What is Media Mail?

By Baillee Perkins
May 6, 2022

Learn the ins and outs of Media Mail with ShippingEasy!

Say your business specializes in sending items like books and CDs. You’re looking for a new, cheaper way to send your products. After scouring the internet, you discover USPS offers a service called Media Mail, but you wish there was one resource available for you, covering everything you need to know. If this sounds familiar, you’ve come to the right place! We’re going to break down some FAQs about Media Mail including what you can send with the service, the benefits of Media Media, and where ShippingEasy comes in.

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Table of Contents

What can I ship with Media Mail?
What are the benefits of Media Mail?
What are the limitations of Media Mail?
Tips for shipping with Media Mail
Media Mail with ShippingEasy
Conclusion

Key Points

Items like books, CDs, DVDs, vinyls, and other media-based materials can be shipped using Media Mail.
Media Mail benefits include a weight allowance of up to 70 pounds and tracking.
ShippingEasy users are able to create custom packaging and shipping presets for orders to avoid having to manually enter packaging information with each order.

What can I ship with Media Mail?

Media Mail is a service offered by USPS for certain published materials. We’ve created a list of some of the most commonly asked questions about eligible items to use as a reference sheet for using Media Mail!

Can I ship books with Media Mail? 📕
- Some books, yes! Books need to be at least eight pages, and comic books can’t be shipped through Media Mail. (Sorry, Superman).
What types of other media can I send with Media Mail? 🎵 🎥
- CDs, DVDs, vinyls, and blu-rays can all be shipped through media mail. You can even channel some nostalgia and send tapes and VHS, as long as they’re under 70 pounds.
What documents can I send with Media Mail? ✍
- Scripts, manuscripts, sheet music, medical information, and educational materials are all fair game!
Can I ship computer media with Media Mail? 💻
- Computer-readable materials like educational materials can be shipped with Media Mail, but video games are out.
What should I do if I’m not sure I can send an item through Media Mail? 🤔
- Contact USPS directly to avoid any potential surcharges and/or packages being returned (even if you really want to keep the book you’re sending).

What are the benefits of Media Mail?

You have a better idea of what you can ship with Media Mail, but why should you use it? Media Mail has several added benefits for shipping items like the one mentioned, including:

Packages can weigh up to 70 pounds and have a girth of up to 108” 📏
- Girth = The width and height of a package doubled and added together
2-8 day estimated shipping delivery window 🗓
Tracking is included for shipments 🔍
It’s a cost-efficient shipping option when shipping orders with books, CDs, and other media items over 8 ounces 💰

Check out our Small Business Shipping Terms blog!

What are the limitations of Media Mail?

You see the benefits of Media Mail, but are there any challenges with using the service? Like with other services, Media Mail does have its own set of limitations and restrictions, including:

Media Mail isn’t eligible for the USPS Commercial rates available for ShippingEasy users, and packages under 8 ounces have cheaper shipping rates using USPS First Class
This service can only be used with domestic shipments
Shipments can’t include any sort of advertising for your business on the packaging or inside the packaging, so customized and branded packaging supplies aren’t able to be used with this service.

Tips for shipping with Media Mail

Read the USPS guidelines carefully. USPS does have the option to open packages they think are violating their restrictions, and you can receive adjustments and/or have your package returned
Include both your customer’s full name and address and your full return address
Test your packaging before sending to avoid any packages opening in transit
Secure CDs and other media in delicate casing with tape or wrap them in materials like Kraft paper to avoid damage

Media Mail with ShippingEasy

Congrats! Thanks to our blog, you’ve become a Media Mail whiz. How do you take your newly-found information into your ShippingEasy account? 👀 We offer Media Mail as a selected service, so you are able to create preferred packaging options and shipping presets.

Custom package options help you save your favorite packaging options and dimensions as well as notes, override weights, or add to weights for your orders. These custom package options can also be used within your shipping presets. Shipping presets are shortcuts on the Ready to Ship page and Orders page and consist of your custom package options and preferred carrier services. This keeps you from having to manually re-enter your packaging information with each and every shipment; instead, you have a dropdown menu of up to 10 of your favorite presets to automatically fill in your service and package options.

Conclusion

Your business has started using Media Mail, and you’re impressed with the savings you’ve found. Your eligible items, like books, CDs, and DVDs, have made it safely to their destinations, and you were able to track their journey along the way. You know how to successfully ship with Media Mail to avoid surcharges or returned packages, and you’ve learned how to use ShippingEasy’s custom package and shipping presets along the way. Now that Media Mail is no longer a mystery, you’re feeling better about using the service, and you’ve expanded your shipping service options, once again!