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How to Load MP3 Files to your Automotive Device

You can load MP3 files from your computer to your Garmin automotive device to listen to music while on the road.

To Load MP3 Files to Your Device:

  1. Connect the device to your computer
  2. If using a PC, open Computer, My Computer or This PC
    • Mac users skip this step
  3. Double-click the Garmin drive
    • Mac users can find the 'Garmin' drive mounted on the Desktop
  4. Double-click the MP3 folder1
  5. Copy and paste or drag and drop the desired MP3 files from your computer into this folder
  6. Once transfer is complete, safely remove or eject the device from the computer before disconnecting

The MP3 files will now be playable on the device.


The MP3 files can be loaded to an external SD card as well as the internal memory of the device.

To Load MP3 Files to a Blank SD Card:

  1. Insert the SD card into the device
  2. Connect the device to the computer
  3. Open the SD card drive instead of the Garmin drive
  4. Double-click the MP3 folder1
  5. Copy and paste or drag and drop the desired MP3 files2 from your computer into this folder
  6. Once transfer is complete, safely remove or eject the device from the computer before disconnecting

If the device's MP3 player fails to display album artwork, you may need to save the album artwork to your computer, then manually attach it to the MP3 file before loading it to your device. Instructions to do this will vary depending on your computer's operating system and media player.

1If an MP3 folder is not visible, you may create one by right-clicking in the window that displays the Garmin drive, selecting Create New Folder, and naming the folder MP3. An MP3 folder is not necessary, but helps keep all your MP3 files in one place. This makes it easier to locate the files if/when you need to delete them and helps prevent accidental deletion of other files in the device.

2If you are loading a large amount of MP3s to the SD card, separating the MP3s into multiple folders will improve the performance of the device by allowing it to read the files faster.