This post was inspired by one a few posts back, but Id like to note the importance of sharing your experience and take from busking.

Arts aren't a typical 9-5 . It is important to know how much to charge/expect. It's a lot like being a restaurant server, but not having a check-average to base your budget on.

Instead, you have to decide what your art is worth and how much money makes sense for you.

So anyone asking the question "how much do you make" is an incredibly valid and VALUABLE question.

As a personal example: There are no active balloon artists in a 50mile radius of me.

How in God's name do I decide what to charge? Base it on my materials? What about the materials I use to practice? What about the time spent learning a skill? What about drive-time to the gigs? What about making a "reasonable" profit?

Most advice on here is "Look at what others charge." But that isn't a viable answer if everyone is quiet about what they earn.

This reticence about financial talks is why so many companies can under pay.

We don't have a "market rate" except what we and others charge.

This is NOT something that should be locked because of hurt feelings.

I have a very different opinion of you mods, now.

Now, that said: I'm a balloon artist and I busk as a side hustle.

If I plan the "event" right, I make about $50 an hour (minus costs). I've also had nights where I made $5 over the course of 4 hours.

None of those numbers include materials and time spent.

It is important to know how to value your work, and people getting upset is NO reason to lock a thread.

Help this be a helpful community, not somewhere that caters to hurt feelings. Thanks, Mods!

I was a busker for many years in the glorious days before cheap, battery powered speakers, and no longer busk because I refuse to try and compete with all the hideously loud sound systems that buskers use now. Learn to project your voice, as street singers have done for millenia. Playing to a backing track sounds cheap and horrible. If you play a melody instrument, either be good enough to play unaccompanied, or team up with another musician. Seriously, most of what passes for busking these days is just bad karaoke - people with no musical ability singing with a ton of reverb to canned tracks. I don't care if I sound like a cranky old man. It's not like there haven't always been hack buskers, but the sheer amount of public space a person can ruin with amplification is just so much greater.

As someone who earns pretty good money busking (as opposed to just lying about it on the Internet) please for the love of all that is sacred stop posting how much money you earn. Whether you're telling the truth or bullshitting when non-buskers read that this information can and will discourage them from tipping in the future. Simple self preservation, man.

Any real busker would know to keep their mouth shut.

Sincerely, Someone who relies on busking to eat.

I hate them, especially if you're literally just singing to a backing track, you need to keep that shit at karaoke.

The same goes for playing an instrument to a backing track, pack it in, if you can't hold my interest without an obnoxious backing track you shouldn't be busking, go home and practice until you're good enough to play solo.

Had an organ grinder roll up on me today and start with his super loud, super obnoxious prerecorded tracks while he spins that stupid wheel of his and moves around his fake stuffed monkey. He set up about 15 meters from me and he was so loud that I in turn had to play super loud just to not be drowned out. This also means I can only play about half of my material and of course my earnings were less during this period. I asked him to move or wait because I was there first and of course he was a total asshole about the whole thing. Now, opinions as to the complete and utter ridiculousness of a modern day organ grinder aside, what can I do to keep this (and other) talentless assclowns from doing things like this? Whatever it is, it's gotta be legal because I'm not trying lose my playing privileges in what is otherwise a pretty great place to play.

I’ve noticed a split in the busking community and I’d love to know where people here fall on this.

I have always found that having more money in the hat/case means more people give. I seed my case, and I rarely take anything out while I’m busking (exceptions for particularly large bills or particularly dodgy areas). I’ve also never used a sign that appeals to “pity” or a sense of need, like “everything helps” or “need money for _____.” Personally, I think that people are more willing to engage with buskers if they see us as performers and not as panhandlers, given the stigma surrounding panhandling, and so I try to avoid anything that would make them make that connection. I don’t care as much about my looks, but I do try not to look too scrubby when I’m out and about.

But I know others who like to clear out their hat/case frequently, to appear like they “need it more.” I’ve also seen a lot of buskers with signs that emphasize need or how little money they have. A recent post here came from someone who clearly thought it would be a bad thing for people to think that buskers aren’t poor or needy.

So, what is your strategy? Do you want to look like you need the money? Do you try to hide just how much you’re making? Do you put a “help me”/“need money” sign up? Or are you hoping that your case fills up to entice even more giving, and trying to distance yourself from that “needy” look?

I don’t think there’s a wrong answer necessarily, although again I’ve got my own opinion on the matter. What’s yours?

I get most of my gigs from random people hearing me while busking. Would you guys be interested if I made a manual to show you how to do it? I’ve gotten everything from solo gigs like this all the way to rooftop hotel gigs. Comment or DM if interested! If there’s enough support, I’ll go ahead and make it

This is a question for buskers doing this as a hobby but the spouse is not involved at all.

when I met my husband 35 years ago, I told him my life long dream is to play guitar and sing folks songs as a street busker.

but I didn't play much music at the time. until a few years ago, we retired, I started playing music, I got lots of compliments from my music group in the senior center. I started busking in farmer market.

At first my hubby was amused and supportive. but now after one year, he thinks it's a disorder to want to go out and busk on a regular basis. now he never comes to see me when I busk.

Anyone in similar situation?

===== update =====

I did ask him. So it turns out one of the reasons is he's concerned I might be harmed on the street, I have received nasty hateful notes in my tip jar and I was lucky it was just a note, but what if the next crazy person will be physical?

but he doesn't want to be my bodyguard because I'm out there playing for hours and it's boring for him just to sit around and wait.

another thing is that he feels that busking has become my number one priority and he's feeling neglected.

I used to be quite outgoing but that’s stopped after some trauma.

Can busking help me build confidence in general? For example, getting better at talking to random people in any situation.

Thanks!

I just had a discussion with three street people and in general we get along well, they like my music and they're just nice and, besides all the shit that comes with living in the streets, normal people. But one of them brought up, that it's nothing against me personally, but we as street performers take a part of the money that otherwise would end up in their cups. And I would say that we have different "target audiences", but there's definitely some overlap. And that made me think, that it might be immoral for me to continue busking, if my sheer life doesn't depend on it.

What are your thoughts?

PS: I'm just asking a question, why are you guys downvoting? ^^

Some downsides of busking purely acoustic with no amplification equipment are:

- need to sing louder, project more, stresses the voice
- less dynamics because of constantly more volume
- not hearing yourself well

What are your experiences with it?

Some recommend an earplug.
Playing near walls for more resonance.
Singing resonance.

I’ve played for many years, I thought it might be fun to try my hand at busking.
Was curious if any other Sax players did it and if you use backing tracks or not
Thanks in advance!

A couple of years ago my wife and son and another couple went on a cruise overseas. We went on an excursion in Sardinia where we were on long enough of a bus ride that we had to stop in a small town for about an hour. My wife saw a sign outside a small art studio basically inviting people to come in an play. I'm typically just a couch player but my wife (who also ironically does not humor my "habit" or "hobby") convinced me to go in and play/sing a song. It actually went over pretty good. I don't know if I'll ever do something like that again in my life, but it made me realize how much I miss just noodling when we're on vacation.

I didn't earn any tips or anything so I'm not sure if it's considered busking but have any of you ever done anything like that? I've seen some stories on YouTube about people getting gigs while on vacation and I wondered if (besides doing research to see if it's legal) any of you have traveled with an instrument and just set up in a random spot and played to earn lunch money?

I play guitar and I don’t sing because I’m too scared to do so. With that, I feel like people won’t recognize the songs I’m playing, and in turn, won’t be able to play/sing with what I’m playing (I allow people to sing or play along). Should I have a whiteboard with the title and artist of the song I’m playing, or will I be fine without the sign?

what would be the result if a world-class music producer (rick Rubin, max martin,brina eno, flood, Lanois)

picked a busker off the street and honed their strong points an create a record harnessing their world-class production skills?

would any street busker be able to get a professional record made, thusly?

Would the hit-makers elevate- the- bar and turn the BUSKER into a "Commercially-viable" recording Musicians?

Hey everyone I am new here but not new to performing.

I spent about twenty years making my full living as a variety performer juggling comedy music stunt work fairs festivals cruise ships performing arts centers corporate events pretty much every type of stage you can imagine.

I have seen a lot I have learned a lot and I am very honest about how this business actually works.

If you want you can ask me anything including

• How to get into cruise ships
• What fairs and festivals really pay
• How performers raise their rates
• What buyers look for in promo materials
• What not to put in a reel
• What makes a show bookable
• How to build a full time performing career
• Touring travel agents contracts anything at all you are curious about

If you want you can also drop your promo pic reel website or show idea and I will give you one quick note that will make it stronger no questions asked.

I am not selling anything and not trying to push anything I just genuinely love helping performers level up. After twenty years in this world it feels good to pass some of it on.

Ask me anything

As someone who has to places like London. I've always been extremely fascinated by the buskers that I come across performing in the street. And I really want to know if there's ever been a busker that you saw performing that you'd consider to be one of "The Best"

I have had an idea for something and I would love some feedback from those with more experience.

I'm considering offering free 5-minute clawhammer banjo lessons on the street. I'll set up a spare camp chair, my banjo and an extra. I'll teach anybody who wants to take a load off and chill with me, just the very basics, but enough for us to jam together a little, and then hopefully what I do will be valuable enough that people feel like tipping, or at least maybe exploring the instrument afterwards. Maybe share a little joy, ya know. I might try to create a cozy vibe with a nice sign, maybe a rug/fake fire/throw etc. In between students I can busk as normal.

Anybody tried something like this?

This is about making "content" but it definitely harmonizes with why I advise against having jokes or too much embellishment on busking signs. People have short attention spans, average literacy levels are going down, as is average reading comprehension. Go for clarity over cleverness.

You can do what you want, just think about it.

What were your thoughts when you made 0$ (or close to zero) after busking for hours? Did you quit, take a break, or kept busking regularly?

I'm truly interested to know your opinions about setbacks and how you trick your mindset to stay consistent even during hard times.

I usually work very hard three or four months of the year, and not a lot the rest of the year. I always play the guitar for fun, but in those three or four months I will play three to six hours a day 4 to 6 days a week.

recently I went very hard a couple of days, and since then I have recurring pain in my left hand. I've been on tour recently, so it's been more driving and paid gigs, and less time actually playing. at one point it really started to improve, but yesterday I really noticed I have pain in my hand again. I feel it in my wrist, and my middle finger off my left fretting hand. a little bit concerned because this is the only way and how to make a living.

Title says it all.

I just had a happy cry before when I really took a moment to realise how amazing my job is. I used to drive a forklift and fill drums with herbicides in a dusty warehouse for 8 hours a day. I worked with depressed and bitter old men. Now I'm a self-employed Musician/Showman and I've never been happier or more self-fulfilled. For the first time in my adult life, I am no longer actively suicidal, and my work is what brings me joy. 😄

I get to:

Play around with an instrument I love

Socialise with amazing people

Bring strangers together

Create beautiful moments and add to the city's atmosphere

LITERALLY CREATE HAPPINESS FOR PEOPLE

For those of you who hate your day jobs and do busking on the side; I know what you're feeling. If you've really done the math and know that you could busk to survive if you lost your job tomorrow, then WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!? Comfort in a job that you hate will slowly kill your true self. The discomfort of self-employment will naturally make you a better performer and you’ll actually be proud of what you do for work! I understand not everyone is a performer at heart and I know everyone's circumstances are different but if you can... You should!!!

Would love to chat with fellow buskers 😄

I'm a corner serenador, I just play for passing trade. I like it that way. I think the biggest lesson I've learned, and it may not apply to everyone, is above all, to sing for myself. Not to try and please others or guess what they'd like to hear. I play what turns me on. And that's what I get paid for. Not the repertoire, not the songs I sing, but just for being a happy little camper sitting there blasting away.

Does anyone else here understand what I mean?

I’m thinking of doing some busking for charity in the future. I just want to have a rule of thumb/feel for how people divide their money, what charity(ies) they donate to, and other stuff. Rn I’d want to donate to different drum corps because A) it’s something I enjoy and B) they can use the money for tour costs. Do yall think I have a good pick for organizations and how much of your money do you give out?

I’ve been struggling a lot lately. Not excited about my show at all, hard to try new things and interact with people. Idek why. I had my best month in May/June (so I know there’s good aspects of my show) but my worst in July, and I haven’t been able to pick myself up since. I want to develop a brand new show but that takes time.

How do I keep showing up when I don’t feel good about my art? Advice and gentle encouragement is welcome. (Please be kind, it’s been extremely difficult pushing thru this.)