How To Create and Sell Digital Products
Learning how to create and sell digital products can be a great way to generate extra income each month. The best part about selling digital products is that they are a passive income source so you can make money while you’re sleeping.
Digital products are very popular these days so if you want to learn how to create and sell digital products keep reading!
What are digital products?
Digital Products are digital files that anyone can download (or print), and use. Examples of digital files are spreadsheets, wall art, coloring pages, website themes, photoshop presets and so much more.
Some digital products require a specific skill or knowledge, but you can also teach yourself how to create things like printables and ebooks by just self-teaching yourself online.
Digital products are BOOMING right now so if you’re thinking about creating one, I would start sooner rather than later.
1. Where to sell your digital product?
The best place to sell your digital product all comes down to what the product actually is. If you can market yourself well or have a large following then you’re likely to have a lot of success by selling your products on a personal website.
If you are new to selling digital products, you can take advantage of various marketplaces. You’ll want to be sure to research the pros and cons of each platform and marketplace before using them but I’ll include some of Reddit’s (and my own) top picks.
Printables
If you already have an established website, then you’ll definitely want to sell your printables there. If you’re just getting into the business of selling printables such as coloring sheets, wall art, or graphic designs, then your best bet is to sell on an Etsy account.
Etsy is an online marketplace where users can buy handmade and custom items. Etsy had over 90 million active buyers in the first quarter of 2024, so it’s a great place to set up an online shop.
You can also post your printables on websites like
Top picks for selling printables:
Music/Audio Files
According to Reddit.com ( I always trust the people) the best way to sell music online is through a personal website, but Bandcamp is a close second. Bandcamp is an online music and record store that helps fans support independent artist by giving them a platform to listen, share, and buy their music.
If you’re interested in the longer game and collecting royalties on your music, you can try selling your music on popular platforms like iTunes, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music.
Top picks for selling music/audio files:
- Personal Website
- Bandcamp
- iTunes/Amazon/YouTube music
Photos/videos
With the rapid rise of AI, stock photography has taken a huge hit, so you’ll be the most successful by building a client base and selling on a personal blog or website. Luckily, there are still some websites where you can sell stock photography like Shutterstock, Adobe Stock and Stocksy.com
If you’re selling videos, you can try platforms like Sellfy, Vimeo, and Gudsho or Storyblocks.
Top picks for selling audio/video:
- Personal Website
- Storyblocks
- Shutterstock
- Sellfy
Online courses
The best place to sell online courses is on a personal blog but if you don’t have the following for that to be successful, you also upload your course to Udemy, Skillshare, Teachable, or Podia. These are just the big names in course creation and selling but you can find more with a quick Google search.
If you are playing with the idea of creating a course, you can gain a following by creating YouTube videos first to see if you can build a subscriber list from there.
Top picks for selling online courses:
- Personal Website
- Udemy
- Skillshare
- Teachable
- Podia
Ebooks
Ebooks are another digital product that can do so much better if you can sell them on a personal blog, but you can also sell them using online platforms like Sellfy, Payhip, Thinkific, and Podia.
Top picks for selling ebooks:
- Personal Website
- Amazon
- Barnes and Noble
- Payhip
2. How To Create Digital Products
Similar to selling digital products, creating them depends on the specific product you are making. Many platforms allow you to create and sell the digital product in the same platform, while other digital products require a bit more legwork.
I’ll include some of my top pics for creating digital products below.
Printables
My absolute favorite place to create printables is Canva. Creating printables on Canva is my first pick because it’s absolutely FREE. There is a premium version that unlocks more graphics, but you can create thoughtfully curated printables with the free version
You can also create printables on Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. You’d be surprised at the powerful printables you can create with a little bit of knowledge in Excel.
Top picks for creating printables:
Music/Audio Files
The equipment needed to record music files can range from a simple built-in microphone to an entire studio setup. You’ll want to consider splurging on equipment and software to produce the most high-quality sound you can get at home.
Top picks for selling music/audio files:
- Recording Studio setup
- Simple microphone setup
How To Create Photos/Videos
Well, this one is pretty easy considering most of us can take pretty decent pictures with the cell phone we carry around with us every day. That’s right, with a few tweaks to your iPhone, you can take good enough quality photos and videos to sell.
However, you’ll want to invest in a better quality camera if you want to stand out from the competition.
- High-Quality DSLR/mirrorless camera
How To Create Online Courses
Creating an online course seems daunting but there are plenty of platforms that help you create a course step by step so that you don’t get overwhelmed. Many of these platforms can also easily integrate with your website.
Top picks for creating online courses:
How To Create, Design and Publish Ebooks
You can create an ebook simply by typing in a Google Doc or Microsoft Word Doc. Once you have the “meat and potatoes” of your book written down, you can use a free tool like Canva or Visme to design and put your book together.
You can also use platforms that will help you create ebooks like Kindle Create or Vellum. These will take out the step of importing what you’ve written into a design software.
Top picks for creating and designing ebooks:
- Microsoft Word/ Google docs
- Canva
- Vellum
- Kindle Create
You also need to know how to publish your ebook (if you are offering it in a format other than PDF). There are many different software that will export your PDF file to and .epub file to distribute more easily.
Top picks for publishing:
Bottom Line
Digital products are insanely popular right now so now is the time to get your digital product in front of people. Whether its and ebook, online course or printable, get started TODAY!
