How to Make a Slideshow Video That Doesn't Violate Copyright Infringement

As long as you do not pass off the work (music) as your own you should be okay. You don't say what the pictures are of but I am guessing they are family pictures with a popular song as the theme. Add the song title, artist, and composer and maybe the distrubitor (Columbia Music for example) to the end of the slide show. You are probably not planning to make any money on the slideshow but if you do you need to contact ASCAP and BMI and ask about royalities.
The three companies that will go after you the fastest for copyright infringment are Disney-The NFL-Harley-Davidson. If they think you have violated their copyright they will send a cease and desist letter, if you do not comply they will go to court.
***SIDE NOTE***
To anyone who owns a business: You can not play CDs, DVDs, a radio, TV in a business unless you are paying royalties. If you look on CDs DVDs ect you will see somewhere on the item itself or the packaging "For Home Use Only" or some similar warning. This is why cable, satellight TV and radio is more expensive for a business these companies pay the royalties for you.
I have some musician friends one of them has 14 gold records. I have learned a lot from them. I am not an attorney and I am not giving legal advice, just a little wisdom I picked up over time.

The only way I've gotten around this is posting via youtube! From what I been told/read is that Facebook doesn't want to take the legal repercussions your videos/slide shows being past around and making a profit on their site. Basically we have the right to use music/video we've bought for our own personal non profitable use.

So we say okay let's post on Facebook. But once we do that its Facebooks information as well and then they become liable for the video/music getting out and possible sold for profit! I know you said you limited the privacy settings, but it's still being showed/viewed publicly = risk for Facebook! Especially if your friends can then repost!

Basically the only way I have found around this is to upload via youtube. Youtube must have more resources and attrys on their side willing to fight if they get sued. I have gotten notices about infringing on copyright laws, but I always include in my description of video, something to the effect 'music courtesy of xyz and that I don't own, claim to own or distribute the music as my own', then list the songwriters and give them credit where its due. I have no problem doing it that way, especially knowing I legitimately paid for that music for my personal use, and would like to share with my family and friends :)

I should note tho' that just because I paid for the music doesn't mean I own the 'copyright'! Basically means I bought the right to use one copy of the material for my own personal use! So I could still technically be held accountable for violating copyright laws! \Facebook and Youtube terms and conditions state you have to own the 'copyright' or at least have permission to use it?

Hope this makes sense-- at the very least this guy stated it very well

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=2009041314460...

Copyright rules are strict and sometimes complicated. And the reason some of the video sites like YouTube are so strict is because they, not just you, could be heavily fined for breaking the law.

Creative property is carefully guarded. When you download a song, you have paid simply for the right to play that song on your own equipment. You have not been given the right to duplicate it OR use it for personal profit. Perhaps using it in a published video is considered duplication, even if there isn't any profit involved. It's certainly not considered personal use.

Music that is in the public domain is itself usable by anyone without cost - BUT when someone records that public domain music (i.e., the Cleveland Orchestra records Beethoven's Ninth Symphony), that person/company/whatever owns the rights to the recording, so you're back at the same place.

Are you using personal photographs in your slide show? That's fine. Can you make up your own music for it, or do you have a friend or relative creative enough to do that for you? Then you won't have someone else's property to deal with.

Giving credit to the composers/artists is, as far as I know, not enough. That would be as if somebody sneaked into your yard and picked all the flowers, put them in a vase in her yard for all to see, and then said, "Thank you - they are pretty, aren't they? I got them from J. J." And you would be steaming. Or, if you're not a flower person, you can imagine how steamed somebody else would be.

I've done what ReverendRuby suggested, and it was still copyright infringement. they disabled the music on my slide show. You have to have permission to use the music.

Youtube seems to be doing something new now. I don't know if they have a list of artists that give constant permission or what. But I uploaded a video last week, and it had music in the background. I was given a warning (not that I'm in trouble or anything...more like a notice) that it might be copyright infringement. I cant' remember what I read, but it seemed like they said something that made me think they might be working on making it easier to play music with slide shows...like maybe a permanent list of artists who are okay with it? don't quote me on that, though!

the only way to be 100% certain is to not include any music you didn't write/play yourself. Or get permission. Or just try it and see if they disable it or not:-) That's what I usually do!

Maybe try Shutterfly, they let you upload videos now. The problem with YouTube and Facebook is they have recognition software for the song, not whether you've properly given credit. I think the reason is someone could in theory record the audio from that sight or listen to it there instead of purchasing it. I tried to load a stop motion video my daughter made for a contest to YouTube about 6 months ago and it suggested music to play with it but it didn't work for what we wanted. I ended up posting the video to Shutterfly and at that time (6 months ago) they didn't take it down and left the music intact. Not sure if they've had to start doing this too or not. Very frustrating as you're not the bad guy the music industry has to look out for. I doubt anyone you would show the slide show too is going to record your audio track for the MP3 or sell it. Unfortunately we get the same treatment as the bad guys.

http://www.photoshow.com/home/start?brand=roadrunner
This what I use.

I use One True Media. It's free and you can use photos and video together with music to choose from for the background. You can pay a little for the premium style to have more choices but I've never needed it. I add these to Facebook all the time with no problems.

www.onetruemedia.com

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

This article offers a great choice. You never need to worry about the issue of violating copyright laws.

http://slideshow-studio.com/slideshow/how-to-create-a-sli...

very easy to get it done!