How much do you earn? - My life as a Busker: Episode 5

[@good_king_guitarman1334]

I've always found a bad day busking is much better than a good day in an office!

[@littleloon8435]

This weekend I just did my first time busking and I earned 97 dollars for 4 hours, thank you so much for the video I really enjoyed it.

[@edgesamantha]

Good on you! Thanks for sharing!

[@richardvaughan9994]

I have ALWAYS appreciated people playing music in the street. To me they are working, working for there earnings, not begging with a sign, but even the beggars I always give them whenever I have it extra. But seeing this video and seeing how serious you take it and how you pay taxes and everything the struggle is truly real. This has made me inspired to give more, to give bigger. Sometimes I’m having a really shitty day and I walk by and see someone playing ( although it’s not very common here in my city ) but when I do see them hearing them play can actually brighten my day. My papa was a guitarist and I’m sure he did his fair share of busking before becoming successful in a couple different bands. Anyhow I just wanted to let you know this was a great video and I’m jealous as to how organized and articulate you are with all you’re graphs etc... keep doing what you love and never, ever give up

[@LouisFrayser]

It's gotta be worth it; I can tell because you smile so much :) Stay happy, enjoy music and people :)

[@violinsessionswithsouro734]

you just inspired me to try busking in my city for the first time.

[@edgesamantha]

Awesome! Thanks for watching!

[@GuillaGrooveLab]

what did you think about?

[@PaulAntonescu]

Thanks for the honesty and congrats !

[@lgovantes1]

Great down-to-earth and honest review! I DJ events and perform as well and it is very satisfying to see people enjoying the music and having fun with my performances. There is more value in doing what you love and loving what you do!

[@robbiechep838]

Thank you Sam...Nice sharing..keep moving forward and enjoy yr busking in days ahead..

[@itsavroomvroomthing3704]

By far the best video to answer this question. Thank you!

[@edgesamantha]

Cheers! I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

[@wyzapple]

Very interesting, very informative, and very helpful. I have no problem paying taxes on what I earn, but I just wish I could be as organized and thorough as you are. I hope I can. You gave me a quick look at how to do it. Thank you!

[@edgesamantha]

No worries, glad to have helped in some way. No one needs to be as analytical as I am when it comes to busking, but it's interesting to me, so I maybe go a little overboard. lol. Anyway good luck!

[@HHTV60]

one easy way to keep track of your earnings is to deposit the daily take at the end of the day into your bank account; and then keep the ATM receipt.

[@nodgelyobo1]

I used to busk in London in the early 80's with a guitarist friend and myself on harmonica..Getting the right crowd on the right day was important...basically a Thursday or Friday from 3-6 o'clock (payday and happy drunks)...We could take home about £50 for 3 hours between us...It takes a lot of bottle to busk and for that reason I'll regularly chuck a busker the odd fiver no matter how good or bad they are...And I know a few people who do that...Good luck, you have a lovely voice..

[@vincentryanborres]

Totally love your honesty and courage. We all have choices and you chose to live your passion. Totally amazed! Wishing you all the very best!

[@MistakenSound]

love the statistics!! keep it going yo

[@folkfingerstylefreddy2154]

Great work Samantha. You’re so right about the fluctuations! I’ve had days where I’ve made as little as $10 too! I used to do late Friday and Saturday nights in the city of Melbourne and could make $500-600 some nights getting all the late night club goers and party animals. A lot tougher these days!

[@edgesamantha]

For sure! Lately, given that it's currently winter, things have been pretty tough and people have barely been giving. Hard to keep at it!

[@edzielinski]

That's really helpful. I've never busked, and I need to practice a lot more before I could try it. Live music has a power that recordings and videos just can't deliver. If I'm ever in your area, I'd be thrilled to catch you busking. Good luck and keep up the great work!

[@Llamateurs]

Great job with charts, really helpful 😉

[@birthcertificate7223]

Great honest and charming. Life is about the present and each new day is a gift

[@accordionlucy]

Thank you for sharing this insight into your busking life!

[@taemcgrew8274]

you are an inspiration, thanks for sharing

[@ralphchavez6025]

we love you and keep on trucking and may God bless you

[@waynefarrellvoiceovers]

What a wonderful life to be doing what makes you happy and still puts food on the table! Well done!

[@anilbilgi6267]

Samantha Many thanks for your honest share of your experience !!!!!

[@babbalouie3074]

Excellent presentation Samantha. Having never had the opportunity to visit Australia I have no idea of how the tax system works there. Here in the U.S. one thing that greatly helps my income from playing music is tax right offs. As a street performer (with doing club gigs as well) I am self employed. As such I legally write off everything I possibly can. For example equipment (if I buy even picks or guitar strings I write the purchase off as a business expense) and equipment depreciation, mileage. Also office space, and office equipment (which I use for setting up gigs, running my web site, cell phone, computer, etc.). If an over night stay is required, food and lodging. I know many musicians that take the cash and run without paying taxes. I prefer to go the legal route. As such I have an excellent credit history. Was able to get a mortgage to buy my house. Highly recommend to anyone making a living as a musician or self employed in any manner to talk to a tax expert. Yes I begrudgingly have to give some of my hard earned cash to the war mongering U.S. government. But in the long run it is well worth it.

[@edgesamantha]

As far as I can tell from your comment our tax system works in the same way. Anything that can be classed as business expenses can be reported as tax deductions to reduce the amount of tax you'll pay at the end of the year. All the things you listed I can claim here. Good job on the excellent credit history and mortgage! Thanks for watching. :)

[@babbalouie3074]

You are welcome Samantha. The biggest factor for making money playing music is talent. From that prospective Samantha you have a wonderfully successful future ahead of you. Wish you the best.

[@lowellirish]

For all those who think that buskers are beggers? First off...My life? Veteran, former Surgical Technician , former Civil Engineer, 2 degrees. Own a $230k house outright, 2 cars, Harley, snowmobile... I have a 50 hr a week Mon-Friday day job....I play weekends 10 hrs. I make anywhere from $60 - $400/weekend. I play because I can!

[@pj8624]

You're Awesome!!! :) Doing what you love is so important!! So many people dread going to working everyday because they hate their job or doing what the have too! You inspire me!! :)

[@edgesamantha]

Thanks P J

[@robsgirl6465]

👍Love what you're doing👍 ☺I just subscribed☺ 💖💖💖🎸🎼🎶💖💖💖

[@jarrahparry]

IKR really good

[@JulieJackson1]

Just starting out, trying to get away from my stressful day job! I guess I'll never be able to go full time busking but hopefully, it will help to destress me a little and I can reduce my day job hours!. Before Covid, I played in Nursing homes but that's gone now, so busking, here I come.

[@timothyhoster4951]

On the other hand if you busked for 8 hours you could ultimately be earning a lot more than you would in an office. You are correct though the real reason to do it is for the enjoyment not just the money.

[@NoLefTurnUnStoned.]

Not easy to play/sing for 8 hours everyday!

[@timothyhoster4951]

@@NoLefTurnUnStoned. agreed. I just think that if you can earn a living doing what you enjoy then you are truly rich.

[@nathanbibiano9047]

In my opinion, when you busk there are list of factors that will increase your profits. One is how well known you are in the community. Second are you allow to use speakers to amplify your sound and have a backtrack so that way it sounds like a live concert and your leading it and people will find it more impressed with that. Third depending on the weather condition of the environment your at, if it's too hot or cold that you are at a spot were you covered from the impact of the climate. Fourth finding out what are the most popular spots and see if you need a permit or not to play there

[@CADDY1986k]

this video has encouraged me to go busking around here in Penang. I agreed so much is that no matter what we do if it is the thing we loved so much and passionate about, we'll felt happy about it although there are things we sacrifice for. Worth doing, worth living! Keep it up Samatha..

[@edgesamantha]

Good luck with your busking! 🤗

[@rickmckeon7399]

Great video! Thanks

[@dougnickerson]

wow great philosophy. God bless you.

[@miamimagicians]

I love you so much ! Your a WONDERFUL HUMAN BEING I HOPE MY CHILDREN GROW UP LIKE YOU

[@samdarris]

Very helpful Samantha❤️❤️

[@matthewthetaxcollector5419]

I’m new to the busking scene and I find people to be so nice, Biggest tip I’ve received from a single person was $20. This summer is going to be so awesome.

[@edgesamantha]

Got my fingers crossed for you! With the covid-19 situation happening at the moment, buskers could find it even harder out there.

[@christopherseaborn4084]

Interesting contrast - brilliant musician with analytical, statistical and financial attributes. It should stand you in good stead to achieve your musical dreams while still staying grounded in the realities and practicalities of life.

[@edgesamantha]

Here's hoping!

[@TheMagicTaco]

You're an awesome person... LOVE watching your videos!

[@HHTV60]

I always believed that if you do what you love, money will follow. When I started my KZbin channel, I had no idea I could make money with it. Now it's like a part-time job that helps a lot with my expenses. I think you can make more money MAKING VIDEOS about busking (like this one), than busking itself; so you could combine the two streams of income into one ...

[@ESLinsider]

Surprise for better or worse! I recorded my earnings the first year too. True lots of factors and then luck too. I had plenty of days when I would go out there for a few hours and make close to ZERO. Those are quitting days.

[@arashzandi1811]

Very good video. The charts and hourly averages were fantastic! Also your character shines, you are very cute, the flowers on your head look great, your cherry shirt is very beautiful and you have very good energy! I vibe with you. I'm starting out as a rapper and plan on hitting the London streets over the next couple of months once I know enough songs. Any advice for a rapper specifically?

[@mattday2940]

I really like your channel, I have been busking since I started doing solo acoustic stuff, I usually play in hardcore bands, but solo freaks me out a bit, so I do it to get past the stage fright when I book acoustic shows, this is really cool

[@edgesamantha]

Good job working through your fear!

[@springbooth3547]

You doing very well .

[@buskingbetty7135]

Just happened to come on your video. I'm a performer also , ..... everything mentioned is very true. Thanks for posting :-)

[@nedtaramoeroa1704]

Thanks Mate ...Awesome stuff

[@vodvandorin9454]

I going out busking with my sax and i am thinking about the quality of the sound will my a big difference and also backing tracks is a must. Sax on it's own is just plain and simple annoying. But mic it with some effects and backing tracks and I think I may be ok. Also you need killer tunes and a few up to date ones that young ones can relate to. Thanks for this video.

[@mapestonina]

Hi Sam ...came across this upload of yours!!!!! Wow i'm impressed...btw i'm having trouble with the contactless device ...I applied for Zeller but they said busking is high risk!!!! I need to research more on contactless tips....btw did u have a pre requisite on applying to square by having an ABN? many thanks and God bless you !

[@edgesamantha]

Oh no! Never heard of Zeller. Just googled and apparently you don't need an ABN for square. I never thought about whether you did as I have one, so it wasn't an issue for me. Looks like you don't need one though. Good luck with your search. 😊

[@sawyergreen6009]

Hey! I love what you're doing, it's awesome! what steps would you recommend for a trombonist in order to start out in the busking scene? I am very interested to possibly pursue this as a lifestyle in the future. Would just jamming ideas over a drum loop or playing lead lines in karaoke songs impress people enough? I was told by a friend that I could be a pro blues trombonist, just gotta put in more practice. Would you gather a band maybe? I can also do stuff with electronics - incorporate wah wah pedals, guitar effects and such- which hasn't been done a lot. All the best!! Sawyer

[@edgesamantha]

+Sawyer Green Hi Sawyer. I know a lot of instrumentalist buskers who choose to play their instrument over backing tracks and they take the lead lines. That could be the way to go, it seems to work for them, but in my opinion you should do what you're comfortable with. You have a lot of ideas there that you can try. Busking is a lot of experimenting to find what works for you. Certainly bands gather more attention, but you may not make as much for yourself when you divide up the takings and you'll need to be more wary of your combined sound output as you'll still need to stick to the allowed volume level. My advice is start out simple and see how you go. You can always build your act, adding in more elements as you go till you find what works. Good luck with your busking! Samantha.

[@0neChecker]

I like youre attitude!

[@Ebanosp]

You is amazing!!! Lovely.

[@edgesamantha]

Thanks

[@byromtaylor6482]

like the flowers

[@budtoker4770]

You should look at what people give you as gifts rather than earnings. You can receive certain amount of gifts tax free if I am not mistaken. There is nothing dishonest about this as the money that is gifted to you has already been taxed.

[@antoinefleuriot2509]

Here in England, peak earning for a busker are around Xmas but January & February it can drop drastically as no one has any money or feels generous and its not much fun because of the weather. People feel sorry for the street beggars in bad weather they tend to do quite well in the winter, some days it can seem ironic that for all your busking effort the beggar just sitting on the floor with a cup is getting maybe 4 times what you are. Weather its true or not its rummer ed that some beggars are actually false but earn lots just sitting on the street. I don't know how it is in Australia and this is maybe a controversial subject.

[@edgesamantha]

This year I have very much felt the rise in December and the fall in January that you're talking about. We have a fringe festival in February/March in Adelaide that brings in a lot of people, a lot of buskers included in that, and the amount of street shows rises. It can make things much harder for day time buskers as there are only so many spots to go around. I find it better for me though as the nights feel safer and more people are out embracing music and the arts thanks to the fringe. So I'm hoping this year will prove to be as good as the previous. Really need it with the decline in earnings! I'm probably due to make a follow up video on how much I earn because I'm sure it's a lot less than it was when I uploaded this video! Over here it's summer over Christmas and the early months of the year. I imagine it would be much harder to have Winter piled onto the beginning of the year over there in the UK. And yes the beggar situation sounds very discouraging. 😞

[@LonskiBig]

....That's more than I thought.....Somebody else has a video up and says he plays a couple hours and makes an average of $40/hr...not bad for what you like to do...

[@contrarian8877]

Sorry, haven't had a chance to check out the rest of your videos, but where in Australia are you busking? A major city like Melbourne or Sydney?

[@starkparker16]

I hope you get rich.

[@Lorizojames]

Thanks for the video. I tried to busk many times but I freeze every time I couldn't do it in public i don't know how to perform front og people and have no friend to help me😢 I feel bad about myself any solution ?

[@edgesamantha]

Practice is key. It's all about small steps. If busking is too much right now, then how about trying an open mic night? If that seems too much also, what about performing in front of a friend or family member. If that's not an option, how about setting up your camera and live streaming at home to perform even just one song to a small group of people. I'm sure there are facebook groups, and the like, where you can connect with people who can help you work through your stage fright, as well as ones where you could live stream to a small group of strangers to build your skills. I was scared when I started busking too. The moment when my equipment was all connected and I was ready to start playing, with people's eyes making their way to me and feeling so insecure about whether I had any place being there trying to perform. But I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and started playing. The thinking about performing in public is the worst part. You just need to start! Once you start, it all begins to get easier. Biggest piece of advice I can give is don't expect to be perfect. No one is perfect, there will be mistakes, there will be lessens, there will be hard times, but also great times! My point is start small. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is performance confidence! Even some of the best performers get stage fright. The key is they train themselves to overcome it; to leash that self-doubt and fear. You can do it too, with time and practice! Hold in there. You deserve to be able to make your dreams a reality. 💪🌟😃

[@Lorizojames]

@@edgesamantha what im gonna say. Thanks you very very much for your advices ! you are helpful im gonna do what you tell me. And start step by step. Will work on it I love music and I can't see myself in a another job but busking. Im actually and unfortunately having financial problems. I want tell you about an idea of busking in bus for 2min then get out when the bus stops and take the next bus that came do it again and again repeat that im thinking this way i will target specific some of people and maximize tip earning in my city curitiba brazil buses are twice as long in size than normal buses and they show up frequently every 3.5 minutes and stop every 2.2min and there is many daily passangers carries cash with them . What you think about this technique ? Is busking playing a somg during the bus ride wish is 2min is sufficient and enough for people to tip me ?

[@dbesen1]

can you please tell the model names of your inverter and batery? thank´s for the tips and thoughts in your video, it´s been a great help

[@edgesamantha]

Hi Daniel. Thanks for watching. You can find that information in this other video of mine. :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqO3fWt9j9Sko5o

[@CaptainPetes]

In down town Toronto my friend makes $1000 perday.

[@edgesamantha]

Nice! They must be living large!

[@NoLefTurnUnStoned.]

Lovely smart girl Subbed

[@gabriel4838]

Oh how do you handle permits and stuff

[@gabriel4838]

Hey, love what you said, just wondering where you busk, in the States or Europe.

[@edgesamantha]

Hey Gabriel. I'm not sure about where in the states or Europe unfortunately. I've only ever busked in Australia. Best bet is to search on the local councils websites to find out if they issue busking permits. There currently may be a lot of places not giving them due to the virus though.

[@gabriel4838]

@@edgesamantha Thanks Samantha I didnt really i was going to get an answer so Im pleased

[@antoinefleuriot2509]

Thanks for your reply. One other question. I don't know how things are on the streets in Australia but I find when busking I seem to be a magnet for any mad people, drunks etc. they don't usually get aggressive but they frighten people away doing/behaving weird causing the money to drop. Do you have a way of getting rid of them as often they just hover for ages near where your busking frightening people away and its not always practical to just move. I have been tempted just to ask them to move somewhere else as they are effecting your earnings but they could turn nasty.

[@edgesamantha]

Unfortunately I can't really give you any helpful advice on this. It's something all buskers, including myself, struggle with. It's frustrating! Even someone dancing strangely in front of you has people laughing and filming that person as they walk past instead of reacting to your music and possibly donating to you. I have in the past occasionally asked someone to leave or do whatever they're doing a bit further away from me, but a lot of the time it can be dangerous to ask them to go away and so more often than not packing up and leaving is the best option. 😕

[@7884golfguru]

When I’m Busking you do meet some people who can make life difficult for you but that’s life get on with it .some people even ask for money when they see how much i have in my Guitar case,one bloke even said that’s not your money ,he became really nasty until the manager of Woolies sent a couple of his staff to move this clown away from me ,but generally the public are very supportive and I have met some amazing people,I love Busking and always take my little dog Fergie with me she’s so cute and everyone loves her and she drags in the people especially dog owners and animal lovers

[@modalscale]

Your comparison of the incomes to a full time job is not exact : you have to rehearse and to buy/renew your setup ...Nice videos !

[@edgesamantha]

+modalscale Good point, that's true. This is just the simplest way I could work it out. Like most things with busking I don't think it can be exact. I mean how would you allocate time rehearsing if you perform the same songs each time to get to an hourly rate per busking session? Once you learn a song how would you spread that out across all future times you might play it. And if you spend time buying equipment how will you know how long that equipment will last and thus how to spread that out too. But definitely agree there is a lot of behind the scenes time spent to make busking sessions happen. And at the end of the day that's all before tax deductions and tax payments! So many factors. Anyway thanks for watching and commenting!

[@TheTechieflutist]

So inspirational :)

[@KiraDidNothingWrong]

Why do I wanna cry? Like 5:00 touched something inside me

[@0biWanJacobi]

Jo Ji same but it’s because I’m a poor musician LOL

[@jarrahparry]

Hi, are you still using The Busking Project? If so, can you do a review and what you think of it please.

[@edgesamantha]

+Jarrah Parry - My Music Hi Jarrah. My profile is still up. I have received three donations in total. A couple of $5 donations and one $25 donation. All of which I don't believe coincided with days I was out busking, so must have been sent by people who watch my KZbin? I also was contacted and booked for a gig through it. It certainly doesn't hurt to have a profile up, but I wouldn't rely on it. All the donations I've received have been anonymous and I'm not sure whether they chose to remain anonymous or didn't have the option to send their name/a message. I have received a couple of paypal.me donations as well and enjoy reading the messages and seeing the names attached to the donations.

[@jarrahparry]

Ok, thanks heaps :)

[@jimg78]

If all humans were like you the world would be heaven

[@meetimian3383]

Need your busking setup

[@edgesamantha]

You can check out my whole busking setup here if you're after more details. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqO3fWt9j9Sko5o

[@jimmyyox8847]

thanks heaps for the video, inspiring.

[@bassdale17]

Any advice to busking in winter and adverse weather?

[@edgesamantha]

Lots of layers of clothing. Thermals. Gloves, scarfs, beanies. Hand warmers. Busking spots with cover in case it rains. And know your limits, if the weather is too bad, just stay home and try again another day. All the best!

[@johnhepi3844]

Thanks

[@edgesamantha]

You're welcome John

[@margieniles7324]

Do you think it would be good if I busk in front of a busy target store????

[@edgesamantha]

It could work. There's no way to know for sure unless you try. If it's an area that you can't get a permit for I'd be asking for the owner's permission before setting up though. I usually like to find spots that have benches for people to sit on nearby so that if people want to stay and listen the area is more inviting for people to linger for a little while.

[@Lorizojames]

Is that in Australian dollar or US dollar ?

[@edgesamantha]

Australian dollars

[@aluz5332]

I think that if you changed the titles from "My life as a busker" to "My life as a street musician" you would get a lot more views. Not many people know what the word busk means. ^^

[@edgesamantha]

Interesting. I can't remember a time where someone asked me to explain what a busker was. Maybe more people know the word around my part of the world. Anyway all my videos are tagged with busker, street performer, musician etc. So if someone searched for street musician, my videos would still appear. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[@manlly9664]

Hi, where’s your city?

[@edgesamantha]

Hi Manlly. I'm in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

[@manlly9664]

Samantha Edge morning☀️ I am in Brisbane QLD 👋

[@edgesamantha]

@@manlly9664 Do you busk? And if so are you still busking now?

[@manlly9664]

Samantha Edge I am interested to try. So that I wondered the arrange income of a busker. I like singing But I think only singing is not enough. At least I need a guitar or some other instruments. So I am not confident to try. Anyway I am looking for a guitar to learn. 😂

[@beth6194]

What areas do you busk at?

[@edgesamantha]

I currently busk In Rundle mall or At tea tree plaza or At henley beach I haven't been to these places in a while, but I have busked at Harbour town Marion Norwood Enfield Mega Market Adelaide Farmers Market at prospect McLaren vale market Plus a couple of other markets I can't currently think of the names of And other places I know that you can busk, but I haven't tried yet, are Gawler Murray bridge Adelaide farmers market at the showgrounds Plus there's plenty of places to busk that aren't local or are interstate.

[@josemorgan8048]

which istrument do you play? do you sing? i dont pay tax, fuck the government how many hours of busking do you do in a day?

[@7884golfguru]

Bugger stats I never count my money

[@Lemon_Drums_USA]

That's dumb to pay taxes on that money. Hire a better agent.

[@unpluggeddating4122]

Why would you pay taxes lol

[@edgesamantha]

Well I personally do it to show my music work is a legitimate business and contribute to the government like every other employed person does.

[@unpluggeddating4122]

I know why you do it. I’m making the point that you shouldn’t lol

[@edgesamantha]

Fair enough. That's your opinion and I have mine. It takes all kinds to make a world.

[@unpluggeddating4122]

It is only my opinion, yeah.

[@bluedale6563]

if u love your job u will never work a day in your life

[@ducadadi2803]

why are your voice crying????? it's so irritating.