You’ve seen the stunning AI art flooding social media and thought, “That’s amazing… but can I make money with it?” The answer is a resounding yes.
Midjourney is more than just a creative outlet; it’s a powerful business tool that’s unlocking new income streams for artists, entrepreneurs, and side-hustlers around the world. But here’s the reality: success isn’t about just generating pretty pictures. It’s about strategy.
Forget the get-rich-quick hype. This guide will walk you through seven realistic, proven methods for how to make money with Midjourney. For each idea, we’ll break down the exact steps, potential earnings, and the tools you need to get started in 2024.
1. Sell Digital Products on Etsy
This is the most popular and accessible entry point for monetizing your Midjourney creations. You create the art once and sell it infinitely as a digital download.
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What to Sell:
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Printable Wall Art: Think abstract designs, nursery art, and minimalist posters.
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Coloring Pages: Leverage our guide to creating coloring pages!
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Digital Stickers & Planners: For apps like GoodNotes and Notability.
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T-shirt Designs & Sublimation Files: For crafters who use Cricut or other cutting machines.
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Actionable Steps:
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Niche Down: Don’t just sell “wall art.” Sell “boho-style wall art for nurseries” or “cyberpunk art for game rooms.”
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Create High-Quality Files: Generate your Midjourney art, then use a tool like Canva or Affinity Designer to create polished product mockups.
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Optimize Your Etsy Listings: Use relevant keywords in your titles and descriptions. Research what’s already selling well in your chosen niche.
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Potential Earnings: $100 – $1,500+ per month, depending on your niche and marketing efforts.
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Required Tools: Midjourney Subscription, Etsy Seller Account, Canva, or Affinity Designer.
2. Launch a Print-on-Demand (POD) Business
With Print-on-Demand, you handle the design, and a third-party company handles the printing, shipping, and inventory. It’s a zero-risk way to sell physical products.
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What to Sell: T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, phone cases, tote bags, posters.
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Actionable Steps:
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Choose a POD Partner: Popular choices include Printify and Printful.
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Connect to Your Storefront: Integrate your POD partner with an Etsy shop or a Shopify website.
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Design and List: Create a compelling design in Midjourney (e.g., a “vintage cat astronaut”). Upload it to your POD partner, place it on a T-shirt mockup, and push it to your store. When a customer buys it, the POD company prints and ships it for you.
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Potential Earnings: $50 – $1,000+ per month. Your profit margin is smaller than with digital products, but the market is huge.
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Required Tools: Midjourney, Printify/Printful, Etsy, or Shopify account.
3. Sell AI Art on Stock Photo Websites
Major stock photo sites are now embracing AI-generated content. If you can create high-quality, commercially viable images, this can become a great source of passive income.
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Where to Sell: Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, iStock. (Note: Each has specific AI submission guidelines.)
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What Sells Best: Photos of people (diverse and in everyday situations), professional business settings, generic landscapes, and conceptual art. Think about what a marketing team would need for an ad.
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Actionable Steps:
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Read the Guidelines: Carefully read the AI submission policy for each platform. Adobe Stock is currently the most welcoming.
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Focus on Realism: Use prompts that create photorealistic images. Include terms like photorealistic, 4K, shot on a Sony a7 IV, 50mm lens.
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Keyword Your Images: Success on stock sites is all about keywords. Be descriptive. Instead of “dog,” use “happy golden retriever puppy playing in a field of grass during sunset.”
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Potential Earnings: $20 – $500 per month. This is a volume game; the more high-quality images you upload, the more you earn.
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Required Tools: Midjourney, Adobe Stock Contributor Account.
4. Offer Custom AI Art Services (Freelancing)
Many people love the idea of AI art but don’t have the time or skill to write effective prompts. You can be their creative solution.
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Where to Offer Services: Fiverr, Upwork, or directly through social media (Twitter/X, Instagram).
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Services to Offer:
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“I will create a custom AI portrait of your pet.”
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“I will generate 5 concept art ideas for your video game.”
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“I will create a unique logo for your business using AI.”
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Actionable Steps:
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Build a Portfolio: Create a stunning portfolio showcasing your best work across different styles.
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Create a Fiverr Gig: Start with a basic package (e.g., “1 High-Quality AI Image for $10”) and offer extras for more complex requests or faster delivery.
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Price Strategically: As you get reviews, you can increase your prices.
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Potential Earnings: $200 – $2,000+ per month, depending on your skills and client base.
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Required Tools: Midjourney, Fiverr/Upwork account, a portfolio.
5. Create and Sell Your Prompt Bundles
You’re already an expert at crafting prompts! Why not package that expertise and sell it? This is exactly what we do here at DailyPrompty.
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What to Sell: Themed prompt bundles, such as “50+ Prompts for Fantasy Worlds,” “The Ultimate T-Shirt Design Prompt Pack,” or “100 Prompts for Photorealistic Portraits.”
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Actionable Steps:
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Identify a Pain Point: What do people struggle to create? Find a niche.
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Write and Test: Craft 50-100 high-quality, detailed prompts. Test them to ensure they work reliably.
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Package and Sell: Create a clean PDF guide. Sell it on platforms like Gumroad, Creative Market, or your website using tools like WooCommerce.
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Potential Earnings: $100 – $1,000+ per month. This is highly scalable.
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Required Tools: Midjourney, a PDF editor (Canva), Gumroad, or a website with e-commerce functionality.
6. Author and Self-Publish Children’s Books
Midjourney is a revolutionary tool for children’s book authors, dramatically lowering the cost and time of illustration.
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Actionable Steps:
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Write a Story: Craft a simple, engaging story for children.
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Develop a Consistent Character: This is the key. Use Midjourney’s new “Character Reference” feature (–cref) to maintain the same character across different scenes.
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Illustrate Your Book: Generate images for each page of your story.
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Format and Publish: Use a tool like Canva to lay out your book. Publish it on Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) as an ebook or paperback.
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Potential Earnings: Highly variable, but a popular book can generate hundreds or thousands of dollars per month in royalties.
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Required Tools: Midjourney, an Amazon KDP account, and a book formatting tool.
7. Create Content About AI Art (Blogging & YouTube)
If you enjoy teaching others, you can build a brand and income stream around your AI art journey.
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How it Works: You start a blog (like this one!), a YouTube channel, or a newsletter. You provide free, valuable content (tutorials, prompt guides, news).
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How You Make Money:
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Ad Revenue: From Google AdSense on your blog or YouTube ads.
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Affiliate Marketing: Recommend tools you use (like Canva Pro, POD services, or even other AI software) and earn a commission.
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Selling Your Products: Sell your prompt bundles or digital art directly to your audience.
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Actionable Steps:
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Choose Your Platform: Blog, YouTube, or both.
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Be Consistent: Post new, high-quality content regularly.
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Provide Value: Don’t just show off your art. Teach people the how and the why.
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Potential Earnings: This is a long-term game. It can take 6-12 months to see significant income, but it has the highest potential for scalable, passive income ($1,000 – $10,000+ per month).
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Required Tools: Midjourney, a website/YouTube channel, a passion for teaching.
Conclusion: Your Guide on How to Make Money with Midjourney
Learning how to make money with Midjourney is not about finding a magic prompt; it’s about combining your creativity with a smart business strategy. Start with one method, master it, and then expand. Whether you choose to sell digital art, launch a POD store, or build a brand, the tools are now at your fingertips.
The only question is: what will you create first?