What Music Can I Use in a Memorial Video?

A photograph of your loved one laughing at a family barbecue, standing proudly on their wedding day, or holding a new grandchild can say so much before a word is spoken. Music helps those moments settle into the room. Families often ask, “what music can I use in a memorial video?” because the right selection can make a tribute feel deeply personal, while the wrong one can feel disconnected from the person being remembered.

There is no single correct choice. A memorial presentation may include one much-loved song, a gentle instrumental piece, or several tracks that reflect different chapters of a life. The most meaningful soundtrack is usually one that feels truthful to them and comforting to the people gathered to remember them.

What music can I use in a memorial video?

You can use music that reflects your loved one’s personality, history, faith, family life or musical taste, provided the required copyright permission or licence is in place for the presentation. A song does not need to be traditionally solemn to be appropriate. For some families, a quiet piano arrangement brings the right sense of reflection. For others, a favourite jazz standard, a beloved country song, a classic Australian track, or music from a treasured era captures the person far more honestly.

Start with the question: what would they have recognised as their music? Perhaps there was a song always playing in the car, a singer they saw in concert, a tune that filled the house on Sunday mornings, or a piece associated with their wedding, travel or a sporting club. These details can turn a slideshow into a genuine reflection of a life.

It can also help to think about the audience. Music for a funeral service may need to suit the atmosphere of the venue and the preferences of close family members. A memorial shown later at a wake or private gathering may allow for something lighter, more playful or more energetic. Both approaches can be fitting when they are chosen with care.

Begin with the person, not the genre

Families sometimes feel pressure to choose a song that sounds sad enough. Yet grief is not only sadness. A good memorial video can hold affection, gratitude, humour, pride and warmth alongside loss. If your loved one was known for their bright spirit, a gentle but uplifting song may be more meaningful than a very sombre piece.

Consider their character in a few simple words. Were they calm and thoughtful, lively and sociable, quietly devoted to family, deeply spiritual, or always ready with a joke? Their answer may point you towards a musical mood more naturally than a broad list of popular memorial songs.

Lyrics deserve close attention. A beautiful melody can be compelling, but words carry weight when played alongside family photographs. Listen through the full song rather than relying on the chorus. Some lyrics may have a private meaning that matters enormously to your family. Others may unintentionally introduce themes that feel uncomfortable or at odds with the tribute.

Instrumental music is often a thoughtful choice where lyrics might distract from the images, or where family members have different ideas about songs. Piano, strings, acoustic guitar, classical works and gentle jazz can create space for photographs and memories to lead. Instrumental music can also be particularly suitable when spoken words, prayers or readings are planned around the presentation.

One song or several tracks?

The length of the slideshow and number of photographs will help guide this decision. A shorter presentation may be beautifully held by one song, especially if it has a strong personal connection. One track can give the tribute a calm, unified feel and allows those watching to stay with the images without frequent changes in mood.

A longer presentation may benefit from two or three carefully chosen pieces. This can work well when photographs are arranged chronologically. Earlier images might sit with music from your loved one’s youth, while later family photographs may suit a warmer, more reflective track. The transition should feel gentle rather than abrupt.

More songs do not always make a stronger presentation. Each change invites the audience to adjust emotionally, so it is wise to use only as many tracks as the story needs. A considered selection of music helps the images remain at the centre.

Where there are several family members contributing, invite each person to suggest one song and then look for common ground. Sometimes a sibling’s suggestion becomes the opening piece, while a spouse’s special song is reserved for the final photographs. This approach gives different parts of the family a meaningful voice without making the soundtrack feel crowded.

Match the music to the photographs

Music and image pacing are closely connected. A slow, reflective piece can suit early black-and-white photographs, wedding portraits and quiet family moments. A brighter track may work wonderfully with pictures of holidays, dancing, milestones, grandchildren or a room full of smiling friends.

The final section of a memorial video often carries particular emotional weight. Families may choose a song that offers comfort, gratitude or a sense of farewell. Others prefer to finish with an image that feels familiar and alive: a favourite smile, a garden, a much-loved pet, or a photo taken during a happy family occasion. Music can support that final moment without telling people what they must feel.

It is worth considering the presentation setting too. In a chapel, church or large function room, quieter recordings can lose detail if they are not prepared carefully. A professionally produced soundtrack should be clear, balanced and suitable for the equipment being used. Gentle music should still be audible; a lively song should not overwhelm the images or any spoken introduction.

Copyright and licensed music for memorial presentations

A song being meaningful to your family does not automatically mean it can be included in a produced memorial video. Recorded music is protected by copyright, and the required permission can depend on where and how the presentation will be shown, copied or shared.

This need not prevent you from choosing a loved song, but it is best to raise your preferred music early. The practical options available may differ according to the artist, recording and intended use. In some cases, an alternative recording, an instrumental version or another song with a similar feeling may be a more suitable path.

At Looking Glass Studios, soundtrack selection and copyright approval are handled as part of the careful production process. This gives families reassurance that their presentation is being prepared with respect for both their loved one’s story and the rights attached to the music. If a first choice is not available, the focus remains on finding music that still feels personal and fitting.

When family members cannot agree

Different musical choices are common, especially when a person has lived a long and full life with many relationships and interests. One relative may remember rock music playing in the shed, while another remembers hymns, ballroom dancing or favourite films. These memories do not conflict. Together, they show the many sides of one person.

Where opinions differ, return to the purpose of the presentation. Is the music intended to reflect their own taste, comfort the immediate family, suit a formal service, or mark particular stages in the photographs? Clarifying this often makes a decision easier.

If there is still uncertainty, choose the song that brings the strongest shared recognition. The moment a room hears the opening notes and several people quietly say, “That was them”, you have probably found the right direction.

A gentle way to make the choice

Rather than searching endlessly, set aside a quiet half-hour with a small collection of photographs nearby. Listen to a few possible songs from beginning to end. Notice which one helps you remember their voice, mannerisms and presence, rather than simply which one is most familiar.

You may find that the right music arrives through a story someone tells while sorting photographs. A daughter recalls her father singing along in the ute. A partner remembers the song played on a first date. A grandchild finds an old concert ticket tucked into a book. Those small recollections are often where the most fitting soundtrack begins.

Choose music that lets your loved one feel present in the memories being shared. When the final image fades, the best song is not necessarily the saddest or most famous one. It is the one that leaves family and friends feeling they have spent a few precious moments in the company of someone they love.