The best passive income ideas for artists are:
- Local lead generation
- Opening an online shop
- Setting up a YouTube automation channel
- Affiliate marketing
- Making your own blog
- Selling digital and physical books
- Selling graphic design courses and guides
- Print-on-demand products
- Licensing your designs
- Establishing your own online designing agency
According to Talent.com, artists make a salary of $22.04 per hour or $45,846 per year on average. Passive income isn’t easy to achieve for some artists. In general, artists get paid on a per project basis or as a full-time employee.
Having a passive income stream can help artists boost their overall earnings. It can also motivate them to further pursue their passion in art. In this feature, we’ll share about the top ways artists can make residual earnings. We’ll also answer some common questions regarding the subject matter. Finally, we’ll tell you why local lead generation ranks #1 on our list.
1. Local Lead Generation
Local lead generation is the best passive income idea for artists. Creatives can use their skills to design their own lead generation websites. A website with an impressive design can easily attract an audience. Hostinger reports that web design influences up to 94% of all first impressions. The web traffic you gain can turn into leads, which you can then sell to potential clients.
The logic behind local lead generation is simple. You’ll need to build a website, rank it on Google, and then offer your services to local business owners. Personally, I make around $52,000 per month with local lead generation. However, it takes time to reach this level. You’ll have to do extensive market and niche research. You’ll also have to work on ranking your website to gain high-quality leads. Of course, you’ll have to invest money in building your website. On average, you’ll spend $500 to $1,000 to purchase a website domain, web hosting, backlinks, and SEO tools. If done right, you’ll be able to rank your site within 6 weeks to 6 months. Each of your lead gen sites can make you $500 to $3,000 per month, allowing you to earn extra money while working as an artist.
Pros
You have full control of your business because you own the websites.
Stable passive income source in the long-run.
Low startup costs.
Cons
Building and ranking a lead gen website requires money and a learned skill set.
Identifying the right niche and market can be a challenge for beginners.
2. Opening an Online Shop
Opening an online shop allows artists to earn some extra income. You can simply set up a web store and upload your artworks. This can be a great opportunity to sell your art and expand your portfolio.
To get started, choose your ecommerce platform (such as Etsy, Shopify, or Amazon), set-up your shop, and upload your works. When selling a digital product, artists can make passive income because they can offer the same artworks multiple times without running out of inventory.
Depending on the product type, you can earn around $10 to $100 from each product sold online.
Of course, traditional artists can also sell their works online. Artist and YouTuber Ashleigh King sells art print products from her online store. She often conducts polls to determine which of her paintings are most in demand among her followers. When taking this route, however, you'll have to handle inventory storage and shipping.
In any case, selling art online can be highly competitive. You may need to tap alternative ways to reach your target buyers, such as using paid ads.
Pros
Easy to set up an online shop.
No need to invest a huge capital to start.
Cons
It takes time to build a loyal audience that will buy your work.
You’ll have to spend time and effort on branding and marketing
Inventory, packaging and shipping can be time-consuming for those selling physical artworks.
3. Setting Up a YouTube Automation Channel
Starting a YouTube automation channel presents another passive income opportunity for artists. According to Sprout Social, YouTube attracts over 2.49 billion active users per month. You can earn $1,000 to $10,000 per month within 1 to 2 years of uploading content on a profitable YouTube automation niche.
An automated channel allows you to earn passive income from ads, affiliate links, and sponsorships. You can also sell your artworks and crafts through your channel.
Just be ready to invest at least $3,000 to build your own automation channel. You’ll need this to hire a content production team (scriptwriter, voiceover talent, and video editor). You may also have to use your graphic design skills to create thumbnails for your video. Otherwise, you can hire a freelancer or use free tools (Adobe Express, Canva, Snappa).
Finally, make sure you comply with YouTube’s Partner Program policies to monetize your channel.
Pros
YouTube automation introduces multiple ways to earn passive income.
You can outsource most of the work.
Cons
It takes time and money to monetize a YouTube channel.
Personalizing content can be a challenge for faceless YouTube channels.
You face the risks of getting banned by YouTube.
4. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing can be a good passive income source for anyone, even artists. With an affiliate link, you can promote products such as art supplies. You can then earn commissions as buyers click your link and make the purchase. According to Authority Hacker, the global affiliate marketing industry is now worth more than $17 billion.
You can promote an affiliate link to your YouTube channel posts. Or you can even do affiliate marketing for your own products from your online ecommerce shop. Think of it as a combined business venture as an artist. Affiliate marketing can open up a lot of passive income opportunities when combined with other ideas. For instance, you can combine affiliate marketing with blogging.
Income from affiliate marketing would depend on the type of product you’re promoting. For example, Amazon Associates offers commissions ranging from 1% to 10% depending on the product category. High-ticket items, such as software or luxury goods, can offer commissions of $100 or more per sale. This can provide you substantial earning potential.
On Reddit, user PoppaUU says their first 8 years doing affiliate marketing were “slow.” However, the next 2 years proved to be “passive and fun.” The Redditor likens affiliate marketing to a marble-sized snowball. “You’re rolling it around trying to grow your tiny snowball and it’s exhausting,” writes PoppaUU. “Then one day you’ve got a large enough snowball to create inertia.”
Generally, beginner affiliate marketers can earn $100 to $500 per month. On the other hand, successful affiliate marketers can earn $10,000 to $110,000 per month.
Pros
Affiliate marketing is a growing industry.
Easy to start earning, especially if you have a considerable online following.
You won’t need a huge capital.
Cons
Low online traffic means low conversions and low affiliate commissions.
The market can be competitive.
Finding a low demand, high-profit niche can be hard.
5. Making Your Own Blog
Blogging can help artists build their online portfolio. Moreover, it can provide an excellent stream of income at the same time. With blogging, you can earn from affiliate marketing, display ads, sponsored posts, and more.
Starting an art blog definitely takes time. You would also need to shell out capital in order to get your blog up and running. According to Productive Blogging, it generally takes around 20 months before a blogger can see any earning. Meanwhile, successful bloggers make plenty of money from blogging. For example, Jon Morrow makes over $100,000 per month from Smart Blogger.
Pros
Blogging can bring passive income since old blog posts can continue making you money.
There’s always opportunity for multiple income streams, such as affiliate marketing.
Great for having your own online artwork archive.
Cons
It will take 1 to 2 years before you can make money from blogging.
Attracting traffic requires regular content creation and active social media presence.
6. Selling Digital and Physical Books
Selling digital and physical books can also be a passive income generator for artists. By selling your own books, you can earn profit long after having them out in the market.
Some examples of books you can create and sell include:
- Coloring books (for children or adults)
- Comic books, graphic novels
- How to draw guides (art tutorials and techniques)
- Sketchbooks
- Story books, children's books
Getting your work published by a company allows you to earn royalties. The challenge here, however, is to look for a publisher willing to publish your book and will compensate you fairly. Other than that, you can also take the self-publishing route. This would allow you to earn bigger but will also require much of your resources. You’ll have to spend time and money on marketing.
When selling physical copies, you’ll have to print and manage stocks of your own books.
Alternatively, Redditor Amadicah suggests book creators can tap “print and deliver” services, such as Amazon KDP or Lulu.
On average, digital books sell for around $10. Meanwhile, physical books usually have a price tag of $15 to $20.
Pros
Passive income can come after publishing the digital and physical books.
There are a lot of distribution sources for digital books.
Cons
No sales means no income.
Self-publishers need to spend money on printing physical books and managing inventory.
Requires a lot of work on branding and marketing.
7. Selling Graphic Design Courses and Guides
Selling graphic design courses and guides can be a source of extra cash for artists. Beginner artists are always looking for ways to improve their skills. They often turn to online resources to find expert instruction.
Compared with conducting art classes and workshops, online courses allow you to earn passive income. Platforms like Udemy and Skillshare have millions of users. Theses sites provide a ready audience for your courses. A good branding, reputation, and marketing strategy can help you sell your courses. In fact, a Teachable survey says 87% of course creators who earn over $50,000 per year spend significant time on marketing and audience building.
Once you build an audience, you could use those leads again to pitch new courses and guides to them. Online courses and guides are priced $10 to $350 per course on average. According to LearnWorlds, successful course creators earn $1,000 to $10,000 per month on average.
Pros
Selling art courses can bring you income even after years.
Can be a significant source of leads.
Can be a good alternative or supplement to conducting online/offline art workshops.
Cons
You’ll have to share revenue with course platforms.
Compiling materials for a course can take time.
Competition can be challenging because many new courses are often released online.
8. Print-On-Demand Products
Print-on-demand business is also ideal for artists. In this model, you can use your unique design ideas to sell multiple products. Some of the best-selling POD items include:
- Shirts
- Mugs
- Phone cases
- Stickers
- Tote bags
- Tumblers
- Water bottles
A lot of artists collaborate with print-on-demand companies to make money from their digital art designs. These POD companies handle production and logistics. Once your products are listed, it’s pretty much just waiting on passive income as people start buying from your shop.
For the most part, the main work you’ll need to do is to create and upload designs. Prices typically vary, depending on product type. For example, mugs sell for an average of $10 to $20 per piece. Shirts sell at around $15 to $25 per piece.
Online entrepreneur Greg Gottfried recommends the following POD platforms for earning passive income:
- TeePublic. Attracts about 1 million online visitors per month. Small but user-friendly. Handles everything, including pricing and marketing.
- Redbubble. Larger than TeePublic. Receives around 10 million online visitors per month. Same passive setup.
- Amazon Merch on Demand. Vast reach with 750 million online visitors per month. Seamlessly integrates with Amazon's marketplace.
Pros
Low barrier to entry.
No need to worry about inventory management and logistics.
Simple designs can go viral and lead to huge earnings.
Cons
Low profit margin.
No control over packaging & shipping quality.
9. Licensing Your Designs
Licensing your designs can provide you with a lucrative source of passive income. With it, you can grant companies the permission to use your artwork for certain purposes in exchange for royalty or a flat-fee.
Artists retain ownership of their art as companies pay to use their designs. As such, this presents you with a passive income opportunity. However, this would be easier if you’ve already established your reputation in the industry. If not, it would be added work to look for companies and pitch your own designs. Depending on your agreement with a company, earnings may range from 3% to 25%.
Usually, exclusive licenses command higher payment for artists. Reddit user nyx_aurelia says artists should earn “no less than $400” from art licensing deals. “Your art will pretty much be the selling point of their product, so make sure to charge high for it,” writes the Redditor. They also remind that artists can charge up to 3x the rate if a company is asking for an exclusive license.
Pros
Art licensing can boost your income and help protect your brand.
You are in full control because you can choose which companies to work with.
You can focus on creating original art
Cons
Beginner artists may initially find it hard to get clients.
You need to be skillful in contract negotiations.
The art market can be competitive.
10. Establish Your Own Online Designing Agency
Establishing your own online designing agency can be challenging but can be extremely profitable. You can start out by looking for several clients. Instead of doing all the work, you can hire freelancers to help you complete projects.
Of course, you’ll initially have to spend time on the paperworks to make your business legit. You also need to spend some capital in order to get the business running. But once you’ve set it all up, you can earn a good income per month as an agency owner.
In fact, IBISWorld reports that small design agencies earn as much as $250,000 to $1 million per year on average. Reaching this level depends on the business’ size and client base.
Pros
Excellent opportunity for growing your brand and earnings.
You can access a global pool of talents via Upwork, Fiverr, Indeed, and similar platforms.
Great passive income source in the long-run.
Cons
Building a business from scratch may not be easy for some artists.
Finding reliable freelancers can be an issue.
You’ll constantly have to train, monitor, and communicate with your team members.
Frequently Asked Questions About Passive Income Ideas for Artists
Artists can make quick money by doing freelancing work. Additionally, you can do affiliate marketing and print-on-demand products. Other ideas include:
- Attending art fairs to sell original art and doing quick portraits
- Selling digital artworks via stock image sites (Shutterstock, Adobe Stock)
- Joining art contests
- Running crowdfunding campaigns (Kickstarter, Patreon)
- Collaborating with brands and influencers
There are lots of better passive income ideas than starting an online art store. For example, selling digital product assets (downloadable art prints, digital brushes, and design templates) can be a good source for residual earnings. Etsy, Creative Market, and Gumroad are some excellent platforms for this. Artists can also consider doing local lead generation and YouTube automation as an additional income source.
Some skills that could help artists generate passive income include:
- Art licensing
- Digital art
- Traditional art
- Graphic design
- Logo design
- Website design
- Social media marketing
Artists can sell their works via their social media channels. In addition, they can also tap art platforms, such as:
- Amazon
- Etsy
- Creative Market
- Fine Art America
- Society6
Artists can dive into multiple passive income ideas. For example, they can combine affiliate marketing with art blogging. They can also conduct art workshops and convert their materials into online courses and digital books to maximize profits.
Artists need to invest in art supplies and graphic software to start their online passive income journey. With these tools, they can create traditional and digital artwork. Top software for artists include:
- Adobe Photoshop
- Clip Studio Paint
- Corel Painter
- Illustrator
- Paint Tool SAI
- Procreate
Most of these software offer monthly, annual, or lifetime subscription options for users.
Why Local Lead Generation Is The Best Way To Make Passive Income Online
Local lead generation is the best way to make passive income online for artists or anyone. You can use your artistic skills to design great websites you can rent out to local business owners. All you have to do is target specific keywords and location to rank your lead gen website.
Once you’ve reached the top spots on Google, your site can attract traffic and leads. Today, small businesses are willing to pay $5 to $1,000 per lead, depending on their industry. I personally make $500 to $3,000 per month from each of my websites. Since I own multiple sites, I earn a monthly income of up to $52,000.
What’s amazing about local lead generation is that I don’t have to work a lot to earn that much. By implementing proven SEO practices, you can reach Google’s first pages and stay there for a long time. The online traffic and leads will keep coming in, much to the satisfaction of your clients. Moreover, this business model is also less risky and highly scalable.
For artists who want to boost their earnings online, local lead generation can be an excellent business idea to pursue.
Thanks for sharing valuable insights into earning money online.
Hey Ippei
Great article, one thing I guess I would say is that with the print for demand you can have quite a high profit margin as you can set up the price that you would like for the products you sell.
Either way fantastic article and I love your website design