Ever wonder how to get started as a street performer?
I talked with a talented busker in Boston who shared some great insights and advice.
Here is what he had to say:
How to get started as a busker
My name is JV and I am a street performer.
I love busking and I love sharing what I’ve learned as a street performer with other people who are also interested in busking.
In this article, you’ll find some insight from my experience as a busker, advice for getting started as a busker and links to other great resources for buskers.
This article contains some affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase something.
I’m also happy to answer any questions about busking that you might have so please feel free to leave me a comment at the bottom of this post and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible with an answer!
As a “busker” (street performer) I’ve made my living in some of the most fun and challenging places on the planet. From Hollywood to Minneapolis, to New York and most recently, Barcelona.
My goal is to give you some ideas and insight into the world of busking so that you can get out there and start making your own music and money on the street.
I have a few tips for you if you are thinking about getting started as a busker. Busking is not hard, but it can be intimidating at first. The biggest barrier to entry is overcoming your fear of performing in front of strangers. Once that hurdle is jumped over, there are a lot of little things that will help you in your busking career. I’ll try to cover them here along with stories from my own experiences on the street corner.
Hi, I’m Toni. I’m a busker.
I am a professional street performer, and on this blog I will share my experiences and advice with you.
I’ve been playing guitar on the streets of Melbourne for over ten years, and it has been an unbelievably valuable experience. I’ve met some truly amazing people, had some thrilling experiences and made a lot of money. I’m not a busking expert, just a guy who loves to play and has found a way to do it that works really well.
So here are my insights, in the hope that they help someone out there get started. Here is my advice for buskers:
I am a street performer. I perform on the streets of downtown San Francisco. I perform magic, juggling and music. I am writing this hub to pass on my experiences and the things that I have learned about busking.
I had been in bands for many years before trying busking. It was very hard to get people to come out to our shows. After a show we would have a few friends come up and talk to us but most people would just walk away. When we tried busking we found that it is much easier to get people to stop and talk when you are performing on the street because they are passing by anyway and you are more likely to attract their attention. It’s also easier for them to walk away if they don’t like what you’re doing so there is less pressure for them then at a show where they paid money for a ticket, found parking, etc…
I’ve been playing as a busker for 3 years now. I love it. I’ve made enough to pay off my uni debts and still have money left over to go travelling with. It’s been a great experience and I’d recommend it to anyone else who has some musical talent.
The first thing you need is the right equipment. You can’t lug a grand piano around with you, but you can get a keyboard which packs up into a suitcase. You’ll find that most of the people that walk past will ignore you, but those who do stop to listen will often be very generous.
I think my most successful gig was in London, I managed to get £180 in less than 2 hours! Just make sure that you have plenty of change and an effective way of displaying your money so that passers-by can see how successful you are – this encourages them to give more!
