Converting ACSM files shouldn’t be difficult. Right?
So why is it that most of the solutions out there tell you to download and install software and sign up with an account?
Luckily, we have a solution that requires none of that. You can go to our main page to start converting your ACSM files right then and there.
For the curious mind, let’s try and get some answers.
An ACSM file (Adobe Content Server Message) is a file that contains information about your book - It is not the book itself.
What does that mean?
You can think of an ACSM file like a ticket for a concert. The ticket can contain information about the artist, the location, its date, the holder (you) and so on, and when you want to fulfill your right to watch the concert you can simply exchange your ticket.
An ACSM file works in a similar way. It contains information about the book, the title, author, its expiration date and other useful information. When you decide to exchange the file for your book, this information is validated by the book’s distributor (Kobo, Google, etc) as a means to ensure that the content gets to the right hands.
Now that we understand what an ACSM file actually is, we realize that this file is not really converted, but instead exchanged for another file format.
Today, you can use our solution to exchange your ACSM file the same way you’d imagine converting it, but initially, Adobe, who developed the protocol for exchanging ACSM files, created a software called Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) to allow users (such as yourself) to handle this exchange on your device.
When it comes to handling ACSM, most of the information that you’ll find out there will most likely tell you to use Adobe Digital Editions (ADE). That’s probably the first (and only) recommendation that you’ll find.
Unfortunately, ADE has a few major flaws.
First of all, it requires you to download and install the software on your device.
Then, you’d have to share your email address to sign up with an Adobe account.
And finally, you can only read your content via ADE and not on any other devices.
As mentioned before, ACSM files are actually exchanged and not converted, but most people probably don’t really care about the nuances.
We wanted to create an experience that’s more intuitive, straightforward and actually feels like converting a file, because that’s how most people think about it.
There shouldn’t be many reasons why anyone should be forced to download and install software nowadays just to convert a file. In fact, some of us may not even be allowed to install anything on their device due to a company policy or security reasons.
Similarly, nobody should be forced to create a new Adobe account just to use their “free” software. Many users care about their privacy and would prefer to avoid sharing their email address with yet another company. And especially after that company betrayed their users’ trust.
And perhaps the biggest limitation of ADE - Having to use it for reading. Not being able to transfer your content between devices and read it however you want to is just unacceptable.
Feel free to use our online converter to your heart’s content and share it with others if you found it helpful.