Creator Science, Episode #277: The Best and Worst Income Streams for Creators (Ranked)

Host: Jay Clouse
Date: October 7, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jay Clouse delivers an in-depth breakdown of 15 different revenue streams available to content creators, ranking each based on their potential and effort required (from S to F tier). Drawing on eight years of full-time creator experience, Jay shares real-world numbers, strategic insights, and hard-learned lessons, aiming to help creators identify which income streams fit their stage of growth and long-term aspirations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Programmatic Advertising / AdSense

• Summary:
  Jay starts by debunking common creator assumptions about AdSense, ranking it C tier.
• Pros:
  • "Feels like free money" ([01:24])
  • No effort required once set up ([01:35])
• Cons:
  • Low payouts at most audience sizes
  • Lack of control over advertisers/content
  • Unreliable, can't budget around it
• Quote:
  • "Most creators, YouTubers especially, think getting monetized is having programmatic ads like AdSense. But especially when you're just hitting the threshold for getting monetized on YouTube, this doesn't actually add up to that much money at any audience size." — Jay Clouse ([01:08])

2. Sponsorship and Brand Deals

a. Sponsor Integrations (D tier)

• Pros:
  • Works within existing content; minimal extra work
• Cons:
  • Can erode trust if not vetted
  • May reduce content performance
• Quote:
  • "A bad sponsor integration can burn that trust." — Jay Clouse ([02:18])

b. Dedicated Sponsored Content (D tier)

• Pros:
  • Higher pay than integrations
• Cons:
  • High opportunity cost — time spent making sponsored content can’t be invested elsewhere
• Quote:
  • "Dedicated sponsored content is a short-term win, but kind of a long-term cost." — Jay Clouse ([03:04])
• Personal Earnings:
  $360,000+ since 2022 from sponsorships ([03:25])

3. Content Memberships (A tier)

• Summary:
  Subscription-based access to exclusive/premium content (e.g., paid newsletters, courses).
• Pros:
  • Recurring revenue, more predictable month-to-month
  • Easy value proposition for audience
• Cons:
  • Generally low price point, requires many members for significant income
  • Shorter average subscriber lifespans compared to community memberships
• Quote:
  • "Recurring revenue is the best. It makes month to month finances feel a lot easier, more comfortable and less stressful." — Jay Clouse ([04:31])

4. Done-For-You Services (D tier)

• Summary:
  Directly performing a service for clients (web design, social media management, etc.)
• Pros:
  • Easiest way to start, immediate returns
• Cons:
  • One-off, non-scalable, time-intensive
  • Can prevent work on scalable assets
• Quote:
  • "It's easy to get stuck doing work for clients and never build your own thing that makes money while you sleep." — Jay Clouse ([05:14])

5. Royalties (S tier)

• Summary:
  Passive income from licensing intellectual property.
• Pros:
  • High leverage, truly passive once set up ("mailbox money")
  • Can provide ongoing income from past work
• Cons:
  • Difficult to secure licensing agreements
  • Requires clear IP ownership
• Examples:
  • Publishing (books, courses for LinkedIn Learning)
• Personal Earnings:
  $100,000+ since 2022 ([06:15])
• Quote:
  • "It's hard to do, but when you have it, it is definitely S tier." — Jay Clouse ([06:40])

6. 1:1 Coaching & Consulting (C tier)

• Summary:
  Monetizing your expertise via deep, direct support.
• Pros:
  • Fast to launch, high value for clients
  • Learn directly from your audience
• Cons:
  • Not scalable; income tied to time
  • No reusable asset created
• Personal Earnings:
  $66,000 since 2022 ([07:39])
• Quote:
  • "You sell your time and you have money, but that time is gone and won't be generating any new income for you in the future." — Jay Clouse ([08:19])

7. Affiliate Sales

a. Non-Recurring (C tier)

• Summary:
  Earning a fixed commission for referring customers (Amazon, etc.)
• Cons:
  • Small % for value driven
  • Programs prone to payout cuts
• Quote:
  • "That's still a small cut of a large amount of revenue that you've created for Amazon." — Jay Clouse ([09:35])

b. Recurring (A tier)

• Summary:
  Referring to subscription services; get a percentage as long as the customer stays.
• Pros:
  • Recurring revenue, higher commission rate (30% vs. Amazon's 3%)
  • Low effort to start
• Cons:
  • Programs can get cut or changed
• Personal Earnings:
  $108,000 since 2022 ([10:48])
• Quote:
  • "Because the effort is low and this can become a growing monthly recurring revenue stream, I put this in the A tier." — Jay Clouse ([11:04])

8. User-Generated Content (UGC) for Brands (F tier)

• Summary:
  Creating content for brands to use on their own channels.
• Pros:
  • No audience required
• Cons:
  • Doesn't grow your platform or audience
  • Time-consuming, low upside
• Quote:
  • "You're not growing your own audience. It's eating into your time, which takes away from creating your own content or creating your own products." — Jay Clouse ([11:31])

9. Group Programs (B tier)

• Summary:
  Cohorts or group coaching for multiple clients at a time.
• Pros:
  • More scalable than 1:1
  • Greater earning potential per hour
  • Social component for participants
• Cons:
  • Requires substantial, simultaneous demand
  • Timing/logistics challenges
• Quote:
  • "Your hourly rate is effectively $500. It's like you're getting the benefit of five coaching clients, but at the cost of one." — Jay Clouse ([12:09])

10. Digital Products (B tier)

• Summary:
  Courses, templates, ebooks—sold directly to audience.
• Pros:
  • Owner-controlled, high margin, infinitely scalable
  • Direct relationship with customers
  • "Build once, sell infinitely" potential
• Cons:
  • High initial effort
  • Usually one-time sale (no recurring revenue)
  • Requires updates to stay relevant
• Personal Earnings:
  $321,000 (60% courses, 40% Notion Template Creator HQ) ([13:15])
• Quote:
  • "If you sell a digital product for $100, that's $100 going right into your bank account. Well, minus processing fees." — Jay Clouse ([13:41])

11. Speaking Gigs (C tier, S for some)

• Summary:
  Paid speaking for industry events, conferences, etc.
• Pros:
  • High earning potential for established voices
• Cons:
  • Most events don't pay, or don't pay well
  • Lots of travel, limited scalability
• Personal Earnings:
  • $10,000 highest single gig, $33,000 total since 2022 ([14:24])
• Quote:
  • "Whether you're paid or not, speaking requires a ton of travel. Full-time speakers often spend more nights in hotels than in their own home." — Jay Clouse ([14:49])
• Special Note:
  • If you’re a big name, this could be S tier ([15:28])

12. Event Tickets (B tier)

• Summary:
  Hosting your own events (in-person or virtual) and selling access.
• Pros:
  • Deepens audience relationship
  • Potential for recurring brands/assets
• Cons:
  • Logistical complexity, high upfront risk
  • Unpredictable factors (pandemics, weather, etc.)
• Quote:
  • "You can't even predict the life changing serendipity that happens when people get together." — Jay Clouse ([16:20])

13. Community Memberships (S tier)

• Summary:
  Paid communities focused on member interaction, exclusivity, these often include premium content (e.g., Jay’s “The Lab”).
• Pros:
  • Highest personal earnings, recurring revenue
  • High retention, strong sense of belonging
• Cons:
  • Some value outside creator control (depends on members' engagement)
  • Harder to sell than pure content memberships
• Personal Earnings:
  $1.2M since 2022 from The Lab ([17:33])
• Pricing Example:
  $699, $1999, $3999 tiers ([18:11])
• Quote:
  • "Community memberships have changed my life and the lives of so many other creators that I know. So I'm giving this an S tier rating." — Jay Clouse ([19:15])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On AdSense:
  • "You can monetize more effectively through different revenue streams than programmatic ads, but this does feel like free money." ([01:16])
• On Opportunity Cost:
  • "An opportunity cost means the cost you pay for doing thing A when you could be doing thing B, C, or D instead." ([03:14])
• On Recurrent Affiliates:
  • "Sometimes I send payments of $999.75 for a single referral, and that can recur every year they renew." ([10:26])
• On Community Memberships:
  • "When the value of your membership is in the relationships and interactions you build with other members, some of that is out of your control." ([17:50])

Recommendations & Takeaways ([20:00])

• Best place for beginners:
  Affiliates — low barrier, recurring potential
• Quickest to revenue:
  Consulting & Done-For-You Services — can start with no audience
• Best for longevity:
  Community Memberships — recurring, scalable, high retention
• Missed category:
  Merch/physical products not rated due to lack of direct experience; recommends interviews with Chef PK and Kevin from Epic Gardening for insight.

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 00:00 — Introduction & big picture framework
• 01:00 — AdSense and programmatic advertising
• 02:00 — Sponsorships: integrations vs. dedicated content
• 04:00 — Content memberships
• 05:00 — Done-for-you services
• 06:10 — Royalties/licensing
• 07:30 — 1:1 coaching & consulting
• 09:00 — Affiliates: non-recurring and recurring
• 11:15 — User-generated content (UGC)
• 12:00 — Group programs
• 13:00 — Digital products
• 14:15 — Speaking gigs
• 16:00 — Event tickets
• 17:30 — Community memberships
• 20:00 — Jay’s closing recommendations

Final Rankings at a Glance

| Revenue Stream | Tier | |-------------------------------|-------| | AdSense/Programmatic Ads | C | | Sponsorships (Integrations) | D | | Sponsorships (Dedicated) | D | | Content Memberships | A | | Done-for-You Services | D | | Royalties | S | | Coaching/Consulting (1:1) | C | | Affiliate (Non-Recurring) | C | | Affiliate (Recurring) | A | | User-Generated Content | F | | Group Programs | B | | Digital Products | B | | Speaking Gigs | C* | | Event Tickets | B | | Community Memberships | S |

(*S for high-profile creators)

Overall Tone

Jay employs a candid, pragmatic, and supportive style, underscored by real numbers and honest reflections on the trade-offs of each income stream. He emphasizes self-awareness, prioritizing long-term growth and sustainability over short-term wins.

This summary captures the core ideas, data-driven takeaways, and actionable insights for creators seeking to monetize their content business strategically—with Jay Clouse serving as a transparent, experienced guide.