---
title: Run a slideshow
description: Prepare and test slideshow timing, music and the client display, then return to comparing and ordering photographs.
url: "https://viewips.com/docs/slideshow/"
updated: "2026-10-12"
category: Show and select images
---

# Run a slideshow

A slideshow gives your client a first look before you start choosing favorites. Try it with your photos, display, and audio before the appointment.

## Set the timing and music

Open **File → Settings… → Slideshow**. Choose the seconds per slide, crossfade time, and whether to loop.

The initial defaults are five seconds per slide, no crossfade, and looping off. Your saved settings take precedence, so check what’s shown on your computer.

For background music, choose an MP3, WAV, WMA, or M4A file or folder. Use music you have permission to play. Choose **Save changes** to apply the settings; Cancel or closing the window discards the draft.

## Prepare the photos and screen

Check the photos and their sequence, then save the session. Confirm which photos the slideshow includes in your installed version; the comparison selection or funnel filter may not define its source.

If you use another display, open **View → 2nd Screen**. Check the picture, Windows audio output, and volume.

## Start, pause, and stop

Use the slideshow start control in your version. Check the first few images and the music. Press **Space** to pause or resume.

Try the stop control before the appointment so you know how to return to selecting photos. After stopping, check the active selection before marking favorites or opening Quick Order. Playing a slideshow doesn’t add anything to the order.

## If something isn’t right

**No music:** check the file and Windows audio device, and try playing the file outside IPS Viewer.

**Wrong photos:** stop the slideshow and check the loaded session and which photos the slideshow uses.

**Slow transitions:** try smaller preview copies from a representative session, keeping your originals unchanged.

Save before restarting or troubleshooting. If the problem continues, send support your IPS Viewer version, display setup, and the steps that reproduce it.

## Related guides

- [Studio preferences](https://viewips.com/docs/settings-preferences/)
- [Client display](https://viewips.com/docs/second-screen/)
- [Viewing and comparing](https://viewips.com/docs/viewing-comparing-images/)