I've been busking a lot over the past year. It's great - I can get some fun money, usually making enough to get a few beers for going out etc, buy a few new books or some treats in town on the way back.
In fact, if I could stop my fingers or voice burning out after a couple of hours, and get out most days of the week, I'm sure I could make a reasonable living off of it
Taking out the money, I've had some brilliant experiences - moments that have touched the musical soul that'll stay with me forever. Times like when I saw a bunch of primary school kids on an outing and I quickly switched to King Of The Swingers and watched as they all danced past with big cheesy grins on their faces, or the time while playing Stand By Me that an old fella stood opposite me with closed eyes, gently swaying in time to the music, before coming over at the end with watery eyes and saying it'd brought back memories for him. Not to mention all the little times of "is that your song? Cool!" or "great voice" that pep you up every time
Anyway, this is the past. Today I've nudged towards a future. Legally you cant sell cds on the streets (unless you happen to have a street vendors license) but you can give them away. I put a stack of cds out on top of a sign saying "Take A CD" and most people who took one averaged between £2 and £3 as a donation in response (you'll always get tight arses, like the guy who put 5p in)
Now, I didnt mind risking this as an experiment because I kind of over-ordered on copies of my album and if it clears a few out, great. However, would I order extra copies of an album to sell in this manner? No, I probably wouldnt
Would I make a special sampler cd of 4-5 tracks in a simple plastic sleeve with tracklisting, websites and contact details printed onto the cd for this? Yes I would!
You can get cds printed in such a manner for as little as 50p each (never even nearly a £1 each, even if you only order 10 at a time).
Take into account the tight arses who'll wander off with 1 for nothing and you might average £1-1.50 minimum per cd, which contains profit which is all good - BUT you're not just selling them a cd!
In making a sale, you've found someone who, if they like it, will go home and tell their friends, who will then go and check out your website, maybe just clicking like on facebook, or following you on twitter - maybe buying a cd or a download on itunes. The original person may look to buy more of your work, getting every cd you ever release from there on in even
Who knows? Maybe nothing will happen on most occasions, but hell, there are musicians paying money to be advertised in magazines, or online, or even for radio play and nothing is guaranteed then either. This way, you're being paid for the chance that someone will be listening to your cd in the car, pick up their mate who'll say "who's this?" at which point a tale is told of how they came across you while busking...and any tale that is a little different is an advantage to being remembered
This is all while achieved while you're making a bit of money on the side, having fun rehearsing and performing in front of people instead of doing it in your bedroom
If any of the people who've bought my cd after seeing me busking are reading this, thank you so much for putting the money in the pot and for showing interest. It's people like you that keep music and musicians going and it means the world to me x
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