What is Rich Media SMS?

Rich Media SMS refers to methods of delivering audio and video content to customers through text messaging that go beyond the limitations of standard MMS. While MMS technically supports multimedia, its file size cap of roughly 500KB makes sending meaningful video or audio content impractical — a few seconds of video or about 30 seconds of compressed audio at best.

Rich Media SMS solves this by hosting full-length audio and video files on dedicated landing pages and sending the link via SMS. The landing page is built with Open Graph (OG) video and audio metatags that instruct the recipient's device to display a media preview directly in the text thread. When conditions are met, the recipient sees the video or audio player embedded in their messages — not a plain URL.

The result looks like what MMS promises but rarely delivers: a video at the top of the text thread that can be played in-line, with supporting text sent as a separate SMS below it. The recipient gets two messages — one serving the media file, one providing context — and experiences rich media content without ever leaving their text messages.

This approach is relatively uncommon among SMS platforms. Most text marketing tools limit media to MMS images and GIFs within the 500KB constraint. Few support full audio or video delivery through SMS.

When a brand includes an audio or video file in a text message, the platform handles the heavy lifting behind the scenes. The file is uploaded, encoded for mobile playback, and hosted on a dedicated landing page. The platform then sends an SMS containing a link to that landing page.

The landing page is built with OG video and OG audio metatags — the same protocol that Facebook, Twitter, and iMessage use to generate link previews. When the recipient's device processes the link, it reads these metatags and can display the media file as a playable preview directly inside the text thread.

On Apple iOS, whether the preview renders inline depends on the sender. If the recipient has saved the sending number as a contact on their phone, Apple iOS displays the media preview automatically in the text thread. If the number is not saved, Apple iOS treats it as an unknown sender and shows a plain link instead. This is one reason contact cards are critical for brands using rich media — saving the contact unlocks the inline preview experience.

Android devices handle link previews with their own rules, and behavior varies by manufacturer and messaging app. In general, saved contacts and recognized senders get richer preview treatment.

When a device does not support inline preview — or when the contact is not saved — the recipient receives a clickable link. Tapping the link opens a mobile-optimized player page where they can watch the video or listen to the audio. The player is designed for mobile since the recipient is coming from a text message on their phone. This fallback ensures every recipient can access the content regardless of their device or contact settings.

Video and audio are powerful engagement tools, but they have been largely absent from text marketing because MMS cannot handle them. A 500KB file size cap means brands are limited to a few seconds of heavily compressed video or a short audio clip — not enough to demonstrate a product, deliver coaching content, or tell a story.

Rich Media SMS changes this. Coaches and creators can send full training videos, guided meditations, or weekly audio lessons directly to their subscribers' text threads. Ecommerce brands can send product demos, behind-the-scenes footage, or founder stories that build connection and drive purchases. The content plays where the audience already is — in their messages — rather than requiring them to open an email, visit a website, or download an app.

For brands that have already built a strong contact card strategy (where most subscribers have saved the brand as a contact), rich media SMS delivers the ideal experience: video and audio that play directly in the text thread alongside supporting text. The subscriber sees a media-rich message that feels native to the messaging app.

This capability is especially valuable for creator-led brands, coaching businesses, and subscription programs where ongoing content delivery is part of the value proposition. Weekly audio drops, video tutorials, product walkthroughs, and personalized video messages become practical through SMS — a channel with 98% open rates and 3-minute average read times.