The 20 Best Passive Income Ideas to Start Today

The following are the best passive income ideas for this year. This page is constantly updated, so it’s best to bookmark it for future reference.

These programs/platforms are rigorously tested for many months before they make it to the list of our recommendations here. We regularly review hundreds of business opportunities, platforms, programs, and training courses to get you the ‘cream of the crop‘ stuff.

The times are rough, and there has never been a better time to open a second or third income stream. You can’t rely on a few income sources anymore; it will never hurt to diversify your income/portfolio.

Passive income is one of the best ways to make money online. Passive income is when you earn an ongoing source of revenue with little to no work on your part. That’s what passive income is all about working once and then enjoying the residual benefits for years or even decades after.

Best Passive Income Ideas for This Year

Note that passive income isn’t always easy to get started with—you need to be willing to put in a lot of hard work upfront before seeing any major returns—but it can be incredibly rewarding if you have the motivation (and time!) necessary to take on such a project. Here are several proven passive income ideas for making while you sleep. These are in no particular order:

Start a blog.

You can start a blog and make passive income from it. You can build an audience by writing useful, interesting, and engaging content for your readers, and it’s easier now than ever with Bluehost. You can start your blog in a matter of minutes and for a low cost of $3.95/month. Once you have a large enough following, sponsors will pay you to advertise their products on your site.

You’ll also make money by selling free courses, ebooks, etc., on your website or through Amazon. Blogging can be a lucrative side hustle and one of the most popular ways to make money online. There are over 200 million websites on the internet today!

Set up an affiliate marketing system.

Affiliate marketing is a great passive income idea. You don’t have to sell anything; there’s no inventory or delivery involved; you only need to promote other people’s products and services through your website, social media pages, and emails.

Affiliate marketing pays you a commission based on the sales made by customers who have clicked through an affiliate link from your site or social media account. Every time someone buys a product using one of these links, you’ll receive a portion of their sale price.

For example, if someone buys $100 worth of books from Amazon by clicking an affiliate link promoting those books on your site, Amazon will typically pay out around 5% ($5) of this purchase price as commission for sending the customer your way (if they’re enrolled in an associate program).

Create a podcast.

If you’ve ever listened to a podcast, chances are you’ve seen or heard one that was enjoyable, informative, or both. But did you know that podcast creation is an easy way to earn passive income?

Many successful podcasters have built their audiences by promoting various products and coaching programs. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in doing, then read on!

Record a fitness routine and sell it on YouTube.

If you’re handy with a camera and have the energy to keep up with a fitness routine, consider recording your workouts and selling them on YouTube.

There are plenty of ways to make money from this passive income idea. You could create a website where people could purchase the videos you record, or you could use affiliate links in the description box of your videos so that sales through other websites come back to you as well.

You can also use YouTube ads to earn money off views with their partner program or sell ads directly on your channel page if it has enough traffic.

Make a YouTube video and monetize your channel.

The best way to make money on YouTube is by creating a channel and uploading content. Once your channel has been verified, you can set up ad revenue sharing with Google AdSense or other ad networks. You can also earn money from sponsorships, which will help promote your videos in exchange for compensation.

Create an online course.

If you’re an expert in a certain topic, creating an online course about that subject might be worth it. This passive income stream could be lucrative if you already have an audience, as well as providing a way to reach new people.

To get started, pick a topic where you feel comfortable sharing your expertise and research it thoroughly so your audience knows they’re getting value for their money. If you don’t have any experience creating courses before or are concerned about charging fees upfront, then look into platforms like Udemy or Teachable, which offer free tools (including video hosting) along with very affordable subscription packages (starting from $9/month).

Once set up, promote the course on social media using paid ads if necessary and create great content to attract signups without making it too hard for people to take action (by offering money-back guarantees and affiliate links).

Create a Kindle book.

If you’re a bookworm and want to become an author, one of the best ways to make money online is by writing Kindle books. Creating a Kindle book can be lengthy, but it’s worth it if you put in the time.

First, make sure your book is well-researched and professionally edited. This will help ensure that your readers enjoy reading it and are willing to pay for it. Then, choose a niche in which you have some expertise or interest; this way, potential readers are more likely to find value in what you have written.

Afterward, use Amazon’s KDP platform (Kindle Direct Publishing) so that people—especially Amazon itself—can easily discover your work among all the other offers on their site. When submitting, include keywords such as “low fat cooking” or “romantic comedy” so that Google will pick up on them when someone searches for information related to those topics on their desktop browser or mobile device via the Google Chrome browser icon or Android smartphone app.

This will give you more exposure than just searching for general terms like “books,” which would include thousands upon thousands of different titles per query alone.

The final step involves hiring someone else who knows how to format text files into readable documents like PDFs before publishing them digitally online via web browsers everywhere.

Create an audiobook.

Recording an audiobook is a great way to make passive income. If you want to start, you’ll need to consider how much it costs to produce your audiobook.

That said, there are several different ways you can record your audiobook, depending on what equipment you have available and which tools best fit your budget. A phone call app like Talkatone or Google Voice is the most common option.

In order to do this, all you need is an internet connection and a microphone (or headset) connected directly to the microphone jack on the side of your computer or laptop. A smartphone also works well as long as it has an external mic; however, if one isn’t available, other options, such as voice recorders and dictation apps, can be used instead!

Create an app.

An app is a program that runs on a smartphone, tablet, or another mobile device. These apps can be games, tools, and utilities, or they can provide information.

Apps can be created in many different ways, but two of the most common are with an online development environment like Adobe Flash Builder (now called Adobe Animate) and with software called PhoneGap.

If you don’t have experience with web design or coding languages like HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript, then it may make more sense to use an online service provider such as [AppMakr](https://appmakr.com/) because they do all the hard work for you—all you need is a good idea!

If you want full control over the creation of your app and are willing to learn how to use an online development environment, then you can create your apps. Adobe Animate was once the most popular method of creating mobile applications but has since been superseded by PhoneGap.

Sell stock photography.

A stock photo is a type of image that can be licensed to appear on a website or in an advertisement. You’ll receive a fee in exchange for the right to use your photo.

Many people have built successful businesses out of stock photography, although getting started is not always easy. To make money from this business model, you’ll need to learn which sites pay well and what kinds of images sell best. To get started making money with stock photography:

• If you’re just starting out, sign up with Shutterstock to learn how their business model works! Then, sign up for another platform like Getty Images or iStockPhoto.
• Create a portfolio website where potential clients can view your work.
• Upload your photos and optimize the keywords and descriptions for each image.

Start selling printables on Etsy.

Etsy is an online marketplace for handmade goods and vintage items. You can set up your own shop on Etsy or sell your crafts in other people’s shops. For example, if you find a product you like that doesn’t quite fit what you’re looking for, it might be easier to buy it from someone else and resell it in your shop instead of making it yourself.

If you want to start selling printables on Etsy, then follow these steps:

• Open up an Etsy account (if you don’t already have one).
• Choose a template that best fits the occasion/season/occasion. There are tons available, so make sure there is no overlap with what other sellers offer!

Choose a theme for your printables. For example, if it’s a birthday card, choose the recipient’s age and make sure that it fits their personality. You can also create custom designs for patrons who request them through Etsy or Craftsy.

Create a website to sell books on various topics.

You will need to create a website to sell books on various topics. List your books on the site, create a blog to promote them, and sell them on Amazon. If you want to go all out, you can also make your website to sell your books.

If you would like even more passive income potential, promote your book and website on social media sites such as Instagram or Facebook. Ultimately, it will be up to you how much time and effort you want to put into creating this business idea!

See Related: Illegal Side Hustles to Make Money

Earn money from affiliate links on your social media posts.

If you’re familiar with affiliate marketing, you know it’s one of the easiest and most effective ways to earn money online. The idea is simple: find products you like, promote them on your social media channels (such as Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter), and get paid when people buy through your links.

There are several websites that offer affiliate links for bloggers, such as Amazon and eBay. The great thing about this method is that it only takes a few minutes to set up but can help boost your earnings over time if done right.

Open a vending machine business.

Vending machines are a great way to make extra money and create passive income. They’re easy to set up and maintain, and you can sell almost anything small enough for a machine to carry. The best part is that the more items you have in your machine, the more money you’ll make!

Vending machines are everywhere—in airports, hospitals, and schools, just to name a few places. You don’t need special licenses or permits (although they help).

Invest in dividend stocks.

Dividend stocks are a great way to earn passive income, especially if you’re new to investing. Why? For one thing, dividend stocks are typically safer than other investments, offering more stability in your returns.

Another reason is that many companies pay out dividends monthly or quarterly (the typical payout is quarterly), which means you’ll receive steady income each month or quarter without waiting until the end of the year, as with other investments. If you want to incorporate dividend stocks into your portfolio but aren’t sure where to start, here are some tips:

• Find an online broker with low fees and no minimums, such as Robinhood – You don’t need prior knowledge about investing or trading stocks; all brokers will provide step-by-step instructions on purchasing each type of security through their platform so even beginners can learn quickly!
• Choose from hundreds of different companies across several industries – There’s no shortage when it comes down to picking which ones will work best for your needs because something new is always added daily! The best part though? No matter who picks them out first before anyone else does!

As you continue to invest in more and more companies, the amount of passive income you earn will continue to grow over time. The more money you put into your investments, the more you’ll be able to make from them.

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Become an Airbnb or Vacation Rental Host.

As an Airbnb host or vacation rental owner, you can earn passive income by renting out your property to travelers on a short-term basis. By listing your property on a platform like Airbnb or VRBO, you can reach a large audience of potential guests and earn money while not using the property yourself.

One of the benefits of earning passive income as an Airbnb host or vacation rental owner is that you can choose when to make your property available for rent. This can allow you to accommodate your travel plans and personal commitments while still generating income from your property.

In addition, renting out your property on a short-term basis can be a good source of passive income because it allows you to take advantage of peak travel times when demand for rental properties is typically highest. This can help you to maximize your income potential and generate a steady stream of passive income.

Of course, it is important to remember that being an Airbnb host or vacation rental owner requires some effort and time investment. You must handle the booking process, communicate with guests, and ensure that your property is well-maintained and clean for each stay.

However, if you are willing to put in the initial work to set up your property and manage it effectively, it can be a very rewarding and lucrative source of passive income.

Best Cryptocurrency Multiplier Vault – EMP Money

• Deposit once in the vault and earn back a total of 365%.
• With no compounding, you can make up to 25% monthly returns.
• This is a decentralized platform that gets you around 1% a day.
• There’s no recruiting or referral stuff involved. Whatever you deposit, you’ll make back 3.65x guaranteed.
• The native token (EMP) has a 4000:1 peg to Ethereum (ETH), so if you believe in Ethereum in the long term, you should be in EMP too.
• It works similarly to DRIP Network (one of the most popular crypto investment programs) except that EMP has a peg to Ethereum, making it less volatile since it follows ETH’s price action to a T.
• Even though it’s still risky since this is the cryptocurrency market, it’s way more profitable than other platforms.
• The platform introduces monthly changes, which have been going strong for over six months.
• You stand a chance to win a daily top deposit and a random deposit award. Sometimes, smaller deposits have won the jackpot (worth over 30k USD).
• No login/account creation is required other than your decentralized (DEX) wallet, which you’ll use to connect to the main site. Metamask is a popular choice for DEX wallets.
• Read our full EMP Money review for more information.

Invest in Real Estate Invest Trusts (REITs).

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are a type of investment vehicle that allows you to invest in a diversified portfolio of real estate assets, such as apartments, office buildings, and shopping centers. REITs can be a good way to earn passive income through real estate investing, as they offer several benefits for investors.

One way to make passive income from REITs is to purchase shares in a REIT and hold onto them long-term. REITs are required by law to distribute at least 90% of their taxable income to shareholders in the form of dividends, so you can earn passive income in the form of these dividends. REIT dividends are generally considered a stable source of income, as they are often paid out of the rental income generated by the underlying properties.

Another way to earn passive income from REITs is to invest in a mutual or exchange-traded fund (ETF). These investments allow you to own a diverse portfolio of REITs with a single investment, providing exposure to a wide range of real estate assets. Like individual REITs, REIT mutual funds and ETFs can generate passive cash flow through dividends.

It is worth noting that investing in REITs carries some risk, as the value of your investment can fluctuate based on changes in the real estate market. However, REITs can be a good way to diversify your investment portfolio and earn passive income over the long term.

Become a Peer-to-Peer Lender.

Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending is a way for individuals to lend money to other individuals or small businesses in exchange for interest payments. P2P lending platforms, such as Lending Club and Prosper, act as intermediaries between borrowers and lenders, allowing investors to browse and select from a variety of loan listings. By lending money through a P2P platform, you can personal cash flow through interest payments. It’s one of the most common passive income investments out there.

To make passive income from P2P lending, you will need to sign up for a platform such as Lending Club and create an account. Most platforms require you to complete a brief application process and provide some personal and financial information.

Once your account is set up, you can browse loan listings and select the loans you want to fund. Many P2P platforms allow you to automate your lending by setting up a portfolio of loans that meet your investment criteria, which can help to streamline the process and make it more passive.

As with any investment, it is important to know that P2P lending carries some risk. There is the possibility that borrowers may default on their loans, which could result in a loss of your principal investment. However, P2P lending platforms typically have measures in place to mitigate this risk, such as underwriting processes and risk-based pricing, and many platforms offer protection programs to help reduce the impact of defaults on your portfolio.

By carefully selecting the loans you fund and diversifying your portfolio, you can help minimize risk and maximize your potential for generating passive income through P2P lending.

Own a long-term rental property.

Owning a rental property can be a good way to generate passive cash flow. When you own a rental property, you can earn money by renting it out to tenants on a short- or long-term basis. The rental income you receive can provide a steady stream of passive income. As the property owner, you are typically entitled to any appreciation in the property’s value over time.

One of the benefits of owning a rental property as a passive income source is that it can provide a relatively stable and predictable income stream. Rent tends to be more stable than other types of investment income, as it is not as susceptible to market fluctuations. In addition, rental demand tends to be relatively consistent, as people will always need a place to live. This can help to provide a degree of financial stability and predictability for property owners.

Another advantage of owning a rental property is the potential for appreciation in the property’s value over time. As the property value increases, so does the value of your investment. This can significantly boost your passive income over the long term.

Of course, owning a rental property requires some effort and time investment. You will need to manage the process of finding and screening tenants, as well as maintenance and repairs.

You may also need to deal with any issues during the tenancy. However, if you are willing to put in the initial work to set up your property and manage it effectively, owning a rental property can be a very rewarding and lucrative source of passive income.

See Related: Best Survey Sites

What is Passive Income?

Passive income is a type of income that requires little to no ongoing effort to maintain. It is income that is generated even when you are not actively working, and it can come from a variety of sources, such as rental properties, dividends from stocks or mutual funds, and interest earned on savings accounts or other investments.

Passive income can provide a source of financial stability, as it can help diversify income streams and provide a steady flow of money even when one is not actively working.

What are examples of passive income?

Passive income is money that you earn without actively working. It’s different from active income, which requires effort on your part to make it happen. Examples of passive income include:

• Rental properties: Owning and collecting rent from tenants can provide a passive income stream. These can include residential properties such as houses or apartments, as well as commercial properties such as office buildings or warehouses.
• Dividend-paying stocks: Some stocks pay dividends to shareholders regularly. If you own dividend-paying stocks, you can receive a passive income from these dividends.
• Mutual funds: Similar to dividend-paying stocks, some mutual funds distribute dividends to shareholders. Investing in mutual funds that pay dividends can provide a passive income.
• Interest-earning savings accounts or certificates of deposit (CDs): Putting your money in a high-yield savings account or a CD can provide a passive income in the form of interest.
• Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending: Through websites like LendingClub or Prosper, you can lend money to individuals or small businesses in exchange for interest payments. This can provide a passive income stream.
• Online courses or e-books: If you have expertise in a particular subject and can create an online course or e-book, you can sell it on platforms like Udemy or Amazon and receive passive income from the sales.
• Affiliate marketing: If you have a website or blog, you can join an affiliate program and earn a commission for promoting products or services. This can provide a passive income stream.
• Licensing your content: If you create music, art, or other types of content, you can generate passive income by licensing your work for use by others.
• Drop shipping: If you own an e-commerce store and use a drop shipping model, you can generate passive income by selling products without handling inventory or fulfillment.

Is Passive Income Real or Just a Hoax?

Passive income is real, and it is possible to generate passive income from a variety of sources. However, it is important to understand that generating passive income typically requires some initial effort and investment, and it may not be as “passive” as you might expect.

For example, if you want to generate passive income from rental properties, you will need to invest money in them by purchasing them outright or securing financing. You will also need to put in some time and effort to find and screen tenants, maintain the properties, and handle any issues that may arise.

That being said, once the properties are set up and running smoothly, their income can be relatively passive. You may need to spend some time on ongoing management and maintenance, but this can often be outsourced to a property management company, freeing up your time and allowing you to enjoy passive income.

It is also worth noting that passive income is not a get-rich-quick scheme, and it may take some time and effort to build up your passive income streams. However, with patience and persistence, it is possible to generate a meaningful amount of passive income to provide a stable financial foundation for you and your family.

What’s the difference between passive income and active income?

Active income refers to income that is earned through active participation in a trade or business. This includes salary, wages, and other forms of earned income, such as commissions or bonuses. Active income is typically earned on an ongoing basis in exchange for the time and effort you put into your job or business.

Passive income, on the other hand, is generated even when you are not actively working. It does not require ongoing effort to maintain. It can come from a variety of sources, such as rental properties, dividends from stocks or mutual funds, and interest earned on savings accounts or other investments. Passive income can provide a source of financial stability, as it can help to diversify your income streams and provide a steady flow of money even when you are not actively working.

One key difference between passive income and active income is the amount of time and effort required to generate it. Active income typically requires ongoing work, while passive income is generated even when one is not actively working.

This means that passive income can provide financial stability and independence, while active income may be more susceptible to changes in your work situation or market conditions.

Final Thoughts

These are just a few of the best passive income ideas to get you started. There are many more out there, so be sure to research and find something that works for you. Even if you don’t make money from these ideas now, they may prove useful when it comes time for retirement or building your business empire!

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