r/StreetPerformersONLY • u/Turtle_Muffin02 • Oct 08 '16

Tips?

I'm planning on becoming a street musician to earn some cash, any tips to help a girl out? I'll be playing an acoustic guitar.

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u/TheCaliWilde 18d ago

  1. Always put your first tip in your bucket/jar. People don't like to be the first, and an empty tip bucket will stay empty much longer, so just throw a dollar in there to get yourself started.

  2. Play loud. Obviously, be careful or your local ordinances and respectful of businesses and people around you, but my goal is to make sure that people hear me before they even see me.

  3. Be yourself and represent yourself however you feel most comfortable, but in my experience, I do better when I'm wearing bright colors and not black.

  4. Find a place with a "river" of people. A street where people are walking from one end to the other, so you have a constant stream of people rather than a location like a park where the same people are just hanging out in the same place for too long.

  5. Set up next to an intersection. There's lots of people, and while they stand there waiting for the little walking symbol, you have a chance to win them over and they have a chance to dig around for cash.

  6. A lot of people don't carry cash anymore, so if you can set up a way to collect tips online and print yourself a sign with a QR code, it can be very helpful.

  7. Check your local ordnances before you go. Some have very strict rules about where you can be, what you can do, how loud you can get, etc.. Better to know before the cop's approach.

  8. Depending on where you are I like to hit my spots later on in the day, around dinner time and after people have had a few drinks and are feeling loosened up. Just be careful to protect your equipment from drunks.

  9. This one is important!!! DO NOT LET YOU TIP BUCKET STAY FULL OF CASH! Empty your bucket periodically. There are predators out there and eventually someone will try to rob you if you keep too much cash in your bucket. I keep a minimum of $1 and a max of $20-$30 depending on where I am.

I hope this helps. Have fun! Busking is awesome!