Editing Street performance (section)

== Forms ==
[[File:Bubble Bath Cherry Blossom.jpg|thumb|275px|A walk-by street performer blowing large bubbles in [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]], United Kingdom]]
There are three basic forms of street performance: circle shows, walk-by acts, and stoplight performances.

"'''Circle shows'''" are shows that tend to gather a crowd around them. They usually have a distinct beginning and end. Usually these are done in conjunction with [[street theatre]], [[puppeteer]]ing, [[Magic (illusion)|magicians]], comedians, [[acrobatics|acrobats]], [[juggle]]rs and sometimes musicians. Circle shows can be the most lucrative. Sometimes the crowds attracted can be very large. A good busker will control the crowd so the patrons do not obstruct foot traffic.

"'''Walk-by acts'''" are acts where the busker performs a musical, living statue or other act that does not have a distinct beginning or end, and the public usually watches for a brief time. A walk-by act may turn into a circle show if the act is unusual or very popular.

"'''Stoplight performances'''" are performances in which performers present their act and get contributions from vehicle occupants on a crosswalk while the traffic lights are red. A variety of disciplines can be used in such a format (juggling, break dancing, even magic tricks). Because of the short period of time available to them, stoplight performers must have a very brief, condensed routine. This form is seen more commonly in Latin America than elsewhere.

=== Collecting money ===
[[File:Firejuggling 2009 ubt.ogv|thumb|right|275px|[[Toss juggling]] street performance in Denmark]]

Buskers collect donations and tips from the public in a variety of containers and by different methods depending on the type of busking they are performing. For walk-by acts, their open, empty instrument case or a special can, box, or hat is often used. For circle shows the performer will typically collect money at the end of the show, although some performers will also collect during the show, as some audience members do not stay for the entire performance. 

Sometimes a performer will employ a ''bottler'', ''hat man'', or ''pitch man'' to collect money from the audience and encourage them to contribute, sometimes by cajoling them in a humorous fashion. The term ''bottler'' is a British term that originated from the use of the top half of a bottle to collect money. The bottle had a leather flap inserted in the bottleneck and a leather pouch attached. This design allowed coins to be put in the bottle but did not allow them to be removed easily without the coins jingling against the glass. The first use of such contrivances was recorded by the famous [[Punch and Judy]] troupe of puppeteers in early Victorian times.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Somerville |first1=Chris |title=Who is Mr Punch |url=http://www.punchandjudy.com/bottle.htm |website=punchandjudy.com |access-date=14 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230224181144/http://www.punchandjudy.com/bottle.htm |archive-date=24 February 2023 |date=1997 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The increasing use of cashless payments in the 21st century, and the corresponding lessening of the amount of cash typically carried, has affected buskers, some of whom have begun using electronic payment systems including contactless payment terminals and web or app based payment systems (sometimes reachable by [[QR code]]). This trend accelerated after [[COVID-19]] lockdowns, but predates this.<ref name="Wollaston">{{Cite news |last=Wollaston |first=Sam |date=8 November 2018 |title=Where the streets have no change: how buskers are surviving in cashless times |language=en |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/nov/08/where-the-streets-have-no-change-how-buskers-are-surviving-in-cashless-times |access-date=16 August 2024 }}</ref><ref name="Shular">{{Cite news |last=Shular |first=Emma |date=8 March 2023 |title=Buskers change their tune with digital payments and promotion |language=en |work=Langara Voice |url=https://www.langaravoice.ca/buskers-change-their-tune-with-digital-payments-and-promotion/ |access-date=16 August 2024 }}</ref>

=== Pitches ===
The place where a performance occurs is called a "pitch". A good pitch can be the key to success as a busker. An act that might make money at one place and time may not work at all in another setting. Popular pitches tend to be public places with large volumes of pedestrian traffic, high visibility, low background noise and as few elements of interference as possible. Good locations may include tourist spots, popular parks, entertainment districts including many restaurants, cafés, bars and pubs and theaters, [[rapid transit|subways]] and bus stops, outside the entrances to large concerts and sporting events, almost any plaza or [[town square]] as well as [[zócalo]]s in Latin America and [[piazza]]s in other regions. Other places include shopping malls, strip malls, and outside supermarkets, although permission is usually required from management for these.

In her book, ''Underground Harmonies: Music and Politics in the Subways of New York'', Susie J. Tanenbaum examined how the adage "Music hath charms to soothe the savage beast" plays out in regards to busking. Her sociological studies showed that in areas where buskers regularly perform, crime rates tended to go down, and that those with higher education attainment tended to have a more positive view of buskers than did those of lesser educational attainment.<ref name="Tanenbaum">Tanenbaum, Susie, J. (1995). [https://books.google.com/books?id=mjIuOSZe2j0C&q=Underground+Harmonies:+Music+and+Politics+in+the+Subways+of+New+York Underground Harmonies: Music and Politics in the Subways of New York.] ''Google books''; Cornell University Press. {{ISBN|0-8014-8222-4}}</ref> Some cities encourage busking in particular areas,<ref name="Startz">{{cite web| title=What this town needs is a little street music| author=Startz, Dick | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080404212605/http://www.uwnews.org/admin/ss/page.asp?pid=247&articleID=10422|archive-date=4 April 2008| url=http://www.uwnews.org/admin/ss/page.asp?pid=247&articleID=10422 |work=uwnews.org |publisher= University of Washington News and Information| date=25 May 2005 }}</ref> giving preference to city government-approved buskers and even publishing schedules of performances.<ref name="MTANY">[http://web.mta.info/mta/aft/muny/ MTA: Arts for Transit: Music Under New York]. ''mta.info''; [[Metropolitan Transportation Authority]], New York. Retrieved 2016-07-15.</ref>

Many cities in the United States have particular areas known to be popular spots for buskers. Performers are found at many locations like Mallory Square in [[Key West]], in [[New Orleans]], in New York around [[Central Park]], [[Washington Square Park|Washington Square]], and the subway systems, in San Francisco, in Washington, D.C. around the transit centers, in Los Angeles around [[Venice, Los Angeles|Venice Beach]], the [[Santa Monica]] [[Third Street Promenade]], and the Hollywood area, in Chicago on [[Maxwell Street]], in the [[Delmar Loop]] district of [[St. Louis]], and many other locations throughout the US.
Busking is still quite common in Scotland, Ireland ([[Grafton Street#Busking|Grafton Street]], [[Dublin]]), and England with musicians and other street performers of varying talent levels.