How to ship musical instruments internationally & to USA

While some products are simple to ship, others are not. Musical instruments are among the most difficult items to properly pack and ship. When shipping musical instruments, there are other factors to take into account besides how best to crate the instrument to safeguard sensitive frets, strings, and keys. For instance, during transit, weather and temperature fluctuations may harm delicate devices. All of these are important factors to take into account when delivering a single guitar, keyboard, or even a piano via eCommerce.

Equipment for music might be very valuable. A Stradivarius violin may be worth millions of dollars, while a professional violin can cost as much as $100,000. Pianos range in price from approximately $3,000 to over $100,000 for a grand piano. It's important to package and ship musical instruments in a way that preserves your investment.

There are specific packaging requirements for each kind of musical instrument shipment. An outline of best practices and things to watch out for when shipping musical instruments is given in this post.

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Fundamentals of shipping musical instruments

From woodwinds to electric guitars, there are a few fundamental best practices that apply when shipping musical instruments of any kind.

1. Choose appropriate packaging supplies

Musical instruments should not be shipped in used cartons or with stale newspapers. Purchase fresh kraft paper, strong packaging tape, bubble wrap, and rubber bands. Packing peanuts should be avoided as they can get caught on frets and move during shipment. 

Since cardboard might become weak in certain places while being shipped, new boxes will better preserve your instrument. When shipping, use sturdy cardboard boxes or double-box the package. Select a size that allows for infill on all sides; neither the instrument nor the case should come into contact with the box.

2. Carry musical instruments in their cases whenever you can

Particularly if it's a hard case, shipping a musical instrument in its case adds a crucial extra degree of protection. You must still safeguard the instrument, though, to prevent it from shifting or moving inside the case. 

Certain cases—like the most recent violin cases—have interior padding that greatly simplifies the packaging process. Before shipping a pricey instrument, you might wish to buy a high-quality case if you don't already have one.

3. Tightly but not too tightly, pack the instrument

Preventing any movement of the musical instrument within the package is the aim of packing it for transportation. However, you must also exercise caution to avoid packing it so firmly that you apply pressure on it, as this may also result in damage.

4. When at all possible, ship musical instruments in sections

When shipping musical instruments, it is best to detach some of the components and pack them individually. That isn't always feasible, and if you have to pay a professional to assemble the instrument when it gets to its destination, that will increase the shipping cost. However, if you're delivering a particularly important item, the cost can be warranted.

Carrying out the shipment of musical equipment

This section is dedicated to violins, violas, and cellos because we recently wrote a comprehensive tutorial on shipping guitars and amps. If you must export these stringed instruments, you must handle them with extreme caution because they are some of the most priceless and delicate.

1. How a cello should be shipped

Cellos are among the more expensive stringed instruments. They are also larger and heavier to ship, therefore artists always want to take extra precautions while shipping them. If you're wondering how to ship a cello, you should untighten the strings and, if the instrument is fully assembled, lay a rolled-up paper towel beneath the neck and tailpiece to prevent scratches on the wood. Inside the case, add some soft padding, like a piece of cloth, to protect it. To safeguard your cello, pack the bow separately or insert cushioning between it and the instrument. This also holds true for shipping a viola or violin. 

These sensitive devices can get warped by variations in humidity and temperature. Pack a humidifier inside the package to prevent this (shipping string instruments with humidity controllers is a common practice). To lessen the possibility that the instrument may sit in a hot truck over the weekend, you might also choose to ship early in the week. If the violin, viola, or cello is very valuable, shipping instrument by air freight may be worth the additional cost.

2. How drum sets are shipped

Because a drum set has so many distinct parts and takes up a lot of room when in use, packing it for shipping can seem difficult. 

Drum kits and other percussion instruments should be shipped with the drums on their sides, removed from their stands. For transportation, smaller drums can be nested inside bigger ones as long as bubble wrap is used to keep their surfaces from coming into contact. Be sure to cover the empty places in your set with bubble wrap and use kraft paper or another type of infill to keep the drumheads safe.

Every drum or set of nested drums needs to have a packaging box of their own. You have two options: mail the boxes individually or combine many into one larger box. For assistance in determining which is the superior option, refer to the discussion of dimensional weight that follows. 

3. Woodwind and brass instrument shipping 

You will probably find woodwinds, such as clarinets, and brass instruments less difficult to transport than violins or guitars if you ship musical instruments on a frequent basis. It is essential to transport these instruments in their cases because they typically come with cases that are designed to fit their shape and fully protect them. Use robust exterior box and quality packing materials, and abide by the following general guidelines. Never ship an instrument—wind or otherwise—just its case.

4. How to ship massive instruments like harps and pianos

Use freight shipping if you need to send bigger musical instruments that won't fit in a standard shipping box. Pianos are often transported by professional piano movers, whether you're shipping across the nation or just moving across town. Piano movers are qualified to pack this substantial and fragile item for transportation. A piano should always be professionally tuned after delivery.

Unlike violins, harps should have their strings sent taut. To protect your harp, use bubble wrap, foam padding, and Styrofoam blocks. Instead of just shipping it in a cardboard box, you should definitely ship it inside a wooden container and strap it to a pallet for transportation by truck.

When shipping musical instruments, dimensional weight costs might be applicable

If you have to pay dimensional weight, or DIM weight, costs for your cargo, the cost of shipping musical instruments can increase significantly. FedEx, UPS, and USPS all utilize a formula that accounts for both weight and size when determining delivery prices. 

A viola, for instance, might weigh 1.3 pounds. The total weight of the product, including packing materials, is little less than 2 pounds. However the viola requires a sizable box—32" x 16" x 9". The viola's DIM weight for FedEx, UPS, and USPS shipping would be 34 pounds and 28 pounds, respectively. Depending on the delivery zone and carrier, the additional cost for dimensional shipping could be anywhere from $8 to over $60.

Other shipping options might be more cost-effective if you are transporting expensive or delicate musical instruments that are priced according to dimensional weight. If you use a 3PL, get advice and assistance in selecting the best shipping option for your musical instruments.

The price of shipping well-known musical instruments

There are many inquiries about the shipping prices of particular instruments, such drum sets and violins, which are more common items to send. 

1. What is the price of shipping a violin?

If a violin weighs less than 100 pounds, shipping it may cost at least $100 for regional delivery, up to $300 for national delivery inside the USA, and up to $500 for international delivery (with the exception of adjacent Canada). Even while the real shipping prices might not be all that high, extra expenses like shipping insurance and specialized packing should be paid for in order to have complete piece of mind. 

2. What is the cost of shipping a drum set?

The cost of shipping a drum set varies greatly depending on the set's contents, origin, if it's a complete set, and whether you're purchasing it brand-new from a merchant (and whether they offer free delivery). Let's say you decide to splash the cash and get a complete five-piece Roland V-Drum set from Sweetwater.com for $8,999.99. This would include two 16-inch crash cymbals, an 18-inch digital ride cymbal, a 14-inch digital hi-hat, a 22-inch bass drum, a 14-inch floor tom, and 10 and 12-inch Toms.

Sales engineer Andrew Wilson of Sweetwater explains that while shipping would be free for customers who buy directly from Sweetwater, it would actually cost the business $314 to ship the item from their warehouse in Phoenix, Arizona to a sample destination in Knoxville, Tennessee. Normally, the item would ship from Ft. Wayne, where shipping costs would likely be lower, but that location isn't stocked at this time. 

There are a few strategies to lower drum set delivery expenses. For instance, George Fergusan, a former dance band member and concert percussionist, claimed on Quora that by only arranging the components more effectively—stacking the shells and heads together, for example—he could cut the amount of boxes he was using in half the time.

Obtaining professional assistance for the shipment of bulky and expensive goods

Work with an order fulfillment warehouse if you transport musical instruments or other valuable, fragile, or difficult-to-ship items on a regular basis. A 3PL will be able to offer expert shipping services to safeguard your priceless goods. You might even end up saving money.

For instance, WorldCraft Logistics allows you to choose the most cost-effective shipping option for every delivery by providing flexible carrier options. Additionally, we are experts at shipping bulky and delicate items. We've even received awards for how amazing we are at it.

Please let us know if you require assistance shipping musical instruments or anything else that requires expert handling. We are able to assist.