A guide to selling digital products on Patreon

Opening a shop on Patreon gives you a simple and meaningful way to earn money with your creative work, directly from your fans. You can sell products in a plethora of digital formats and mediums, from downloadables to videos to songs. With so many options, you might not be sure where to start. But don’t let the seemingly limitless possibilities daunt you.

Whether you’re starting your first shop and need advice on things like pricing, or you have an existing shop on Patreon or elsewhere and you’re looking for new ideas for what to sell, we’ve got you. Here, we offer a smorgasbord of actionable ideas and tips for how to confidently refresh your shop or prepare for your grand opening.

Brainstorm what to sell

If you already have a shop, you’re probably well-versed on digital products. For the uninitiated, here’s a quick primer: Digital products are anything that doesn’t exist in a physical form (think videos, podcast episodes, music, and downloadable files). You can sell any digital product on Patreon and fans can easily buy, access, and enjoy them on any device. Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

Evaluate what’s most popular with your fans (and that you love to share)

Building on the success of your most-loved content can help you get your shop off to a solid start or refresh your listings. To gauge popularity and see what’s working, assess posts with lots of likes and comments; take a look at top-selling items in your Etsy, Shopify, or other e-commerce shops; and run short polls with your fans. Or, think about the work you most love to share with your fans — this could be a good idea of something to list in your Patreon shop. For example, photographer and instructor Sam Hurd sells downloads of some of his most popular workshops. And if you offer membership on Patreon, in your fan relationship management dashboard you can see insights and metrics on what’s winning with fans.

Having a good idea of what’s working, will help you make well-informed decisions about what to feature in your shop and your promotions. It may even inspire you with new ideas for what to create or remix for your shop.

Try one of these popular formats

There’s a world of digital product types you can sell on your Patreon. For more inspiration, consider these ideas for digital products, based on medium and format:

Format	Content types
Video	Full-length feature film or documentary Deleted segments or extended cuts Behind-the-scenes videos Commentary videos Comedy specials Music videos Tutorials
Audio	Podcast episodes Single songs Albums Playlists Live show recordings
Images	Digital prints Concert posters Photo sets
Downloadable files	Design templates 3D printer files Graphic packs E-books Courses
Other	One-on-one virtual sessions Behind-the-scenes footage Individual lessons

Try to resist feelings of doubt or perfectionism about what you’re putting out there and focus on what you can learn from every sale. Consider offering just one type of digital product in your shop to start (this will make it less daunting to take the plunge). You can always add more product types when you’re ready.

Assess what you need to prepare your digital products for sale

What steps do you need to take to tell your digital product’s story in a compelling way? For instance, if you’re selling a video tutorial, you might need to think about a thumbnail or cover art, additional editing or graphics, an engaging description, and any permissions you might require to use third-party content, like music.

Easily sell things you’ve already created

There’s no need to make all-new products — you can list some of your pieces that are popular with fans or have yet to be released. Remember, your shop doesn’t have to add extra work or worry to your plate; you can stock it with the stuff your fans already love.

Here are some more tips for making the most of what you’ve already created:

• Reimagine or remix existing content. Is there anything you’ve made that’s been hiding in a folder or old hard drive — that you’d love to share with a wider audience? Or maybe there are things you’ve shared elsewhere online, like a serial web comic on Instagram or a YouTube tutorial on reading tarot? Maybe you initially offered these things for free but can now repackage and consolidate them in one place for fans (and greater returns over time). Or, you could consider iterating on past successes, like updating a popular illustration with a new color palette or fresh imagery that ties into a holiday or season.
• Excavate your archives. Look through your back catalog and archives for ideas. In your shop, you could offer access to rare or archival footage, cut scenes, archived podcast episodes that fans love but have no way to access, behind-the-scenes footage, or unreleased recordings of your most popular songs. If you offer membership, look through your levels: What can you bring into your shop as a standalone product? For example, role-playing game creator Bob World Builder features a back catalog of à la carte digital downloads in his shop.

How to price your digital products

Your pricing strategy will be unique to what you make, and may depend on a number of factors, including the materials you use, the labor you put in, and your product’s value in the world (since your work does have a price in the market, despite being priceless). Here are some key steps to figure out prices for your products:

• Calculate the cost of materials. How much does your digital product cost to make from beginning to end? If you’re an illustrator creating video tutorials, for example, start with the cost of raw materials (like pencils, paint, and paper) and any tools or equipment that you use to make each tutorial (like an easel and brushes). Remember to include the cost of any production equipment, too, like lighting, camera, mics, or editing software.
• Figure out what your time is worth. Here’s where you can be your biggest cheerleader. What expertise and unique perspective do you bring to the table? Make a list of your special qualifications. These might include the fact that you’ve been freelancing as an illustrator for years or maybe hold a fine arts degree, but they aren’t the only qualifications that matter. Have you taught sewing lessons, for example, or trained others on how to use design software? Chances are, you have a deeper understanding of what makes a good teacher (and therefore, a good tutorial) than the average person, so price your work accordingly.
• Take a cue from other creators’ pricing. Seek out creators doing something similar to what you do and see what their digital products sell for in their shops. If other creators in your industry sell digital illustration tutorials at a price 20% higher than you are, then you might consider raising your prices to better reflect market value.

If you offer membership to your fans, and you’re considering selling your work from one of your membership levels as a stand-alone product, be sure to charge more for that same product in your shop. By “more,” think about how your film, comedy special, or song adds to the value of your membership level and reflect that added value in the price of that same item in your shop.

There are two important reasons to price this way: First, fans are more likely to sign up for a membership to snag a deal on the product they’ve got their eyes on (yay!). Second, you’ll avoid potentially devaluing your work by selling it at a lower price than what it would cost as part of membership.

Ready to open a Patreon shop? For early access to Commerce, join the waitlist.

How to promote your digital products

Once you’ve filled your shop with an array of goodies (or even just one!), it’s time to open your virtual doors and welcome customers. You can use Patreon’s built-in promotional tools to share product pages on other platforms and in your creator home, and grow your customer base from all corners of the internet.

Here are strategies for getting the word out about your new shop:

• Announce your shop’s opening. Let the world know that your shop is open for business! When making your initial post, focus on your largest, most engaged platforms for maximum impact. You can even take your announcement offline. And, to share a product directly in your feed on Patreon, create a post featuring the product front and center for your members.
• Make a video announcement. Video is a powerful form of communication to ensure your audience understands what you’re saying and takes appropriate action (like checking out your shop and, fingers crossed, buying something). There’s no need to make it an elaborate affair, though — short and sweet works well. (For example: “Hey everyone! I’m excited to announce that my shop is opening on July 28. Here’s what you can expect to see.”) If you already release regular video updates, you can just fold your shop-opening announcement into your next one.
• Get creative with eye-catching visuals. What might increase the likelihood that someone will visit your shop? To grab your audience’s attention, try creating and sharing GIFs or other alluring imagery to get folks interested.
• Regularly remind your fans. In newsletters, social media posts, and wherever you interact with people who love what you do, gently and regularly nudge your audience to check out your products. “You can’t over-communicate,” says M3DM’s Mia Benzien, based on experience. (Pro tip: Mia bundles files of her 3D models for tabletop role-playing games so that her fans can access a single collection — rather than the entire vault that’s available to her paid members.)
• Cross-promote your products: If you sell a similar or complementary digital product, try including a shout-out and link to the related item to drum up interest. Or, mention relevant products in other channels. If you host a podcast, for instance, use your public episodes to tell listeners about bonus or extended episodes available in your shop. If you’re a musician, you might create a post on Patreon with behind-the-scenes footage on how you wrote a song and embed the digital listing for the song right in the post.

Ready, set, sell!

The most important thing to remember: Experimentation is your friend. Don’t wait around for the elusive “perfect” idea for what to list in your shop. Instead, choose one or two of the tips that resonate with you from what we’ve shared here. Use these tips to guide your next move and see what resonates with your customers. With patience and persistence, you’ll master the art of operating a shop filled with meaning for you — and fun possibilities for your fans — before you know it.

Ready to open a Patreon shop? For early access to Commerce, join the waitlist. For more ideas on spreading the word about your shop, get a slate of ideas on how to promote your Patreon.