All Side Hustle Ideas

Content and media side hustle ideas

A blog, niche website, newsletter, YouTube channel, podcast or social account that earns from ads, affiliate links or sponsors.

Startup cost
Under $100$100 to $1k$1k to $10kOver $10k
Time
Hands-offA few hours a weekPart-timeNear full-time
Where
OnlineIn personOnline and in person
Earns from
AdsAffiliateSubscriptionsOne-time salesService feesRentMarketplace cutSponsors and donations
Coding
No coding neededNeeds coding

34 ideas

  • Content and media
    Amazon product review videos for commissions
    Short product review videos uploaded through the Amazon Influencer Program, which appear on product listings and earn commissions. The approach relies on filming high volumes of products found close to home.
    Online and in person
    Side Hustle Nation, 2026
  • Content and media
    Guides to bureaucracy for immigrants
    Documents government processes for immigrants and earns commissions on services they need, such as banking, insurance and translations, plus some consulting.
    Hacker News, 2026
  • Content and media
    Facebook content monetization posting
    Posting engaging content, much of it screenshots of other people's posts, to a Facebook page enrolled in Facebook's content monetization program. Facebook shares ad revenue with the creator.
    Under $100A few hours a weekOnline
    Side Hustle Nation, 2025
  • Content and media
    Nonfiction book notes site
    Publishes personal notes from nonfiction books on a site and earns some money from it.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2024
  • Content and media
    Newsletter featuring creators' workspace tours
    Runs a newsletter that profiles the home workspaces of makers and creators, earning recurring revenue.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2022
  • Content and media
    Blog about cash flow investing
    Runs a small blog about cash flow that earns a modest monthly income.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2022
  • Content and media
    Frontend development blog with SEO traffic
    A long-running blog on frontend topics that earns from ads and search visitors with only occasional new posts.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Content and media
    Medium paywall for back catalog of articles
    Moved all past writing behind Medium's paywall and removed calls to action to qualify for distribution. Earns a monthly share from reader time.
    Under $100Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Content and media
    Weekly web tools newsletter
    A regular newsletter about web tools that earns income and leads to paid writing work.
    A few hours a weekOnline
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Content and media
    Satirical tech newsletter with sponsorships
    Runs a weekly newsletter that satirizes the tech industry. Revenue is from advertising to the subscriber base, with live events being considered.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Content and media
    Engineering licensing blog with affiliate links
    A niche blog about getting a professional engineering license, carrying affiliate links to a prep package seller. Earns passively from affiliate commissions.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Content and media
    Old unedited YouTube video earning ad revenue
    A video published years ago that YouTube keeps recommending, paying out ad revenue with no promotion by the owner.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Content and media
    Paid daily tech industry briefing
    A morning briefing about the technology industry that readers pay for, with sponsorships that avoid ad-style promotion.
    A few hours a weekOnline
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Content and media
    Football tips site with memberships
    A football tipping website built on WordPress that earns from paid memberships and sponsored posts.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2018
  • Content and media
    Professional engineer licensing blog with affiliate deal
    A blog about earning a professional engineering license in a niche with little coverage. Income comes from an affiliate deal with a company selling licensing prep packages.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2018
  • Content and media
    Watch strap blog earning affiliate income
    Runs a blog about watch straps featuring photography from brands and custom leather makers plus interviews. Income comes from affiliate links.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2018
  • Content and media
    Blog documenting an engineering licence application
    Wrote a blog about the process of getting a professional engineering licence, which draws search traffic. Earns from ads and affiliate referrals to a seller of exam prep materials.
    Under $100Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Content and media
    Guide with affiliate link for router setup
    Wrote a how-to guide for bypassing an ISP's required modem and router, and recommends a tested router through an Amazon affiliate link. Costs almost nothing to host.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Content and media
    Travel blog with Amazon affiliate links
    Blogs about travel and working remotely from an RV. Money comes from Amazon affiliate links placed in posts.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Content and media
    Architectural models niche blog
    Runs a niche blog about architectural models and earns from ads and Amazon affiliate links.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Free background images site earning AdSense
    Runs a free background picture website with steady search traffic and links from other sites, earning from AdSense.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    jQuery plugin blog with daily listings
    Runs a blog that lists a jQuery plugin each day and earns from advertising.
    Under $100Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Local sports and politics AdSense blogs
    Runs blogs on local sports and politics, with posts built from repackaged government data, earning from AdSense.
    Under $100Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Niche humor blog with ads
    A humor blog on Tumblr earning from ads.
    Under $100Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Publish a friend's writing with ad revenue split
    Hosts a friend's political writings on a site and splits the advertising revenue.
    Under $100Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Shopify affiliate referrals
    Earns affiliate commissions by referring people to Shopify.
    Under $100Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Solar power blog driven by a YouTube video
    Runs a simple blog on solar power, linked from a YouTube video, that earns from AdSense ads.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Animated GIF sites funded by ads
    Runs cat and dog GIF websites supported by advertising.
    Under $100Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Architectural models niche blog
    A hobby blog about architectural models that earns from ads and Amazon affiliate links.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Articles and affiliate marketing blog
    Writes blog articles and earns from affiliate marketing.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Directory of flagship stores in a city
    Photographed top brand stores in London and published a directory blog that earns from ads.
    Under $100Hands-off
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Content and media
    Blog earning Amazon affiliate commissions
    Runs a personal blog that earns small commissions from Amazon affiliate links.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2011
  • Content and media
    Music review blog with affiliate links
    Writes album reviews and earns from ads and affiliate commissions when readers buy the reviewed CDs.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2011
  • Content and media
    Pancake day recipes and activities site
    Ran a seasonal site of pancake recipes and ideas for pancake day. It earned yearly ad revenue.
    Under $100Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2011