio)

Embrance Ambassador

Funeral Slideshow Songs

Music is what turns a set of photographs into a tribute. The right song can hold a whole room together, and it can carry a memory long after the service is over. If you are choosing music for a funeral or memorial slideshow, this guide gathers more than sixty songs, organized by mood and by relationship, along with a few gentle tips for choosing.

There is no single correct song for a slideshow, and there is no wrong one either. The most meaningful choice is almost always a song your loved one truly loved, or one tied to a specific memory. The lists below are here to help when you are not sure where to begin.

How to choose music for a memorial slideshow

A few quiet guidelines make the choice easier:

• Start with their songs. A song they always sang, a hymn from their church, the first dance at their wedding. What was theirs will almost always land more deeply than a popular choice.
• Match the mood you want. One reflective song and one uplifting song is a lovely balance. You do not have to make the whole slideshow sorrowful.
• Lean instrumental when unsure. Piano and acoustic pieces carry emotion without competing with the photos or pulling focus to the lyrics.
• Watch the lyrics. Read the words all the way through before you commit. A beautiful melody can hide a line that feels wrong for the moment.
• Plan for two or three songs. Most slideshows run 5 to 10 minutes, and two or three songs cover that comfortably. Let the songs set the length rather than squeezing photos to fit.

If you would like a full walkthrough of building the video itself, our guide on how to make a funeral slideshow covers photos, timing, and playback at the service.

Gentle and instrumental songs

When you want the photos to speak and the music to sit softly underneath, instrumental pieces are hard to beat.

• Clair de Lune (Claude Debussy)
• Gymnopédie No. 1 (Erik Satie)
• Canon in D (Johann Pachelbel)
• Nuvole Bianche (Ludovico Einaudi)
• River Flows in You (Yiruma)
• Comptine d'un autre été (Yann Tiersen)
• The Ludlows (James Horner)
• Adagio for Strings (Samuel Barber)
• Watermark (Enya)
• Divenire (Ludovico Einaudi)

Timeless classics

These songs are familiar to almost every generation in the room, and they carry a warmth that feels like an embrace.

• What a Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong)
• Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Israel Kamakawiwo'ole)
• Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon and Garfunkel)
• Unforgettable (Nat King Cole)
• My Way (Frank Sinatra)
• Stand By Me (Ben E. King)
• The Long and Winding Road (The Beatles)
• Time to Say Goodbye (Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman)
• Fields of Gold (Sting)
• In My Life (The Beatles)

Country songs

Country music has a long tradition of honoring a life plainly and tenderly, which makes these a natural fit for a tribute.

• I Will Always Love You (Dolly Parton)
• Go Rest High on That Mountain (Vince Gill)
• If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away (Justin Moore)
• Angels Among Us (Alabama)
• The Dance (Garth Brooks)
• I Hope You Dance (Lee Ann Womack)
• Humble and Kind (Tim McGraw)
• When I Get Where I'm Going (Brad Paisley featuring Dolly Parton)
• Live Like You Were Dying (Tim McGraw)
• Blessed (Martina McBride)

Contemporary and pop songs

For a life remembered in more recent decades, these are songs many families reach for today.

• See You Again (Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth)
• Fix You (Coldplay)
• Supermarket Flowers (Ed Sheeran)
• Photograph (Ed Sheeran)
• Angel (Sarah McLachlan)
• Hallelujah (Jeff Buckley)
• One Sweet Day (Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men)
• Rise Up (Andra Day)
• I'll Be Missing You (Puff Daddy and Faith Evans)
• Keep Me in Your Heart (Warren Zevon)

Faith and hymns

For a service rooted in faith, these hymns and worship songs are among the most beloved and widely recognized.

• Amazing Grace (traditional)
• How Great Thou Art (traditional)
• It Is Well with My Soul (traditional)
• Be Still, My Soul (traditional)
• In the Garden (traditional)
• Great Is Thy Faithfulness (traditional)
• Precious Lord, Take My Hand (Thomas A. Dorsey)
• On Eagle's Wings (Michael Joncas)
• Ave Maria (Franz Schubert)
• I Can Only Imagine (MercyMe)

Songs for a mother

When you are remembering a mother or grandmother, these songs speak to that particular kind of love.

• Wind Beneath My Wings (Bette Midler)
• A Song for Mama (Boyz II Men)
• You Raise Me Up (Josh Groban)
• Because You Loved Me (Céline Dion)
• Landslide (Fleetwood Mac)
• Simple Man (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
• You Are My Sunshine (traditional)
• Mama (Il Divo)
• I'll Always Love My Mama (The Intruders)
• You'll Be in My Heart (Phil Collins)

Songs for a father

For a father or grandfather, these songs honor the steadiness and the memories he leaves behind.

• Dance with My Father (Luther Vandross)
• My Father's Eyes (Eric Clapton)
• The Living Years (Mike and The Mechanics)
• Leader of the Band (Dan Fogelberg)
• My Old Man (Zac Brown Band)
• My Wish (Rascal Flatts)
• Forever Young (Rod Stewart)
• Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd)
• Daddy's Hands (Holly Dunn)
• He Didn't Have to Be (Brad Paisley)

A note on copyright and sharing online

There is one practical thing worth knowing before you finish. If you plan to share the slideshow on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube so family who could not attend can see it, popular copyrighted songs can get the video muted or blocked. It is a quiet heartbreak to build something beautiful and then find the music silenced when you post it.

This is exactly why Embrance uses fully licensed music. You can choose from gentle, service appropriate tracks and share the finished slideshow online without the music being muted or blocked, so the whole family can watch it whenever they need to.

The easiest way to set your slideshow to music

If you would rather not wrestle with editing software during an already hard week, this is what Embrance is for. You add your photos, choose the mood of the music, and the slideshow comes together for you, right in your browser. You watch it live as you go, with no render times and no waiting for exports. It plays on any TV, phone, or projector, and because the music is fully licensed, you can share it freely.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many songs should a funeral slideshow have?

Most funeral slideshows use two or three songs. That is usually enough to cover a slideshow of 5 to 10 minutes without the music feeling rushed or repetitive. If your slideshow runs longer, a fourth song can help, but more than that tends to pull attention away from the photos.

What is the best song for a memorial slideshow?

There is no single best song. The most meaningful choice is almost always a song your loved one truly loved, or one tied to a specific memory. If you are unsure, gentle and familiar choices like 'What a Wonderful World' by Louis Armstrong or an instrumental piece such as 'Clair de Lune' by Claude Debussy are safe and comforting.

Can I use any song in a funeral slideshow?

For a slideshow played at the service, you can use any song you like. The one place to be careful is sharing the finished video online, because platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube may mute or block popular copyrighted songs. Embrance uses fully licensed music, so the slideshow is far less likely to be muted or blocked when families share it online.

What are good non-religious funeral songs?

Many families prefer songs that are gentle and meaningful without being religious. Good options include 'What a Wonderful World' by Louis Armstrong, 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, 'Fields of Gold' by Sting, and instrumental pieces like 'River Flows in You' by Yiruma. A favorite song of your loved one, whatever the genre, is always a fitting choice.