In January of this year, Amazon allowed customers to download EPUB and PDF versions of selected DRM-free Kindle books.
What’s New?
If you purchase a qualifying title where the publisher has opted out of Digital Rights Management (DRM), you will now be able to download an EPUB or PDF directly from your Amazon account. This means that Amazon is providing an official way to download Kindle content outside its usual platform.
Details to Consider
- DRM-Free Titles Only: This feature will only apply to books where the publisher has chosen to forego DRM. It’s likely that the vast majority of Kindle books still come with DRM, so many users won’t see a change.
- Self-Published Works: Most of the books eligible for these downloads are self-published titles from authors who prefer to leave their work DRM-free. For these authors, their readers now have an unrestricted EPUB or PDF version option. This can be used via the Manage Your Content and Devices page.
- Authors Have to Confirm: If an author published a book before December 9, 2025, they must confirm that they want their book available as an unrestricted download. There is now an option for the author to allow EPUB or PDF downloads.
What This Means for Self-Published Indie Authors and Readers
