Artificial Intelligence (AI) has unlocked revolutionary new ways for artists, designers and entrepreneurs to harness creativity and generate income. AI art tools like DALL-E 2, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion place the power of art creation into the hands of anyone with an idea.
In this comprehensive guide, we will explore 15 proven and tested methods to make money with these transformative AI art generators as an entrepreneur or creator.
1. Sell AI Art on Online Marketplaces
Online platforms like Etsy, Redbubble and Society6 allow creators to easily sell printed AI artworks, merchandise with AI art, NFTs and more. Setting up a shop and uploading new unique pieces regularly helps build an audience.
Marketplaces like ArtStation, DeviantArt, and Creative Market are dedicated to digital art sales. Artists can sell original AI art as prints and NFTs as well as take commissions from buyers.
Tip: Take cues from trending themes and styles on each platform. Limited edition prints and series add exclusivity.
2022 AI art sales on ArtStation: $8 million
2022 sales of AI-generated NFTs: $300+ million
2. License AI Art for Commercial Use
Licensing artwork allows businesses to use your AI art commercially in return for royalties. Top stock image sites like Shutterstock, Getty Images, Adobe Stock, and DepositPhotos are now accepting AI art to license.
Businesses frequently need unique art for advertising, merchandise, books, articles, and presentations. The royalties from licensing add up over time as your work gets used.
Tip: Read licensing terms carefully. Provide titles, tags and descriptions for discoverability across use cases.
Global licensing industry market size: $2.2 billion
3. Create Custom AI Portraits
Offer AI-powered portrait services to convert photos into art styles like Andy Warhol pop art, anime stylizations, futuristic cyberpunk, oil paintings, and more.
Market heavily on social media and creative marketplaces. Run contests for free AI portrait giveaways to gain traction. Consider offering add-ons like printed or framed portraits.
Tip: Ensure proper image rights and permissions. Be upfront about turnaround times based on complexity.
Average price for AI portrait commissions: $50-$300
4. Design Merchandise and Apparel
Reach out to brands and businesses to create unique AI-generated designs for t-shirts, phone cases, posters and other merchandise. Translate their brand identity into stylish graphics.
You can also set up merch print-on-demand accounts with suppliers like Printful, Redbubble, Teespring to sell merchandise with your own AI art. Promote merch through social media campaigns and influencers.
Tip: Analyze competitors and identify in-demand merch gaps. Prioritize reusable and eco-friendly products.
Print on demand market size by 2028: $9.5 billion
5. Teach AI Art Creation
Conduct online or in-person workshops teaching enthusiasts how to generate AI art using DALL-E, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion and other leading tools.
Topics can cover art prompts, styling outputs, guiding the AI creatively, fixing errors, editing AI artworks, etc. Host classes on Skillshare, Udemy or your own website with a video component.
Tip: Provide student discounts and bundles. Remain accessible to beginners while revealing insider techniques.
Global e-learning market size by 2028: $457 billion
6. Offer a Subscription Service
Build recurring revenue with a subscription service for AI art. Offer members fresh artworks, wallpapers, prompts, tutorials, etc. every month.
Providing varying subscription tiers with bonuses for top-tier subscribers can boost perceived value. Cross-sell subscriptions with your online art shop.
Tip: Survey potential subscribers to assess interest and pricing thresholds. Offer limited early access deals.
Global subscription e-commerce market by 2025: $478 billion
7. Create AI Animations
Leverage AI art generators to efficiently create animated explainer videos, music visualizers, short films, and motion graphics. This provides a quicker and more cost-effective service compared to traditional animation.
Offer your services to startups, businesses, educators, social media influencers and video creators seeking unique animations that capture audience attention.
Tip: Study animation and motion design principles to enhance quality. Offer add-ons like voiceovers and music.
Global animation industry market size by 2028: $699 billion
8. Generate Assets for Games
Game developers need vast amounts of graphics, environments, characters, UI elements, etc. Apply your AI skills to design gaming art assets tailored for various game genres and art styles.
Sell these assets on marketplaces like ArtStation, Unity Asset Store, Unreal Marketplace used by indie developers and gaming studios. Offer custom asset creation services too.
Tip: Analyze top-selling gaming art styles and assets across platforms. Offer bundles and loyalty discounts.
Global gaming market size in 2024: $184 billion
9. Restore Photos and Artworks
Leverage AI capabilities to repair and restore old, damaged or low-resolution photos and artworks. AI analysis can plausibly fill in missing sections, recreate lost details, colorize black-and-white images, and enhance image quality.
Appeal to historians, museums, private collectors, and everyday clients looking to preserve treasured images and artworks digitally or in print form.
Tip: Curate before/after restoration samples to showcase your skills. Offer sliding scale pricing for non-profits.
Global art market size in 2021: $65 billion
10. Curate AI Art Exhibitions
Organize online or physical art exhibitions showcasing AI-generated works around thought-provoking themes. Foster a community around AI art by integrating interactive elements and audience participation.
Monetize through exhibit tickets, branded sponsorships, merchandise and artwork sales. Record and sell exhibition videos as NFTs or online courses.
Tip: Consider pop-up exhibits in high foot traffic areas. Auction exclusive artworks or collaboration pieces.
Digital art NFT sales in 2021: $5.9 billion
11. Mint and Sell AI Art NFTs
Create series of original AI artworks and sell them as NFTs through marketplaces like OpenSea, Rarible, SuperRare, Foundation etc.
Promote your NFT drops through giveaways, engaging backstories, roadmap promises, and communities cultivated on Twitter and Discord. Maintain buzz with regular new releases.
Tip: Analyze trending NFT niches across genres like anime, fantasy, sci-fi, abstract, etc.
Total NFT sales volume in 2024: $25 billion
12. Develop Indie Games and Apps
Offer your AI art generation services to indie game developers, mobile developers and SaaS companies to create more engaging and beautiful visuals for their products on a budget.
For a flat or monthly fee, you can provide ongoing art, graphics and assets tailored to their needs and brand style, saving them tremendous time and costs.
Tip: Study competitors to stand out on creative marketplaces like Upwork. Provide discounted trial periods.
Global app industry market size by 2025: $407 billion
13. Provide AI Photo Enhancement
Leverage AI to provide professional photo enhancement services to individuals and businesses. Offer automated improvements like upscaling, colorizing, increasing resolution as well as artistic effects.
Appeal to photographers, influencers, advertisers, and social media managers who require high-quality visuals that capture audience attention.
Tip: Curate before/after samples. Provide package deals for bulk orders and loyalty discounts. Stay atop latest AI techniques.
Global photographic services market size by 2028: $126 billion
14. Design AI-Powered Chatbots
Businesses are keen to integrate artistry into their chatbots to make interactions more visually engaging. Offer to design personalized, AI-generated chatbot avatars and interfaces.
As an add-on, offer to program generative interactions where the chatbot art adapts in real-time to user messaging themes.
Tip: Study competitors on freelancing platforms. Offer free design samples to garner initial contracts.
Chatbot market size by 2027: $102 billion
15. Incorporate AI Art into Websites
Offer AI-enhanced web design services to add artistic flair to websites. Unique AI art can be integrated into headers, logos, backgrounds, page borders, icons, concept art and more.
Appeal to digital agencies, startups and small businesses focused on creative designs that capture attention and convey brand identity.
Tip: Curate design samples across industries like tech, retail, marketing, gaming, music, etc. Offer logos and branding together.
Global website design industry size in 2024: $108 billion
AI art generation represents an immense growth opportunity for enterprising creators to monetize their skills in innovative ways. We hope this guide provided inspiration as well as actionable advice on integrating these tools into profitable and sustainable business ventures. The possibilities are truly endless!
