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.

56 ideas, page 1 of 2

Content and media
Practice website for learning Excel
A simple website that helps people learn Excel through exercises. The founder built it with very little effort and grew it as a dead-simple, boring niche site.
Hands-offOnline
Starter Story, 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
Free sudoku sites supported by ads
A group of free sudoku websites that earn steady income from minimal ads.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2024
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
Tech blog with ads and Patreon
A blog that earns from ads and Patreon support, covering hosting costs and a bit more.
Online
Hacker News, 2022
Content and media
YouTube channel about tech and photography
Posts videos on tech and photography and earns from the channel.
$1k to $10kOnline
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
Coding interview tutorial YouTube channel
Posts weekly programming problem tutorials on YouTube and earns from ad revenue.
Online
Hacker News, 2021
Content and media
YouTube coding tutorials
Makes coding tutorials on YouTube to support themselves while building a product, earning a small amount from the channel.
Online
Hacker News, 2021
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
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
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
Health condition information website with ads
An information site about a specific skin condition that earns from display ads and Amazon affiliate links and is mostly left on autopilot.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2018
Content and media
Tech blog supported by advertising
A personal technology blog that earns small amounts from on-page advertising.
$100 to $1kOnline
Hacker News, 2018
Content and media
Fun small websites earning ad revenue
A small project built for fun that earns a little from display ads and has grown slowly.
Under $100Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2016
Content and media
People-search information site with AdSense
Built a WordPress website for people looking up information about others. It earns from Google AdSense and needs only software updates now.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2016
Content and media
Silicon Valley tour guide website
Runs a guide site for visitors interested in Silicon Valley sights. Income comes from ads.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2016
Content and media
Technical blog post monetized with AdSense
Published a how-to post on single sign-on between two business platforms on an old blog and added AdSense. Earns small ad revenue from search visitors.
Under $100Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2016
Content and media
Ad on a jQuery plugin documentation site
Maintains a documentation website for a jQuery plugin and earns a small amount from a single ad placed on it.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2016
Content and media
Maps in your own language site
Built a site that forces Google Maps links into a chosen language. Ad revenue covers its hosting.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2014
Content and media
Long-running AdSense content website
An advertising-supported website running for about a decade that grew its income yearly with mostly passive upkeep.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2014
Content and media
Website for building from existing LEGO pieces
Runs a site that helps people use the LEGO pieces they own to build other models.
Online
Hacker News, 2014
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
Fan site supported by ads
A fan site run by a community of contributors that earns small ad revenue to offset server costs.
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
Host a nonprofit's forum for ad revenue
Hosts a forum and website for a nonprofit, in exchange for placing ads that cover the hosting costs.
Online
Hacker News, 2014
Content and media
Information website earning AdSense
Built a content website covering a niche in a non-US market, with a lot of long-tail search traffic monetized by AdSense.
A few hours a weekOnline
Hacker News, 2014
Content and media
jQuery credit card validator with ad revenue
Built a credit card validation plugin with a demo site that earns small ad revenue.
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
Logo gallery supported by ads
A logo design gallery where designers submit work, earning from ads and ad network placements.
Online
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
Small single-purpose websites from an agency
A studio builds quick websites that solve small problems, getting traffic from blogs and earning from AdSense.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2014
Content and media
White label dating websites
Runs three white label dating sites that earn with little maintenance.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2014
Content and media
School directory funded by ads
Evolved a failed school-focused social network into a directory site that earns from ads with little maintenance.
Hands-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
Career website for Marine Corps members
A career site for Marines with a mailing list, earning a modest amount with about a day of work per month.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2014
Content and media
Language learning websites
Runs a couple of sites for language learners that cover living expenses.
Online
Hacker News, 2014
Content and media
Local niche job board
A jobs site that earns from affiliate links and AdSense, being rolled out as a network.
Online
Hacker News, 2014
Content and media
Prank website hosted on GitHub Pages
Runs a simple prank site hosted cheaply on GitHub Pages that brings in a modest monthly income.
Under $100Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2014
Content and media
Rhyming dictionary website with ads
Built a rhyming dictionary site where an ad unit covers the hosting costs.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2014
Content and media
Showcase gallery of sites built with Bootstrap
Runs a showcase website for sites built with a popular front-end framework, with very low running costs and steady traffic.
Online
Hacker News, 2014
Content and media
Tax calculator website with ads and affiliates
A site of tax and finance calculators that earns from AdSense and affiliate income, needing only occasional upkeep.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2014
Content and media
Face-filtered image search site with ads
An alternative interface to Google image search with the face filter on, which earned from ad clicks on an image-heavy site.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2011
Content and media
Lyrics website earning AdSense
Runs a lyrics website that earns a small amount from AdSense.
Hands-offOnline
Hacker News, 2011

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