How to Use Mail Tracking in USPS Media (In-depth Guide)

Sometimes, it may be necessary to ship books, CDs, and other small media goods. But it can become pricey. If you want to save money, continue reading this article.

Shipping products such as books, instructional materials, manuscripts, and other media through Media Mail is less expensive. With USPS Media Mail tracking, you may save money and determine the precise location of your books, file covers, and other items.

Whether you're sending huge quantities of textbooks or printed sheet music, you'll need to be familiar with USPS Media Mail Tracking.

What is USPS Media Mail and why should you use it?

Media Mail is a USPS Package Service category. Whether you're mailing personal media goods or run a company that routinely delivers media, the primary reason to utilize USPS Media Mail is to save money.

The cost-effectiveness of USPS Media Mail is the primary advantage of this shipping method.

Whether you ship media goods often or even just once, USPS Media Mail may save you a significant amount of money. For example, a Priority Mail Express flat rate envelope begins at $26.95. Media Mail charges begin at $3.19 for items under one pound.

But what are the disadvantages? Let's talk.

Disadvantages of USPS Media Mail: Using USPS Media Mail may save you money, but there are a few considerations to bear in mind:

Shipment may take between 2 and 8 business days longer.

USPS Media Mail has rigorous limitations about what may and cannot be sent.

There is no insurance unless you pay an extra fee.

USPS may check your package to ensure that it includes only qualifying Media Mail products.

Instructions for Using USPS Media Mail

USPS Media Mail has highly precise requirements. The maximum allowed package weight is 70 pounds. Moreover, there are limits on the types of material that may be sent.

The following products may be sent by USPS Media Mail:

- Books (at least 8 pages).
- Audio and video records, including CDs and DVDs.
- Manuscripts for plays, novels, periodicals, and music.
- Printable music sheets
- Computer-readable media containing prerecorded material and instructions or scripts written specifically for use with that medium.
- Film having a maximum width of 16 millimeters.
- Materials for testing and their accessories.
- Educational reference chart printed on paper.
- The loose papers and their binders include medical information that will be sent to physicians, hospitals, medical schools, and medical students.

You cannot send:

- Video games.
- Computer drive.
- Digital drive.

You may still send them using Media Mail; however, you will not save money by choosing this service. A USPS Media Mail package may only include the things on the "acceptable" list.

Let's take the example of book subscriptions, an increasingly popular service.

Suppose you or a company want to mail subscription boxes through Media Mail. This is OK so long as the bundle solely contains books. You cannot incorporate additional things such as t-shirts or pencils. For this, you will need to use a different Postal service.

Hence, you cannot bundle media with other things to take advantage of Media Mail's discounted rates. You cannot add individual notes or tags.

This is not the ideal circumstance, but it is a valid choice when sending many variants of the same item.