Passive income isn’t a way to get rich quick or make “easy money.” But done right, it means making money from work you did while you sleep. Based on what works now, in 2025, this piece shows you 7 practical ways to make passive income as a creatives.
1. Sell Digital Goods Like Templates, Printables, And Presets
Digital goods are the best way to make passive income if you’re a designer, illustrator, photographer, or content maker.
Why? You make them once and sell them indefinitely.
For example:
1. Photoshop Presets for Photographers
2. Social media managers can use Canva templates
3. Notion planners for productivity nerds
4. For those who enjoy home décor, printable wall art
How to Sell : You can sell on Etsy, Gumroad, Creative Market, and Ko-fi.
Tip: Begin with one good product and make sure the description is SEO-friendly.
2. Start An Online Workshop Or Course That Costs Money
People are ready to pay to learn what you know, but you probably don’t know it yourself.
Online classes can be a great way to make passive income, whether you teach hand lettering, video editing, or the basics of running a freelance business.
Choose:
You can record your course ahead of time and host it on Teachable, Podia, or Thinkific.
Once you offer it as a “cohort,” future versions will be done automatically.
Bonus Tip: For ongoing marketing, turn your content into smaller digital goods or YouTube videos.
3. Offer Picture, Video, Or Music Stock For Sale
If you’re a musician, photographer, or videographer, you could make money from your collections.
If you post your work on stock sites, people who license your work will pay you money.
How to Use:
1. Images from Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, and Pexels Premium
2. Video: Storyblocks, Pond5, and Artgrid
3. SFX and music by AudioJungle, Epidemic Sound, and Soundstripe
Tip: Focus on niche content, such as different kinds of business images, songs from different cultures, or clips of urban life.
4. Open A Print-On-Demand Business
Someone else makes and sends the art that you make.
With print-on-demand, you can sell T-shirts, mugs, stickers, and signs without having to keep stock.
The best platforms:
Redbubble
Printful is linked to Shopify.
Just make one style, and let people use it.
Tip: Make designs that will never go out of style, like zodiac signs, minimalist art, or jokes with a twist.
5. Start your own YouTube channel (yes, creatives too).
You get paid by YouTube for views. But what’s the real value? It sends people to your other passive cash streams.
If you’re comfortable in front of or behind the camera, start making videos about how you make art, how to do something, or reviews of gear.
Sources of income:
Ad income on YouTube
Using affiliate links
Promoting a course or a product
Don’t wait to be perfect; get messy right away and keep going.
6. Give your work a license
You can sell your drawings, songs, fonts, or animations if you’ve made them.
You don’t sell the rights to your work; instead, you charge people to use it.
Good for:
Designers of surface patterns
Font creators
Artists (sync licensing for movies, YouTube, and ads)
DesignCuts, Envato, Artlist, and niche sites in your area are all good places to license your work.
7. Put out an eBook or digital magazine
Writers, musicians, and artists, you can make money with your words and pictures too.
It’s now easier than ever to put out an eBook. There are people who want to hear your unique voice or learn from your thoughts.
How to Use:
Amazon KDP
Gumroad
Sellfy
Own your creative style and make money from it, whether it’s “A Freelancer’s Guide to Not Losing Your Mind” or a zine about African street photography.
What you need to do to make passive income work for you
It takes time to build passive income. A lot of work needs to be done up front, but the benefits can last for years.
This helps:
Pick a thought. Do not try to do too many things at once.
Quality is important. Make something people will want to buy.
Smart automation. Use systems that take care of scaling, delivery, and payments.
Get the word out. Being passive doesn’t mean being hidden. Don’t stop marketing, even if it’s just casually (Pinterest, email lists, etc.).
Read Also: Top Graphic Designers In Nigeria to Watch for (May,2025)
Conclusion
You can make money while you work (and rest).
It’s not a dream for creative people to have passive income; it’s a smart move.
If you’re sick of freelance work that comes and goes or just need some extra cash, it’s time to plant some seeds that will keep growing.
Begin with what you already know. Wrap it up. Out it goes. Get the word out.
You’ll be grateful to your creative self in the future.
