The world, like us, is changing. Digital artists no longer have limited choices for monetizing their work. Thanks to the internet, you may now sell digital assets online from the comfort of your home. There are numerous online markets where you may sell digital files as a digital artist, but finding the finest ones expedites sales and allows you to reach the correct audience. Here is a list of the best marketplaces where digital artists can sell their assets online.
Creative Market
This is the first online platform that started the sale of artwork and other digital goods. With more than 8 million users and over 280 000 buyable items, it is known as the "home of digital assets." To begin, simply create an account or sign in if you already have one. Once logged in, you can list your products without waiting for approval. Their desire to confirm that you are the valid owner of the artwork you wish to display sometimes makes the selection process challenging.
Any sale you make on their market is subject to a 40% commission fee. The products bought here can be downloaded and are licensed for personal, commercial, and extended commercial use at different price ranges.
Etsy
With over 5 million users, Etsy is one of the most popular and largest online marketplaces. At least 120 million products were available on Etsy's marketplace as of December 31st, 2021. The site generated total sales, or gross merchandise sales (GMS), of US$13.5 billion. This demonstrates how large of a platform this is for your items. It exposes your artwork to a large audience and allows you to connect with possible customers. However, you should be aware that competition is fierce in this market because of the enormous number of artists attempting to sell their work. One drawback of Etsy is that customers can open an account and list their products instantly without waiting for approval. Due to this, the market is saturated, and it is challenging to stand out.
Getting started on Etsy is a simple procedure. All you have got to do is sign up with your email address, choose a shop choice, list your products, and configure your shop policies. Etsy charges a 20 cents listing fee, a 6.5% transaction fee, and a 3%+0.25 payment processing fee on any sales made in the marketplace. Shipping costs are not included.
Design Cuts
I recommend this to digital artists looking to sell their work. This curated online platform is known for its distinctive and high-quality product collection that appeals to its target audience and exceptional customer service. It features a free sign-up but a difficult selection process; if you pass that, your artwork will be exposed to its enormous audience. It may have a much smaller audience than Etsy and the creative market, but competition is also considerably lower. As a result, you do feel confident that your product will reach the intended audience. If they are delighted, you will profit handsomely.
As with any other platform, design cuts have a disadvantage: "50% on all sales." Yes, you read that correctly! They take 50% of all sales made through the platform. In their defense, they utilize this to provide exceptional customer assistance, product license inquiries, and product curation, among other things, ensuring that your products do not get lost in a sea of lower-quality products.
Gumroad
It is an excellent digital marketplace platform that I would recommend to newcomers. It enables you to sell digital services without paying a listing or membership fee. You only need to post your artwork and interact with potential buyers. They take 9% of each sale you make, with the amount decreasing based on how much you have made on the marketplace. Gumroad has over 100,000 creators who have made over $600 million on their platform. It boasts a 600,000-person audience and a collection of digital materials twice that size. It offers a straightforward user interface, a low cost, and a free plan available to its users. Overall, it is a great marketplace for selling your digital assets, with few to no disadvantages.
Amazon
In my opinion, this is a platform no one needs to be introduced to. Amazon is one of the world's largest trading platforms. Some people would argue that it is the best trading platform available. Amazon has approximately 200 million monthly users, so what better platform to trade your assets as a digital artist than here? It is an excellent platform for listing your digital files and reaching out to a large audience. As a digital artist, you can list your products on Amazon Fine Art, and if they are authorized, you will receive $0.99 for each sale. Amazon's clearance process is relatively simple.
Furthermore, Amazon has an advantage over other digital trading platforms due to its long-standing credibility. One advantage of selling on Amazon is that you don't have to worry about sales. Because of the platform's widespread use, you can be confident that your products will reach the intended audience.
Fine Art America
Fineartamerica bills itself as "the world's largest art marketplace." I'd say that's a stretch, but they're not far off. Having sold more than 5 million works of art, Fineartamerica has a 4.57-star rating from customers. This suggests that the majority of customers are typically happy with their purchases. Fine Art America is the preferred platform for independent artists worldwide to sell their works. You can create a free account with them, upload your digital files, choose your selling price, and you're ready to start selling. Once you've registered, you can post up to 30 works of art for sale. Fineartamerica takes care of your order processing and shipping, for which they charge a fee of $30 a year. If you ask me, that's a steal.
The one disadvantage for digital artists is that they provide a 30-day 100% money back guarantee on things purchased, but you shouldn't be concerned because I'm confident that what you want to sell is unique. If so, you might want to consider another site, lol.
UGallery
This is one of my top three known sites for selling digital art. Founded in 2006, it is a curated online art gallery based in San Francisco, California. It is an e-commerce platform that connects artists with buyers directly through its website. The estimated value of the online art market in 2014 was $2.64 billion. This demonstrates the size of the market. UGallery has a global following of art collectors, artists, and interior designers from over 50 countries. This online gallery and art marketplace is ideal for novices because it exposes everyone's artwork regardless of quality. To stand out here, you must make exceptional artwork.
The application process at UGallery is quite selective. To sell on their site, you must submit copies of your artwork, a $5 application fee, and an artist statement. Once authorized, they will publicize your artwork to their target audience. Although their sales are shared 50/50, they are responsible for packing and transporting the goods to the buyer. So, before you decide to sell here, you should weigh the benefits and downsides.
Saatchi Art
It is a global art gallery and online marketplace with over 12 million views and 1.6 million monthly visitors. Saatchi has more than 1.1 million followers on social media, a collection of more than 1.4 million original works of art, and a presence in more than a hundred nations. Therefore, Saatchi might beat out every other platform in terms of exposure. The competition for sales would be one of Saatchi's most significant disadvantages. Even with its massive audience and following, competition is still fierce.
You risk not making any sales if you don't take the essential steps, such as crafting compelling art descriptions, utilizing relevant keywords, and blogging about the artwork you sell. You must set up a profile and upload your artwork to begin using this platform. You must also create compelling artwork descriptions that reflect your asking price to succeed. Saatchi levies a 35% commission fee on every transaction made through its platform, and they also handle the artwork's shipment.
