Amazon is altering how its Kindle DRM works, however just for these titles

I like Amazon’s lineup of Kindle e-readers, however one factor that frustrates me, and plenty of others as properly, is how locked down its software program expertise is in comparison with different e-readers in the marketplace, like Kobo.

Over the previous 12 months, Amazon has solely made issues extra difficult. In February, it removed the ability for customers to “Obtain and Switch through USB,” making it even tougher for individuals to again up the Kindle e-books they’ve bought. Moreover, with a current Kindle software program replace, it has carried out a good stricter DRM (Digital Rights Administration) system for all its Kindle e-books, making it tougher for individuals to make use of e-book administration instruments like Calibre.

Now, in a shocking twist, Amazon is definitely loosening up its DRM coverage, however just for choose titles, and on the creator’s discretion. In a current blog post, Amazon introduced that authors utilizing its self-publishing platform, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), will be capable of supply DRM-free books for obtain in EPUB or PDF format.

“Beginning January 20, 2026, Amazon will make it simpler for readers to get pleasure from content material they’ve bought from the Kindle retailer throughout a wider vary of units and purposes by permitting new titles printed with out Digital Rights Administration (DRM) to be downloaded in EPUB or PDF format,” Amazon posted on the KDP Forum.

This may not have an effect on very many titles

Solely new titles marked DRM-free can be affected, until the creator modifications it

For Kindle customers who need to obtain an e-book they’ve bought that is DRM-free as a PDF or EPUB file, after which put it on one other gadget, like their PC or Kobo, it will absolutely come as excellent news.

Nonetheless, the variety of titles it will really affect will seemingly be very small. First, it will solely have an effect on books that Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) authors have marked as DMR-free on or after December 9, 2025. This implies DMR-free titles printed earlier than that date will not be obtainable to obtain as an EPUB or PDF until the creator updates them manually within the KDP portal. Second, the overwhelming majority of books on the Kindle retailer are protected by DMR, and can proceed to be, so you continue to will not be capable of obtain them in different codecs even in the event you’ve bought them.

There’s additionally an opportunity that this alteration will lead some authors to cease providing their books as DRM-free, particularly if they do not need them downloadable as PDFs. That is the case for one creator, Leslie Anne Perry, who talked about on the Kindle Direct Publishing Forum that it will trigger them to rethink making their books DRM-free (through TechCrunch).

“Beforehand I’ve not enabled DRM on my e-books. My considering was that I needed of us to have the ability to obtain them to different units inside their very own family,” Anne Perry defined. “Nonetheless, I believe I’ll allow it on any future e-books. I am undecided I need individuals to have the ability to obtain them as a PDFs.”

Total, it is totally as much as KDP authors whether or not they need their books to be DRM-free. Beginning subsequent 12 months, books made DRM-free after December 9, 2025, may also be downloaded in EPUB or PDF format by purchasers. Some authors will seemingly embrace this, whereas others could also be extra cautious. In consequence, the variety of DRM-free titles obtainable to obtain as EPUB or PDF will most likely be small at first, although it might develop if extra authors choose in over the approaching 12 months and past.