A Few Tips to Make Your Street Busking Project Successful and Enjoyable
This is a blog written on how to make the most out of busking and turning it into a profession.
I have been busking for 3 years now, the last year being full time, I quit my job and now it’s my main source of income. I’ve been in many locations around the world and have learned from other buskers what works best and what doesn’t work. I would like to share with you some of these tips so that you can improve your show and make more money, or at least enjoy what you do more.
The following video is about a few tips on how to make your street busking project successful and enjoyable.
The first tip is to have the right gear. Street busking has very specific gear needs. I will talk about them throughout this video, but just know that it’s important that you get it right.
Second, do not try to make money right away!!! If you want to make money, get a job! Busking is a way of making enough money to stay on the road, not a way of making your living. So if you are looking for a way of making your living, look elsewhere. It takes time to build up an audience; in fact it takes years. So don’t be too disappointed when those first few shows don’t pay off so well. The key is to stick with it and keep getting better at what you do.
Third, have fun! That may sound obvious, but for many people there is a tendency to get caught up in the technical aspects of busking and forget why they started in the first place: to have fun playing music! So remember that if you are having fun, chances are that your audience is having fun as well!
The last thing you want to do is to create the perception you are begging. Asking for money is a turn-off, but asking for applause can be appealing.
If you are playing for your own pleasure and not for an audience, that’s ok too. It’s all about the music and the vibe. Just don’t expect anyone to pay attention or give you money if that’s what you are doing.
Busking is one of the purest expressions of art; it expresses freedom and creativity in a way other forms cannot match. It is working to create something out of nothing while making people happy, and finding a way to survive in the process!
But like everything else in this world, it has its ups and downs. If you’re thinking of taking on this challenge for yourself, read on for some tips on how to make your street busking project successful and enjoyable!
Here are some things that will help you make your street busking project successful and enjoyable.
1. Choose a Good Busking Location
2. Make Sure You Have the Right Permit
3. Start Small
4. Play with the Crowd
5. Take Breaks
6. Always Be Building Your Following
7. Street Performers Are Entertainers First
1. Start Today
Many people dream of being a successful busker, making their living from playing music on the street. But few actually begin their busking career.
2. Find Your Niche
You will have more success if you play your own music, rather than cover songs, as the general public will not be familiar with your music and therefore may not feel it is worth stopping to listen.
3. Research
When you first start busking, do some research on where you should set up shop. This can be done by checking out other buskers or by asking locals or security guards around the area.
4. Be Entertaining
If you choose to go down the route of playing covers, pick some songs that are recognizable and popular but are also a challenge to perform, so that people want to watch and hear you play them.
5. Show Off
Make sure what you are doing is entertaining in itself; remember that people walk past hundreds of musicians every day, so you have to catch their attention somehow! The easiest way is to make sure that what you are doing is visually appealing and different enough from other street performers (who are usually guitarists) that people stop and watch! 6. Have Fun! One of the best things about
It is better to be on a busy street where people are walking. But you have to keep the noise level down. A crowded sidewalk or mall is not a good place, because people will be distracted by what others are doing.
You can do “line-of-sight” busking, where you set up in one spot and play for as long as you wish. Or you can go from person to person, playing for a minute or two, then moving on. You still need a setup spot, but it can be just your backpack with an extra shirt in it while you are playing.
If you want to play all day and make your living at it, you need to get out of the cold, wind, rain and snow. If there are stores around that don’t mind street musicians, they can provide shelter when the weather is bad. If a store lets you use their bathroom, tip them a buck or two now and then (you’ll get more business that way). Try to find out which stores like street performers and which don’t.
There are many ways to make money out street performing. The most common are busking, singing and playing an instrument, juggling, magic tricks, clowning or miming. These are just a few of the many ways to make money with your street performance.
The first thing you need to do is find a good spot for your performance. This can be a busy downtown area with lots of tourists, a train or subway station where people are waiting for trains and have time to watch you perform, or even in front of a popular restaurant that has people waiting outside for tables. You could also perform on the corner of a busy intersection during rush hour traffic if you have a nice voice or play the guitar well, as long as it’s not illegal.
Once you have decided on your spot and have gotten permission from the owner, whether it’s a shopkeeper or police officer, then you will need to do some promotion before your show starts. Hang up flyers all over the place so people know when and where they can see your show. Print up business cards so they can contact you if they want to hire you for another performance somewhere else.