Selling digital products: 10 best ideas for passive income
Have you ever dreamed of making money while you sleep, without worrying about storing or delivering products?
Selling digital products makes this possible, and at minimal cost!
In this article, we reveal the 10 most profitable digital product ideas that can increase your income, along with inspiring examples of people who are already earning thousands of euros per month.
What are digital products?
Digital products are intangible products that are delivered electronically โ without physical delivery.
They include e-books, online courses, templates, music, software, and more.
It is interesting that many entrepreneurs and freelancers start their online business with just one digital product.
In this way, they test the market, improve the product based on feedback, and gradually develop the entire digital project.
Advantages of selling digital products
- No storage or delivery costs
- They are scalable and sell unlimitedly
- They provide the opportunity for passive income
- Easily automate sales and delivery
Top 10 digital products for making money online
๐ E-books
E-books are among the easiest and fastest products to create.
All you need is knowledge and a clearly structured idea. The topics can be educational, inspirational, practical or professional.
Guides are useful for solving specific problems โ e.g. โHow to manage a household budgetโ or โHow to start an Etsy shopโ.
They can be sold individually or as part of a package.
Success story:
Steve Scott (Authority Pub) makes $30,000+ per month selling Kindle books.
Here we want to direct you to a website where you have instructions on how to write an e-book using Google Docs – How to write a book using Google Docs
๐ Online courses and training
If you love teaching, online courses can become a source of high income.
You can use video, text, PDFs, and quizzes to convey knowledge to users.
Platforms like Teachable, Kajabi or Thinkific make it easy to create and sell.
You can also use YouTube as a channel for free content, and charge for premium versions.
A good course must have clear objectives, structured content, and visually appealing materials.
Example:
Graham Cochrane creates educational content and earns over $100,000 per month.
๐ Templates
Those who don’t want to learn often buy ready-made templates – whether they’re Excel spreadsheets, social media designs, or business documents.
Templates save users time and allow them to work faster.
Their advantage is that they can be built quickly and scaled easily.
Canva, Notion, Google Sheets and similar tools are used for creation.
They can be sold individually or in packages.
Example:
Michelle Simpkin makes $5,000 a month selling templates on Etsy.
๐จ Digital art
Selling wall posters, illustrations, or stickers is popular on Etsy , Creative Market, and Redbubble.
We recently blogged about a similar website for selling wall posters:
Displate: How to make money selling unique metal posters
Example
Kat Coquillette built a career selling digital art.
๐ Print on demand designs
You create digital designs that are printed on products (print on demand) when ordered. Ideal for passive income.
Many use print on demand and publish products daily so this category is a bit saturated.
But with a good idea and a little advertising, good results can still be achieved.
Example:
RJ Martinez uses Merch by Amazon to make regular monthly income.
๐ PDF guides and manuals
They are useful for education or assistance in certain processes (e.g. planning, finances).
For guides and manuals you need to have some experience.
In theory, we could write a manual entirely using AI tools.
But if you don’t know anything about the topic, how will you check if what is written is accurate?
Example:
Alex Nerney and Lauren McManus make money selling guides for bloggers.
๐ง Audio files
Meditations, music loops, sound effects โ all of these can be sold as a digital product.
There are more and more places that are looking for music or musical effects.
Some of the more famous ones are:
Sell โโroyalty-free music and effects. Ideal for composers, beatmakers and FX sound creators.
Be careful because the platform takes a commission of around 30โ50%.
A great platform for selling sound effects, music, vocals, and the like.
It has a large customer base โ from YouTubers to film productions.
You can set your own prices and payment is via PayPal-a.
These are the most popular platforms at the moment. We will describe the others in a separate post that will talk only about sound and sound effects.
If you want to create sound effects or process your audio recordings, we recommend Audacity.
Example:
Yellow Brick Cinema monetizes relaxation music across multiple platforms.
๐ท Photos and stock images
If you are into photography, selling stock images can be a source of passive income.
We have already written about this topic several times, so we will just refer to existing texts:
๐ Sell photos online
๐ Wirestock: Effortlessly Make Money Selling Graphics and Photos โ The Ultimate Guide
๐ Foap: Earn Money by Selling Photos
๐ ClickASnap: Create a gallery and earn money by selling pictures
Example:
Daniel Kordan makes money by selling his landscape photographs.
๐ป Software, plugins and programming
If you know how to program, creating solutions for WordPress, web, or mobile applications has great potential.
Example:
Pippin Williamson sold his Easy Digital Downloads plugin for millions.
๐ Newsletter subscriptions and member content
Subscriptions for exclusive content are highly profitable in almost every category.
Example:
Justin Welsh makes thousands of dollars a month through Substack and Gumroad.
Where to sell digital products?
Using social networks
Social networks are an extremely powerful tool for promoting digital products.
Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube allow you to build an audience at no cost.
Post helpful tips, customer reviews, and product demos to build trust and drive sales.
If that’s not enough, we recommend paid advertising on the aforementioned social networks.
Marketplace platforms
If you don’t have an audience, you can start selling on platforms that already have customers โ Etsy, Gumroad, Payhip , Creative Market, and Amazon KDP are a great place to start.
These platforms take a commission, but they help you with visibility.
It’s crucial to optimize product titles, descriptions, and images to stand out from the competition.
Some platforms, like Payhip, offer the ability to find affiliates who promote and sell your products in exchange for a commission.
Others, such as Gumroad and Ko-fi, have subscriptions as well as the ability to send newsletters to members.
There is also the Only Fans social network , which members can subscribe to and which we will describe shortly.
Your own website
The most professional way to sell is through your own website. In addition to avoiding commissions, you build your own brand and have control over the user experience.
With tools like WordPress and WooCommerce, you can set up a web shop without a large investment. It’s important to have clear descriptions, reviews, and a secure payment system.
With your own website, you can use SEO optimization , email marketing, and ads to drive traffic and make more sales.
Our website building course will soon be published on one of the listed platforms.
Pricing and product positioning
How to determine the right price?
The price depends on the value the product provides to the user, the competition, and your authority. Beginners often make the mistake of pricing too low, thinking that it will make it easier to sell.
Compare with your competitors and test different prices. Some products sell better at a higher price because they are perceived to have greater value.
You can also offer different packages – basic, advanced, and premium – to cover a wider range of users.
Value above price
Customers donโt just buy a product โ they buy a solution to a problem. If your digital product saves time, makes life easier, or teaches the user something valuable, they will be willing to pay.
In descriptions, clearly communicate benefits, include reviews and possibly bonus materials to increase added value.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
we invite you
If you are already selling digital products, we invite you to leave a link to your work in the comments. It doesn’t matter if you are just starting out.
A little free advertising can’t hurt.
If you find our website useful, please take a few seconds to leave a rating and write a comment on the Trustpilot platform.
Thanks!
Conclusion
Selling digital products offers an excellent opportunity to create passive income, build a brand, and earn extra money.
It does not require large investments, and the potential for earnings and influence is enormous.
If you have knowledge, skill or passion, turn it into a digital product and start an online business today.
Recommended to read
๐ Gumroad: Selling Digital Products Made Simple
๐ Monetize Your Content Through the Ko-Fi Platform: Successfully Transform Your Passion Into Profit
๐ How to sell on Etsy?
๐ How to Create a Free Online Shop on Payhip: sell digital products online