1. Change your act regularly.
2. Develop a niche.
3. Make money with your mind, not your hands.
4. No animals allowed!
5. Don’t be a jerk.
As you may have guessed, these tips are not taken from the book “How to get rich as a street performer.” They come from a blog post called “5 Busking Tips How Professional Street Performers Earn Cash” by Jessica Raines and are full of wisdom that can be applied to any business or career.
The Five Most Important Things A Busker Must Have.
1. A Strong, Unique Act That Stands Out From The Crowd
2. Ability To Draw A Crowd and Hold Their Attention
3. Confidence and Personality
4. Gimmicks To Pull In The Crowds
5. Professionalism
By busker I mean street entertainer or street performer – an umbrella term for anyone who earns money from entertaining people in a public place. Although some may think of the traditional, accordion-playing, hat-wearing old man when they hear the word, it also includes everything from musicians to fire-eaters, jugglers to mime artists and acrobats to magicians. Creating a good act that stands out from the crowd is essential if you want to earn money busking. You’ll need to do something different and memorable, with your own twist on an old classic or a new idea altogether – whatever it takes to make yourself distinct from other buskers in the area. If you’re just starting out, try busking with friends but once you’ve got your act sorted, go it alone and avoid competing with others for space and audiences because this will dilute your income (see below).
There are a multitude of ways to earn cash as a busker, and in this article we’re going to talk about how you can get the most money out of your street performance. I’ll be drawing on the experience of busking with my band, PHOX, at the world-famous Milwaukee Summerfest (a ten-day music festival that features over 800 acts). There’s a ton of info on the web about making money as a street performer, but most of it is outdated or just plain wrong
Here are five tips that have helped us make bank performing on the streets.
1. Set up near a venue
Don’t perform too far away from your venue. Of course, you don’t want to be right in front of the entrance, but you want to be close enough that people can hear you and still want to see what’s inside. If you’re too far away, people might stick around for your show instead of checking out what’s inside. If you’re too close, people will think they’ve already seen the show and not pay for it.
2. Don’t perform for free
It’s okay to play for free once in a while just for fun (and if someone invites you), but avoid soliciting free performances. The more
Tip 1. Find a Location
Before you hit the street with your busking act you need to find a good location. Good locations are where there is lots of pedestrian traffic throughout the day. The more people that walk by the more money you will make.
The best locations are intersections and crowded shopping areas or markets. These places have a constant flow of people walking by all day and you will generate lots of money.
Tip 2. Find Your Busking Act
You need to find something unique to do on the street that will attract people and get them involved in what you’re doing. If you can get people involved in your performance they will be more inclined to give you money as a token of appreciation for your performance.
If you’re playing music, play it loud enough so people can hear it from a distance and give them time to stop and listen for a bit before putting their money into your collection hat.
If you’re doing magic tricks or juggling, draw in a few people first and then create a bigger crowd by having them stick around to watch your act and put money in your hat after each trick/routine.
Tip 3. Play Often
One of the most important things about busking is playing often so that people know when they can
Busking doesn’t have to be a part time gig. In fact, some of the most successful street performers do it as their primary job. I was just in Chicago, and I managed to meet up with 3 of them while I was there.
I love going to big cities that have vibrant street performing cultures, because I get to see the best of the best, and these guys are at the top of their game. They’re making a living from busking.
Here’s what they had to say about how they do it:
1. Be Unique and Original
Being unique and original is not as easy as it sounds. It takes a lot of hard work, practice and dedication to master a craft that will make you stand out among the crowd.
Give yourself time. If you are just starting out in the world of busking, don’t expect to be a star on day one.
2. Perfection: Practice makes Perfect
Practice your act in front of friends and family to get feedback on what works and what doesn’t work. Once you have perfected your act, then begin practicing in public places such as parks or local markets.
3. Show off Your Skills
It is important to show off your best tricks early in the show to gain the attention of passersby and then if possible, invite them to come closer for a better view so they can see how good you really are.
4. Music: The Universal Language
Music is a universal language that can be used to communicate with people from all different backgrounds and cultures. If you can play an instrument or sing, do so! Otherwise, use a CD player or boombox with prerecorded music to accompany your act.
5. Interaction With the Audience: Interact with Your
1. Do not play the same songs everyone else does.
2. Don’t just play covers, write your own music.
3. Choose your location wisely.
4. Talking to the audience is a good thing!
5. Be creative!