Most AI side hustle content focuses on the same few high-profile niches like content creation or chatbot building. But beneath the noise, there are quieter, lower-competition opportunities that regular people are using to build real income streams. This analysis breaks down five such avenues, based on a YouTube video that walks through each one step-by-step. None of these are get-rich-quick schemes, but they are practical, repeatable, and worth exploring if you're looking for a side income that doesn't require a huge audience or technical background.
Market Opportunity
The common thread among these five side hustles is that they all rely on tools that are widely available but underutilized. While thousands of creators are chasing the same AI art or copywriting gigs, opportunities like book formatting, faceless music channels, and digital printables have far less saturation. The market for self-published books, ambient music content, and niche digital products continues to grow, and AI can significantly lower the barrier to entry. The key is to pick a niche where you can deliver quality quickly, without competing head-to-head with established players.
Why This Matters
For anyone looking to make money with AI in 2026, the window is still open for these specific models. The video highlights that these are "quiet" opportunities—meaning they don't require you to become an influencer or spend hours on social media. Instead, they leverage automation and AI to produce assets that sell while you sleep. This matters because the AI gold rush has mostly been about tools and hype; the real money is in applying AI to existing markets where demand is steady but supply is thin.
Existing Examples
Based on the video's description and timestamps, here are the five side hustles mentioned, along with the tools involved:
• AI Book Formatting (Claude): Use Claude to format or reformat books for self-publishing platforms like Amazon KDP. This could include interior layout, chapter structuring, or even generating content for specific genres.
• Faceless AI Music Channels (Suno & CapCut): Create music or ambient tracks using Suno, then pair them with video loops in CapCut to run faceless YouTube or streaming channels. No face, no voice—just music and visuals.
• AI Web Development (ZipWP & Cloudways): Build client websites using AI website builders like ZipWP, hosted on Cloudways. This is a classic service business: you design, build, and maintain sites for small businesses or individuals.
• Print-On-Demand Phone Cases (Printify & Etsy): Design phone cases using AI-generated artwork, then sell them on Etsy through Printify's print-on-demand model. No inventory, low risk.
• Vintage Junk Journal Printables (Etsy): Create digital printable kits for junk journaling—a popular craft niche—using AI to generate vintage-style elements. Sell as PDF downloads on Etsy.
These aren't hypothetical; they are actively being done by people, as claimed in the video. However, because there is no revenue data or case study, results may vary widely.
How Someone Could Build This
Each of these side hustles follows a similar playbook:
1. Pick one niche from the list. Do not try to do all five at once.
2. Learn the tool stack—for example, Claude for book formatting, Suno for music, ZipWP for websites, Canva or Midjourney for designs, etc.
3. Create an initial product or service offering. For printables, that means designing a few journal kits. For music, producing a handful of tracks.
4. List or sell on the appropriate platform: Etsy for printables and phone cases, Fiverr/Upwork for book formatting, YouTube or streaming platforms for music, and local outreach for web development.
5. Automate where possible—use templates, batch production, and scheduling to reduce hands-on time.
Execution details are sparse in the source, so you'll need to experiment and iterate. The advantage is that these niches are not crowded, meaning you can learn while building without facing a thousand competitors.
Business Potential
The potential income from these side hustles varies. Based on typical rates for similar services:
• Book formatting: $50–$200 per book, depending on complexity.
• Faceless music channels: Ad revenue from YouTube or streaming platforms; typical for a small channel might be $50–$500/month after several months of consistent uploads.
• Web development: $500–$2,000 per site, plus maintenance fees.
• Print-on-demand phone cases: $10–$20 profit per sale, lower volume but scalable with many designs.
• Digital printables: $2–$10 per sale, but can add up with a large catalog and passive sales.
These are editorial estimates, not confirmed figures from the source. Success depends on marketing, quality, and persistence. None of these are likely to generate full-time income overnight, but they can become meaningful side streams with consistent effort.
Key Takeaways
• Low-competition AI side hustles exist, but they require picking a niche and sticking with it.
• Tools like Claude, Suno, ZipWP, and Printify make these accessible to anyone with basic digital skills.
• Avoid the hype cycles—focus on producing real value for a specific audience (authors, music lovers, small business owners, crafters).
• Revenue is not guaranteed; treat these as experiments that can grow over time.
• The biggest risk is spreading yourself too thin. Pick one path, learn it deeply, and only expand once you have traction.
For a full walkthrough of these five ideas, check out the original video by Joshua Mayo on YouTube. It provides more context and potentially step-by-step demonstrations.
Original video
This article is based on the original YouTube video from Joshua Mayo. Watch the source here:
