The Hottest Buskers in the World Right Now!

As you may or may not know, I’m a massive advocate of busking - because that’s how I started my professional music career.

I have seen many other friends start out the same way.

But what’s happening now goes way beyond open guitar cases and spare change.

A growing number of artists are turning street performance into the beating heart of a powerful media flywheel.

They’re combining raw, live moments with smart content capture, digital monetisation, and direct fan connection to build self-sustaining careers - with no middlemen, no Spotify metrics, and no need to wait for booking agents to reply.

These artists are using busking as:

They’re not just entertaining passers-by. They’re building tribes or real fans

And in an age where UK venues are closing down at an alarming rate, where new acts are getting squeezed out by pay-to-play shows and algorithm fatigue, this model really works.

Plus music fans are really craving authentic, live performances as an antidote to the tsunami of AI slop that has been clogging up the algorithims and playlists of late.

So what you’ll find in this guide isn’t just nice theory - it’s actual proof.
Real artists. Real audiences. Real income.
And a roadmap you can start following this week.

So lets get you inspired by these artists that in my opinion, are leading the way when it comes to creating a live performance led DIY strategy and are absolutley smashing it right now

1. Allie Sherlock (Ireland)

2. High Fade (Scotland)

3. DJ AG (Ashley Gordon, UK)

4. Ari (ARIatHOME, NYC)

5. The Molotovs (London)

6. Keywest (Ireland)

7. Laurie Wright (UK)

Busking in 2025 is not just playing live…(although that is a massive part of it to be fair)

It’s your content engine, your merch table, your social funnel, and your ticketing platform.

If you are prepared to put in the graft to become a formidable or at least very unique and interesting live act then these steps could help you to turn that into an exciting and rewarding music career. I’ll will warn you now though..this isnt for the faint of heart, this will require big sacrifice, stamina and a real commitment to keeo going through the inevitable troughs of performing live on the streets several hours a day 5 days a week.

But if you want it badly enough then you can really build a super engaged fanbase that will allow you to do your orginal music full time!

Are you ready?

Use these tools:

Offer:

Know your audience
Laurie Wright nails this. He targets working adults who love rock, so he uses platforms they use - mainly Facebook. Posting regular ive streams and videos and dropping money on well performing clips to boost reach has worked really well for him as his fanbase grows so does his concerts…his next big one is in December at the Scala in London (1000+) cap and is almost sold out!

Always record
Even if you’re not livestreaming, capture every set. You never know when a magical moment hits and this is your content which fuels the machine.

Collect emails
Use a QR code or short link in your case/stand. One email = 10x more value than a social follower. Building your own email list is the single most important thing you can do. Yes its good to have 10 fk+ollowers on Instagram but even better to have 1000 super engaged fans on your email list

Engage the crowd
Invite someone to sing. Take requests. Use call-and-response moments and collaborate with other artists who are similar to you, this is probably the quickest way to build your fanbase and have fun to boot.

Turn your one set into multiple forms of content
One session = 5 reels, a livestream, a blog post, email newsletter and TikTok hooks.
Don’t just post a static phone angle - cut it up, get subtitles, tease it in stories.

You don’t really need:

You do need:

If you want help to get this going for you or have any questions then please drop me a libe by replying to this email, always happy to help.

Work with me: I offer a range of services for artists

Start your own online Vinyl distribution ElasticStage is the worlds first online vinyl store. As a partnership with them I can highly recommend their services. This can actually be a game changer for independent artists and can add a lot to your income.

(I also receive a very small commission if you sign up)

Final thoughts

What’s your challenge as a musician trying to grow your audience?

Hit reply and let me know - I’d love to help you tackle it!

Remember:

Rejection is correction. Ridicule is fuel. Keep thriving.

Until next time,

Spence C

thepromu.com | LinkedIn