Busking is a great way to make extra money. You can use your music or other talents to help you earn extra cash. Playing in public places for tips is called busking. Some performers would call it street performing or street art. How much money you make depends on the location of the performance, the time of day, and your performance skills.
I am going to give you some tips on how to get paid for playing a busking gig. I am going to start with the best advice I have received from my friend Jeff Willet.
“Perform where people are”. At first this was not good advice for me because I did not know how to play my songs in public yet. Becoming comfortable playing in public first was necessary before I could get paid playing a busking gig. Once I played in front of strangers more often I became more comfortable and confident in my performances which helped me become successful at making money through busking.
The next tip is to perform in areas with heavy foot traffic. This means that you want people walking by your performance area frequently so that many people will hear your music and hopefully stop and listen and even tip you some cash as they pass by.
The last piece of advice that I got from Jeff Willet was
Busking can be fun and profitable. But getting paid playing a busking gig is not as easy as it sounds.
There are many factors that go into getting paid for a performance. The most important is the audience.
Getting a crowd to listen to your act is hard enough, but getting them to pay you for it is even harder. So unless you are in the rare situation of being able to blow people away like this, you will need to be prepared with a solid sales pitch and a way to make it fast.
A busker’s pitch should be short, sweet and to the point. It should include three things:
1) What you are offering (“A free show!”)
2) Why they should listen (“We’re awesome!”)
3) How they can get more information about you (“Check out our website!”).
Busking is street performing, and although it is a very old tradition, it’s still alive and well today. Busking can be from singing or playing an instrument to juggling, magic tricks, comedy routines and other forms of entertainment. The gig is performed on the street for tips from anyone who watches. It’s like performing at a party; you’re only paid if people like what you do. People tip money into open guitar cases or hats left on the ground in front of the performer. It’s not a bad living, especially if you know how to market yourself.
Make sure you have the right permits and licenses. Contact your local police department or city hall to find out what they require for buskers in your area. Most cities require a permit that costs anywhere from $10 to $40 per year. You can get a general busker license or one that allows you to perform in specific city parks.
Get some professional-looking business cards made up with your name, photo and phone number on them. Also include any website information you have so people can contact you after they’ve seen you perform.
Make flyers with your name, phone number and a photograph of yourself posted all over town advertising an upcoming show in a particular place at a specific time and date
I’ve been asked many times about how to get a paid gig. Here’s my take on it.
Busking is a performance, a show that you put on for an audience. The busker can be a singer, a juggler, a magician, a dancer or any other type of performer. Busking is usually done in public places such as trains, streets and busy markets.
Whether you’re just starting out or you are an experienced busker, there are lots of ways you can make money by busking.
How to earn money?
Money is made through the collection of donations during or after your performance. So if you want to perform for money, you have to consider what you will do with the crowd and how you will collect the money from them. You may need to take out your hat for people to throw change in (if it’s not raining), or place a bucket nearby that people can drop their spare change into. Or perhaps create something that people can buy like CDs or live recordings of your performance (if it’s possible).
Busking is a great way to make money! I’ve been busking for the last 12 years in just about every city possible. I’ve made over $100,000 busking and wouldn’t trade those 12 years for anything in the world.
I’m here to guide you through the process of learning how to busk and make money busking. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected] or check out my blog Buskers Guide for more great articles!
Busking is one of the best things I’ve ever done.
It’s easy to get started, doesn’t require anything but time and motivation, and you can do it anywhere on Earth. You can make a lot of money if you’re good at it; some of the greatest musicians in history started their careers busking. You might not be the next Beethoven or Mozart…but then again, maybe you will be!
The Art of Busking
There are so many amazing musicians, artists, jugglers and other performers out there that don’t get the recognition they deserve.
Buskers are constantly in motion, practicing their craft and getting better with every show. They are too busy playing and too poor to create websites to promote themselves. The world needs to see these talented people!
You’ve seen them in your town… a man playing his guitar on the corner, a woman dancing to her own rhythm, a guy with a snare drum hooked up to an amp. They are buskers and they bring us entertainment while we go about our daily lives.
The first time I saw a busker I was amazed by the fact that this person had enough confidence in their talent to put themselves out there for everyone to see. Some buskers are amazing, some are horrible and some are just okay. But for me personally, I love seeing anyone who has the guts to do something like that. It’s inspiring!
I started this blog as place for all things related to busking or street performing. If you have something you want me to write about please let me know!
Busking is the art of playing music, singing or other performing arts in a public place for donations. Busking can be done anywhere you can legally perform, including streets and parks. Busking is also known as street performing, street music and street theater. Buskers have been around since the time of the ancient Greek and Romans.
Buskers play out of necessity or love of their craft. It’s a way to entertain people and make money at the same time. Some buskers are so skilled they are able to make a full-time living from their performances.
If you are thinking about getting into the busking business you first need to know where you can legally perform and what permits you may need. Each city has their own rules for buskers so you will need to research your local laws. You may also want to check with your local police department as well as the Department of Recreation for more information on what is required in your city.