8
votes
Making a living through busking?
I've been thinking a lot about busking for money recently.
Here's some backstory:
Currently a broke but talented musician that just moved to a city. Looking to spread my music and earn a bit for myself while I'm at it.
Music is very important to me and spreading myself out and making my sound vulnerable is something I'm very hesitant about doing. I came here to check out if anyone reading this has ever busked and can point me in the right way to start doing so, or if anyone has any comments and suggestions /AGAINST/ doing so. I've never experienced it myself but some of my favorite musicians have bettered their lives and finances by playing music on the street.
Check to see if you need a public performance license wherever you are. As an example, I know Victoria BC is a very touristy town with a lot of street performers, and last I checked the license was like $15 for a season, or something like that. Without a license you could be kicked out of wherever you are, possibly fined, or in some cases, possibly harassed by police.
Depending on your location and skill level, busking can a pretty lucrative way to make a few extra bucks. Sometimes even raking in $100/hr+. Picking a good spot is difficult. I can't really offer any specific advice, but locations with tourists are good. Piers, waterfronts, near pedestrian areas with a vibrant arts community, that kind of thing. Near bars at closing is also good, but you do have to deal with drunk people.
Obviously I don't know where you live, but London is quite busker friendly.
http://buskinlondon.com/faq
You can even use a contactless card payment system
https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/28/17402034/contactless-payment-busker-street-performer-london-izettle
Busking on The Underground/TfL property is a bit more formal, with auditions and designated pitches
https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/culture-and-heritage/busking
It's perfectly possible to make enough money to eat every day in a medium or large population city, but I'm not sure you'll get a steady enough income to cover rent and other living costs. There are people out on the streets earning money every day this way.
I'm not so sure about just setting up on a random sidewalk. If I were you (mind you, I don't even play any instruments) I would look for festivals to play at. Where I live, the summer festival season is just beginning and there's literally a different one every weekend somewhere within driving distance. I'm talking about free festivals, not paid concert events or the like. There may not be as many in whatever part of the world you're in, but if there are any coming up, I expect you'll find a much better audience there.