PI · 10 entries
Passive & Investing
Returns primarily funded by previously supplied capital, property, or intellectual property rather than current hours worked.
Excludes: Businesses marketed as passive but requiring active operations; Guaranteed-return schemes; Ordinary wages.
Subcategory brief
Royalties: Follow the Rights and the Royalty Chain
Reader question: Which right is licensed, who collects, which deductions apply, and when does the statement arrive?
- Identify the right and owner
- Define gross/net and recoupment
- Reconcile statements by period and territory
Ways to earn & platforms
Default sort: usefulness and evidence — not highest risk first.
ASCAP writer performance royalties
A legitimate performance-rights route for songwriters, valuable for collecting existing use but incapable of guaranteeing performances.
SoundExchange digital performance royalties
An essential collection route for eligible U.S. digital sound-recording performances, not a method for creating demand by itself.
Amazon KDP book royalties
A credible self-publishing channel with broad reach, where most of the work and capital arrive before uncertain reader demand.
DistroKid music royalties
A legitimate music distributor with straightforward release tools, while listener demand and delayed store reporting dominate actual royalty outcomes.
TuneCore music distribution
A credible music distribution service with multiple plans, requiring careful comparison of fees and revenue shares against uncertain demand.
Adobe Stock contributor royalties
A credible stock-licensing channel with clear royalty documentation, but acceptance and search placement do not establish customer demand.
Shutterstock contributor royalties
A legitimate stock-media marketplace with durable licensing potential and intense competition, rejection, and discoverability uncertainty.
ACX audiobook royalties
A legitimate audiobook production and distribution marketplace with long lead times and significant sales and production uncertainty.
IngramSpark book compensation
A credible professional distribution route whose wholesale reach comes with complex print-cost, discount, and return economics.
Known scam patterns
Describes mechanics. Does not accuse a legitimate company merely because scammers impersonate it.