Top 20 'Digital-Asset-Stacking' Passive Income Ideas to try this year - Goh Ling Yong
Hey there, and welcome back to the blog. Let's talk about a dream many of us share: making money while we sleep. For years, "passive income" has been a buzzword thrown around, often associated with get-rich-quick schemes or complex financial instruments. But what if I told you there's a tangible, strategic way to build real, sustainable wealth online? It’s a concept I call 'Digital-Asset-Stacking'.
Forget the idea of a single, magical money tree. Instead, picture yourself as a digital architect, building a portfolio of small, income-generating assets. Each asset—a blog post, a YouTube video, a digital template, an e-book—is a brick. Individually, a brick might not seem like much, but when you consistently stack them over time, you build a powerful, wealth-generating fortress. This isn't about a one-time viral hit; it's about the compounding effect of creating and owning multiple streams of digital income.
The beauty of this approach is its accessibility. You don't need a massive upfront investment or a fancy MBA. You need a skill (or the willingness to learn one), consistency, and a game plan. In this post, we're going to break down 20 actionable digital-asset-stacking ideas you can start building this year. From simple, beginner-friendly assets to more advanced projects, there's something here for everyone. Let's start building your stack.
1. Niche Blog with Affiliate Marketing
This is the classic digital asset for a reason: it works. By creating a blog focused on a specific, narrow topic (a "niche"), you attract a dedicated audience. Your content—how-to guides, product reviews, and informational articles—becomes an evergreen asset that can attract readers from search engines for years.
The passive income component comes from affiliate marketing. You recommend products or services you genuinely use and trust, and when a reader clicks your unique link and makes a purchase, you earn a commission at no extra cost to them. The key is to be authentic and provide real value; your blog is a resource first and a money-maker second.
- Example: A blog dedicated to home espresso machines for beginners. You could write articles like "The 5 Best Espresso Machines Under $500," "How to Pull the Perfect Shot," or "A Review of the Breville Barista Express." Each article would contain affiliate links to the products on Amazon or other retail sites.
2. "Faceless" YouTube Automation Channel
You don't need to be a charismatic influencer to succeed on YouTube. "Faceless" or automation channels focus on creating valuable video content without ever showing the creator's face. These channels often use stock footage, screen recordings, animations, and AI or hired voiceover artists to produce content at scale.
These videos, once uploaded, can generate AdSense revenue for years as they accumulate views. The topics are often evergreen, meaning they stay relevant over time. Think historical summaries, financial explainers, guided meditations, or "Top 10" listicles. The upfront work is in creating a streamlined production process.
- Tip: Focus on a niche with a high CPM (cost per mille, or what advertisers pay per 1,000 views), such as finance, technology, or luxury goods. Use tools like Canva for simple graphics and InVideo or Pictory to quickly turn scripts into videos.
3. eBook on Amazon KDP
Do you have knowledge or a story to share? Publishing an eBook on Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform is one of the most direct ways to create a digital asset. You write the book once, and it can sell for years to a global audience, earning you royalties on every purchase.
Non-fiction is particularly powerful for this model. Think about a problem you can solve for people. Can you teach them how to train a puppy, bake sourdough, or code in Python? Package that knowledge into a concise, helpful eBook. The "set it and forget it" potential is huge, though some initial marketing helps get the ball rolling.
- Example: A 50-page guide titled "The Freelancer's Guide to Finding Your First 3 Clients." You solve a very specific problem for a very specific audience. A killer cover design and a compelling description are non-negotiable for success.
4. Digital Planners and Templates
If you have an eye for design and organization, this asset is for you. People are always looking for ways to be more productive and organized. You can create and sell digital products like daily planners, budget trackers, social media templates, or Notion dashboards.
Platforms like Etsy and Gumroad are perfect for selling these digital files. The magic is in the business model: you create the template once, and you can sell an infinite number of copies without any additional work. Marketing through platforms like Pinterest, where users are actively searching for templates and inspiration, is incredibly effective.
- Tip: Offer a "freemium" model. Create a simple, free version of your Notion template or a sample pack of Canva graphics to build an email list, then upsell your audience to the premium, more comprehensive paid versions.
5. Create and Sell an Online Course
An online course is the ultimate way to package your expertise. If you're a skilled photographer, a marketing guru, a coding wizard, or even a fantastic gardener, you have knowledge that others will pay to learn. Platforms like Teachable, Podia, or Kajabi make it incredibly easy to build, host, and sell your course.
While the upfront effort is significant—planning modules, recording videos, creating worksheets—the resulting asset is incredibly valuable. Your course can be sold 24/7, and once the core content is created, your main job becomes marketing and occasional updates.
- Example: A course called "YouTube for Realtors: How to Generate Leads with Video." It's highly specific, solves a lucrative problem, and targets a professional audience willing to invest in their skills.
6. Start a Paid Newsletter
Do you love writing and have deep expertise in a particular field? A paid newsletter, using platforms like Substack or Ghost, allows you to deliver premium, exclusive content directly to your subscribers' inboxes in exchange for a monthly or annual fee.
This model fosters a deep connection with your audience. Your subscribers aren't just random visitors; they are dedicated fans who value your insights. This is a core philosophy we embrace on the Goh Ling Yong blog—building a direct relationship with your audience is paramount. The asset here is your archive of content and, more importantly, your subscriber list.
- Tip: Start with a free newsletter to build an audience and establish credibility. Once you have a loyal following, launch a paid tier with more in-depth analysis, exclusive interviews, or access to a private community.
7. Stock Photography and Videography
If you have a decent camera and a good eye, you can turn your photos and video clips into a recurring source of income. Websites like Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, and Getty Images allow you to upload your work, and you earn a royalty every time a customer downloads one of your files.
The key is to think like a business or a marketer. What kinds of images do they need for their websites, ads, and presentations? Think authentic photos of people working, diverse teams in meetings, high-quality shots of technology, and beautiful aerial drone footage. Each photo or video you upload is another tiny digital asset working for you.
- Example: Instead of just taking a picture of a coffee cup, create a scene: a laptop, a notebook, and a coffee cup on a clean desk. This is far more useful for a business blog than an isolated object.
8. Develop a Niche Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
This is one of the most advanced but potentially most lucrative ideas on the list. A SaaS product is software that users pay a recurring subscription fee to access. The goal is to solve a very specific, painful problem for a niche audience.
You don't need to build the next Salesforce. Think small. A simple tool that helps authors track their writing habits, a browser extension that pulls e-commerce data, or a platform that generates social media captions. The recurring revenue model is the holy grail of passive income.
- Tip: Start with a "Minimum Viable Product" (MVP). Build the absolute simplest version of your idea that solves the core problem. This lets you test the market and get user feedback before investing heavily in development.
9. Print-on-Demand (POD) Designs
Unleash your inner artist without ever touching inventory. With Print-on-Demand services like Printful or Teespring, you simply create designs and upload them to products like t-shirts, mugs, and posters. When a customer buys something, the POD company prints it, packs it, and ships it for you.
You handle the creative part; they handle the rest. Your only job is to create compelling designs and market them. This is a numbers game. The more designs you have out there (your digital assets), the higher your chances of making consistent sales.
- Example: Focus on "passion niches." Create designs for people who love knitting, rock climbing, or a specific breed of dog. Think of witty phrases or clever graphics that this audience would love to wear.
10. License Your Music or Audio Files
Are you a musician or audio producer? Your creations can become powerful passive income generators. Platforms like Epidemic Sound, Artlist, and AudioJungle allow you to license your music tracks, jingles, and sound effects to YouTubers, filmmakers, and businesses.
You get paid whenever someone uses your audio in their project. The demand for high-quality, royalty-free background music is endless. Focus on creating versatile tracks in popular genres like upbeat corporate, chill lo-fi, or epic cinematic. Every track you upload is another soldier in your passive income army.
- Tip: Create "music packs" or "sound effect packs" centered around a theme (e.g., "10 Sound Effects for Horror Films" or "5 Upbeat Corporate Tracks") to increase the value of each sale.
11. Create and Sell 3D Models
The demand for 3D models is exploding, thanks to the growth of video games, virtual reality, and architectural visualization. If you have skills in software like Blender or Maya, you can create and sell 3D assets on marketplaces like TurboSquid or Sketchfab.
These assets can be anything from a detailed character model for a game to a photorealistic piece of furniture for an interior design rendering. You build the model once, and it can be sold hundreds or thousands of times to creators all over the world.
- Example: Create a "Low-Poly Forest Asset Pack" for indie game developers, including trees, rocks, and bushes. Bundling items together makes them more attractive and useful for buyers.
12. Build Niche Affiliate "Review" Websites
This is a more focused version of the niche blog. Instead of a broad topic, you create a website dedicated entirely to reviewing and comparing products in a specific category. These sites are designed from the ground up to capture traffic from people who are ready to buy.
The content is laser-focused on "best of" lists, "product A vs. product B" comparisons, and in-depth individual reviews. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is critical here. Your goal is to rank #1 on Google for terms like "best running shoes for flat feet" or "dyson vacuum review."
- Example: A website called
TheBestAirPurifier.com. The entire site would be dedicated to testing, reviewing, and ranking air purifiers, with affiliate links to purchase each one.
13. Sell WordPress Themes or Plugins
For the web developers out there, this is a fantastic digital asset. The WordPress ecosystem is massive, and there is a constant need for new themes (which control a site's design) and plugins (which add functionality).
You can develop a premium theme for a specific niche, like photographers or restaurants, or create a plugin that solves a common problem, like improving website speed or creating contact forms. You can sell them on marketplaces like ThemeForest and CodeCanyon or directly from your own website to keep a larger cut of the revenue.
- Tip: Long-term success in this space depends on providing excellent customer support and regular updates. This makes it less "passive" than other ideas, but the income potential is very high.
14. Create and Sell Photo/Video Presets (LUTs)
If you're a photographer or videographer with a unique editing style, you can package that style and sell it. For photographers, these are called "presets" (for software like Adobe Lightroom). For videographers, they are called "LUTs" (Look-Up Tables).
Creators are always looking for ways to speed up their workflow and achieve a professional, consistent look. Selling your presets allows them to do just that with a single click. Marketing is highly visual; use Instagram to show stunning before-and-after images of your presets in action.
- Example: A preset pack called "Moody & Cinematic Tones" or a LUT pack for drone footage called "Vibrant Aerials."
15. Dividend-Yielding Stocks & ETFs
Let's step into the world of traditional finance, but with a digital twist. Owning shares of a company that pays dividends is like owning a tiny piece of a business that sends you a check every quarter. This is a true "set it and forget it" asset.
You can buy individual stocks (like Johnson & Johnson or Coca-Cola) or, for diversification, invest in a Dividend ETF (Exchange-Traded Fund) that holds a basket of hundreds of dividend-paying companies. The beauty is in compounding; you can set your brokerage account to automatically reinvest the dividends to buy more shares, which then generate even more dividends.
- Tip: Focus on companies known as "Dividend Aristocrats"—companies that have consistently increased their dividend payouts for at least 25 consecutive years.
16. Cryptocurrency Staking & Lending
This is a higher-risk, higher-reward asset in the world of Web3 and decentralized finance (DeFi). "Staking" is the process of locking up your cryptocurrency holdings to help secure and validate transactions on a network (like Ethereum). In return for this service, you earn rewards in the form of more crypto.
Think of it as the crypto equivalent of earning interest in a savings account. It can be done through major exchanges like Coinbase or Kraken, or through more advanced DeFi protocols. This space is volatile and complex, so it requires significant research and a high tolerance for risk.
- Warning: Never invest more than you are willing to lose. The crypto market is incredibly volatile. Start small and prioritize understanding the technology before committing significant capital.
17. Build a Lead-Generation Website
This is a clever twist on a local business website. You build a simple website optimized to rank for local service keywords, like "plumber in San Diego" or "roofer in Austin." The website isn't for your own business; its sole purpose is to collect leads (phone calls and contact form submissions).
Once the site is generating a steady stream of leads, you "rent" it out to an actual local business for a flat monthly fee. You provide them with exclusive leads, and they pay you for the service. You own the digital asset (the website), and it generates monthly cash flow.
- Example: You build
miamipoolcleaningpros.com. After getting it to rank on the first page of Google, you contact local pool cleaning companies and offer to send them all the leads from the site for $500/month.
18. Monetize a Podcast Back-Catalog
A podcast is a powerful digital asset. While a new episode requires active work, your entire back-catalog of old episodes can continue to get downloads for years, especially if the content is evergreen.
This back-catalog can be monetized through "dynamic ad insertion." This technology allows you to insert fresh, relevant ads into your old episodes. So, an episode you recorded two years ago can still be earning you money with today's ad campaigns. The larger your catalog, the more ad slots you have to sell.
- Tip: Focus on creating content that won't be dated in a year. Interviews with experts, deep dives on historical events, or skill-based tutorials make for great evergreen podcast content.
19. Create a Niche Job Board
Every industry and community needs a place to connect talent with opportunities. You can create a digital asset by building a job board focused on a specific niche. This could be anything from "Remote-Only Marketing Jobs" to "Web3 Developer Gigs."
You can monetize it by charging companies a fee to post a job listing. The key to success is building the community first. Start a newsletter, a Twitter account, or a Discord server for people in that niche. Once you have their attention, launching the job board becomes much easier.
- Example: A job board for the video game industry. You could charge studios like EA or Nintendo a premium to post listings, while letting small indie studios post for a lower fee.
20. Develop an API as a Service
This is the ultimate high-leverage, high-tech digital asset. An API (Application Programming Interface) is a way for different software programs to talk to each other. You can build an API that performs a specific, useful function and charge other developers for access to it.
The possibilities are endless. An API that provides real-time stock market data, converts currencies, generates QR codes, or provides weather forecasts. Once the API is built and stable, it can be almost completely passive, generating revenue based on usage.
- Example: You could build an API that uses AI to summarize long articles. Bloggers or news aggregators could pay a small fee for every article they process through your service. Platforms like RapidAPI make it easy to market and monetize your API.
Your Stack Starts with a Single Brick
Whew, that's a lot of ideas! It's easy to feel overwhelmed, but remember the core principle: digital-asset-stacking is a marathon, not a sprint. The goal isn't to build all 20 of these at once. The goal is to choose one—just one—that excites you and aligns with your skills, and start laying that first brick.
Maybe you start a blog this month. Next quarter, you design a digital planner. By the end of the year, you've published a short eBook. Each asset builds on the last, and over time, these small streams of income converge into a powerful river of financial freedom. The key is consistency and a long-term mindset.
Now it's your turn. Which of these digital assets are you most excited to build first? What's one small step you can take this week to get started? Share your choice in the comments below—I'd love to hear your plan! And if you want more in-depth strategies for building your digital empire, make sure to subscribe to the newsletter.
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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