How to Play Audio CDs on the Wii

By Marshal M. Rosenthal

Updated September 22, 2017

Items you will need

  • Computer

  • DVD/CD-ROM drive

  • Memory card reader

  • USB cable

  • SD memory card

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The Nintendo Wii is lauded for its versatility and ease of use as a game console. Because the Wii’s operating system does not recognize audio CDs put into the disc drive, music must be played off of a memory card inserted into the Wii’s memory slot. Playing an audio CD on the Wii requires converting it to the MP3 audio format, which can be done using the iTunes program which runs on Mac and Windows-based computers. Converting the audio CDs will let the music be played on the Nintendo Wii and will not damage the audio CD in any way.

Converting the Audio CD to MP3

Download and install the free iTunes program that works on both Macs and PCs (see link in Resources).

Run the iTunes program. Select "Preferences" from the drop down menu below "iTunes." Select the "General" tab in the window that appears and click on "Import Settings." Select "MP3 Encoder" from the drop down menu next to "Import Using" in the window that appears. Select "High Quality" from the drop down menu below "MP3 Encoder." Close the window by clicking "OK" at the bottom of the screen. Close the window that is still on the screen by clicking on "OK" at the bottom of the screen.

Click on the "+" button at the lower left corner of the iTunes program. Name the "untitled playlist" that appears above it with the same name as the audio CD that is going to be converted into MP3 audio files.

Eject the disc tray of the DVD/CD-ROM drive. Put the audio CD onto the disc tray. Close the disc tray. Double-click on the icon of the audio CD when it appears on the desktop. Drag the audio files from within the window that has opened into the open column at the center of the iTunes program. Wait as the audio files are converted into MP3 audio files and saved to the computer's hard drive. Eject the disc tray and take the audio CD off of it. Put the audio CD away.

Click on one of the audio files that are in the open column at the center of the iTunes program. Select "Show in Finder" from the drop down menu below the "File" menu. Quit the iTunes program.

Attach one end of the USB cable to the USB connector on the memory card reader. Attach the other end of the USB cable to a USB port on the computer. Insert the memory card into the slot on the memory card reader.

Drag the MP3 audio files from inside of the window that they have appeared in on the desktop and into the icon of the memory card that has appeared on the desktop. Wait for the MP3 audio files to copy into the memory card. Drag the icon of the memory card to the Trash if using a Mac or right-click on the icon of the memory card if using a PC and select "Eject" from the popup menu.

Remove the memory card from the memory card reader. Remove the USB cable from the memory card reader and from the USB port of the computer.

Playing the MP3 Audio Files on the Nintendo Wii

Insert the memory card into the memory card slot on the Nintendo Wii. Turn the Nintendo Wii on. Select the "Memory Card" slot on the Wii's Home menu using the remote. Use the remote to select the "Photo Channel" slot on the menu screen that appears. Click the "Start" button on the "Photo Channel" screen that appears with the remote.

Wait as the Nintendo Wii reads the memory card that has been inserted. Select "Digital Camera/Cell Phone" with the remote. Select "View" from the next screen. Select "Slide Show" from the next screen. Select "Change Settings" from the next screen.

Click on the "Music" tab at the lower left of the screen that has appeared. Click on the "Choose Song" button at the right side of the "Music" tab.

Select a song to listen to from the list presented in the "Choose a song" screen that has appeared. The Nintendo Wii will now play the MP3 audio file that was converted from the audio CD.

Tips

The larger the size of the memory card, the more MP3 audio files you will be able to put on it.

Warnings

Do not remove the memory card from the memory card slot if the Nintendo Wii has not been turned off.

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