Busking is the practice of performing in public places for tips and gratuities. It is practiced all over the world by a variety of people and for many reasons. Busking is a way to make money, but more so it is a lifestyle, a craft, an art form and an ethic.

Buskers come from all walks of life and there are as many different styles of busking as there are performers. The key to success as a busker is finding your own style and keeping your act fresh. There are many ways to achieve this but the following tips will help you on your way to being a professional busker.

1. A good hat. The hat is where the money goes. You need to make sure it is not too deep and not too shallow for the kind of performance you are doing. For a one-man band with buckets, a top hat will work well. If you are playing a guitar or accordion, a baseball cap will be more appropriate.

2. A good pitch. Busking pitches are often given out by councils or local authorities and they will be able to tell you what pitches are available in your area and let you know when they come up. Some places prefer buskers to be part of a roster (a list of performers with times that they perform) and some places just have an open pitch policy where anyone can perform at any time as long as no one else is using the pitch at that time.

3. A good attitude. It is important that you enjoy yourself while performing and make sure the audience enjoys themselves too! If people see that you are enjoying yourself, they are more likely to stop and watch your performance or even give you money!

4. Good equipment/props. Having good quality equipment ensures that you will sound professional and look professional which will make people take notice of you more than if your equipment looks battered and old.

Look for areas where there is foot traffic and people are moving slowly. Avoid drive-thrus and places where people are walking quickly because they have a specific destination.

Look for areas with workers (such as a construction site) who are near their vehicles and may want to stop and listen to you. Look for areas where there is a line of people waiting, such as outside a restaurant or an ATM.

Look for areas where there is an audience that is on break, such as a construction site, university campus or hospital.

Look for areas which have temporary additions to the area that make it more of a community space, such as farmers markets, Christmas markets or carnivals.

Look for areas with paying parking meters or standing lines of cars waiting at a stop light (be sure to practice safe busking by not obstructing traffic).

There are a few different ways of Busking. I like to think of them as different “levels”.

If you just stand on the street with your instrument and start playing, that is level 1.

If you play an hour or so each day and make some money, then you are level 2.

If you have a regular spot, play regularly and make enough to live on, then you are level 3.

If you are doing this full time and making a comfortable income then you are level 4.

If you have a good manager and agent and are selling CDs, T-shirts etc then you are level 5.

Level 6 is superstardom! ????

Most buskers never get beyond level 1 or 2, because they don’t know how to move up the levels or they don’t want to put in the effort necessary to move up the levels.

Busking is the act of performing in public places for tips and gratuities. In many countries the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Busking is a form of entertainment that can be enjoyed by the public free of charge; the general public may also have an opportunity to encourage local performers with a tip. In some countries, buskers are considered professionals and may be subject to regulation or laws regarding their activity.

Buskers’ performances vary widely; from solo musicians and dancers, to magicians and comedians. Singing, street theatre, comedy, poetry and puppeteering are among the most common forms of busking.

Busking is illegal in most places, but has been practised around the world for centuries. The first mention of busking was in 15th century Spain when “juglares” (jugglers) were banned by law. It was subsequently practiced all over Europe during the Middle Ages and into the early modern period by wandering minstrels, who played music while dancing or told stories to make money.

In 19th-century North America, travelling entertainers were known as “tramps”. In addition to providing entertainment, buskers might also provide

1. Personality

2. Look the part

3. Location, location, location

4. Be prepared

5. The show must go on

6. Don’t get greedy

7. Respect your audience