Bi doped CdSe (CdSe:Bi) films were successfully deposited on glass and Si(111) substrates by radio frequency (RF) and direct current (DC) co-sputtering. The films were characterized by X-ray diffration (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared (UV-Vis-NIR) spectroscopy and the hall effect tester (HET). The diffraction peaks associated with elemental Bi are not detected in the XRD patterns. However, the intensity of the diffraction peaks of CdSe:Bi films significantly increases. The EDX analysis confirms the presence of Bi in all samples. As the Bi content increases, the transmittance of the CdSe:Bi films gradually decreases and the optical band gap first decreases then increases. The resistivity of CdSe:Bi films decreases by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude compared to undoped CdSe films, suggesting that Bi doping significantly enhance the electrical properties of CdSe.