It’s a keepsake for the feeling that was felt while listening to the music being played. Merchandise is very good income stream for each show or busk. It brings back the memories. Glad things are going well.
I got mine all the way over here in south Texas. Great album. Great way to support the channel and keep him moving forward. Get one if you can. Or get two and share one with a friend.
For me CD's are far from dead. I try to get all the albums from artists I like on a CD's, and certainly from street artist like Cam Cole, Ren and now you my friend. I've just ordered your CD cos you've been such an inspiration to 47 year old me to go and try to do some busking myself in the near future. Keep that positive soul going Ben! Greetings from Belgium.
CD’s are alive and well! I always have cds on hand when busking and gigging…I also use them as a business card for club owners, promoters, other musicians etc…great to put something in their hands..money (and gigs) in the bank! Cheers my dude! 🤘
Well done, ARP! I always have CDs, download vouchers and Marshlander greetings cards with me. As you note, we can’t offer them for sale, but if someone puts folding money in my hat I give them a physical object in return. I’m not surprised that your donations were down in Peterborough, nor that someone else started playing within earshot! I experience both those things whenever I busk there. Apart from that the parking is really expensive compared with many other places. Once again, so near, yet so far. We’ll meet one day, my friend. Do the four CDs I bought count as one person or four … ? 🤣🤣
Thank you Marshlander! We're bound to bump into one another at some point, I'm sure! 😀 Thank you for getting more copies of the album too, I hope the ears they fall on enjoy the songs! I'm trying to count the rad folk like yourself, that order more than one copy, as one still! 😂 🙌
@@AugustRadioProject I realise that keeping close tally like that isn’t always easy. To be fair I’ve no idea how many of my own CDs I’ve sold. All I know is there are loads left 🤣🤣🤣 At least they’ll do me for a while longer!
Was it last Sunday 15.12.24. you were in Peterborough as I nearly came to Peterborough to busk & I normally busk were you are. I find I tend to sell CD's to people that have heard me a few times and had a chat. It seems to be more like they want a souvenir of you and if you become famous the CD may be worth something.
It wasn't! It was a Wednesday (4/12) that I was there! I'll be up that way over the next couple of weeks so I could be making another appearance in P'boro... 👀 🙌 😀
Loved the video! Makes a lot of sense, I’ll be ordering soon my guy!! Always awkward when somebody wants to jump up with you, certainly on a song you don’t know too well! Very well handled haha, although I’m sure I could smell him through my screen 😂 - glad he enjoyed it after such a passive-aggressive introduction haha
Thank you man! What can be really awkward is the amount of spit thats already in my microphone from the hours of singing... I always try to tell folk who want to jump on that they probably don't want to be putting their mouth anywhere near it! 😂
Things are looking up, new plectrum :) One selling trick a lot of people do is only have a few CD's on display for sale. Make you think may be sold out soon so buy now not later. Great video.
Honestly, I am so stoked that somebody noticed!! For the first time in many many years, I've switched to using a lighter plectrum...! 😂 The trick is a good shout too - I'll be sure to use this! Thank you! 🙌 😀
I love the idea of Show Your Work! Do you have any knowledge for those of us who have a hard time writing songs? Maybe a vlog? 👀👀 I know for me personally, I can sit and write lyrics and come up with progressions, but I cannot for the life of me put them together. Much love, bro! Great video!
I've been thinking lately that I really want to make some songwriting videos! It's something I want to lean into more for 2025! This comment is a great sign to do must that! On it's way my dude! 🙌 😀
One of your original 60 here. I always try to support fellow artists by buying merch. You can't put your autogragh on a stream. My copy of Keep Showing Up arrived here in Philly, PA, USA, a few days ago! Carry on!!
I love this! I may have to use the line, 'you can't put an autograph on a stream' - that's honestly brilliant! Thank you for the support, I really appreciate it! 🙌 😀
Great video Ben . Yeah CDs are a great first port of call for performers at st level. You're right ,it makes so much more sense to have them and have also seen first hand evidence that people do want them. I had a few when I started busking again last year and now need to get some more made. I did try ( before busking ) to do digital downloads on there own but like streaming it doesn't work on its own. Folks need to see you play in order to get that immediate experience from your music directly ,then having a download in place could pay off aswell as having CDs. I've learned through all my so called mistakes which are really learning curves that people still have the best experience of music when it's played live and everything else will follow in its own way. Love the video . Agree completely with all of it . Sorry long winded but I'm passionate about this stuff . All the best Dude .
Thank you! And thank you for this comment. I agree with you! You cannot beat the live experience. I guess this is another reason busking is so great, it allows folks to see you live first and then decide to invest in a CD or download! I love the mantra, 'Live first and everything else will follow' - this is a great line! Thank you again! 🙌 😀
Hey Ben. Another interesting video: and a topic that seems to be coming up more frequently. Certainly lots of discussion around buying CDs on some of the FB groups I'm in. I've 'acquired' more new music this last couple of years than I have in many years - and all of it on CD. Buying 'hard' product is the best way to support independent artists directly - and it gives you more of a connection to the artists you like - so hopefully CDs are having a bit of a renaissance. I think the closest the 'Wonders' tour gets to us is Lytham (a nice little venue - with an even better cafe attached to it - in a very nice seaside town), but it's the week we're away, so will have to send a note from mum to explain our absence. Keep on keeping on, cheers.
I like that theres clearly a movement within music. It's encouraging to see music artists taking ownership and venturing off the default path! I'm 100% sure it's gonna lead to a change and shift the way things are! 🙌 😀 shame you can't make the show! Next time, I'm sure!
Totally agree about boycotting streaming platforms, but I did have a thought on how to make use of them without giving your music away for free. How about cutting together a taster compilation, say 15 seconds of 6 songs and uploading that, with a qr code to your website in the description? I too think CDs are still a good thing to have on sale, I get asked for them regularly! Inspiring and on point as always Ben 🤘🙂
Also, while I’m enjoying the video, £11.11 is a good number. Maybe you could have a song in 11/11 time to promote online sales. And one in 10/0 time for live busking. (Which, if my music theory is correct, means there would be an infinite amount of time between each beat 🤔).
You should make a video in winter busking and what to expect for 1st year buskers. It's my first year and I can't really tell if what decrease in income is normal. It's been strange,
The donations fluctuate all the time, don't overthink it! A lot of the time I can't tell why... You just gotta keep showing up and eventually it turns around! I did make a busking in the winter video already, here it is: th-cam.com/video/_wvNLYHlYwE/w-d-xo.html 😀🙌
Hi Ben, I definitely have nothing in my house that can read or CD or take your songs from it to put somewhere else ! You can get 1 GB memory sticks from China for 76 cents of a euros ! I would put my music onto that and then maybe stick it on the back of a CD format designed cover with song list and stick taped to the back ! I reckon the profit margin might be better, plus anybody could take your music and put it anywhere they chose !! CD,s for me have indeed been taken out of music sharing as i see it !
I did think about USBs as I've seen a few other buskers out there with them! Even USB drives are now less common too! Maybe I could do a run of them at some point as an experiment? I'll think about it! Thank you for the Brian, always appreciate the support! 🙌 😀
When is yer record commin' out on vinyl. I can only listen to music on a vinyl record, I'm actually allergic to cd's I break out in hives when I even see one.
I didn’t know you had a car, only seen you on public transport in your vids! That guy coming up to you was a bit awkward, I’d have trouble knowing what to say without seeming rude or angering him. Anyway I have have two questions: 1. How have you still not done a livestream?! 2. What did you have for dinner?
I actually was borrowing the car for this but I can confirm I will be getting a vehicle in 2025 for all the touring - ARP is levelling up! 🙌 😀 as for your questions... 1. I really don't have a good excuse for this do I? I will be sure to make a point of doing some livestreams for 2025! 👀 This is official confirmation! 2. For dinner I had a curry made with beans with pita breads! What did you have for dinner?
Over here, possibly over there as well, everything is priced at like 9.98. Or 9.87. Just stupid mind trick. Kinda like fuel 2.49'9. But it works. Give you an example. Years ago my daughter was selling girl scout cookies in front of a Walmart for 3 dollars a box and not having much luck. They started posting signs and telling people one box for three dollars or three for nine... Yeah, sold out. Weird
The psychology of numbers eh... I read once that the human mind is more drawn to numbers that seem specific! I guess this could work when selling CDs in the street but the faff with change seems like it could get in the way of the music! Maybe some experimenting to be had...! 🙌 Thank you for the support as always John! 😀
Ben you should get used to play songs you do not know very well, for instance "sitting on the dock of the bay" is not that difficult. People are very grateful if you play songs they like, that,s the nitty gritty of busking. Take that as a suggestion from my side because it augments the donations.
This is a good point and one I'm definitely taking on board for the year ahead! Improving will be a big focus for 2025! Thank you for the support as always! 😀🙌
Stupid question, maybe, but how does this fit into busking and street trading laws? I doubt anyone cares more about selling CDs on the street than having someone playing on the street, so maybe unlikely to ever be a problem, but my understanding was that busking is actually legal on public land, even in places that insist on busking licences, as you’ve said yourself, but isn’t street trading more strictly regulated?
Oops! Ignore my question. Been watching the video in bits while doing other stuff and think I just got to the bit about “a few rules…” that might explain it all.
In Germany (I busk in Berlin) you actually need a special License for selling anything on the Street. But ofcourse Nobody really cares because it’s hard to control Hundreds of Buskers in a big City like Berlin.
I’m 66 years old… and starting to busk… Your complete attitude and words of wisdom are always an encouragement… Merry Christmas!! Happy Holidays!
So stoked to hear it! Thank you for the kind words and Merry Christmas! 😀🙌
Oh yes! Long live the CDs!!!
🙌 😀
It’s a keepsake for the feeling that was felt while listening to the music being played. Merchandise is very good income stream for each show or busk. It brings back the memories. Glad things are going well.
So true! Thank you! 🙌 😀
I got mine all the way over here in south Texas. Great album. Great way to support the channel and keep him moving forward. Get one if you can. Or get two and share one with a friend.
That’s awesome! Where at in South Texas? I’m in Fort Stockton.
Corpus Christi
@ nice! I love going to Corpus!
I was thinking about this yesterday! So glad you made a video addressing this
Stoked it aligned at the perfect time! 🙌 😀
For me CD's are far from dead. I try to get all the albums from artists I like on a CD's, and certainly from street artist like Cam Cole, Ren and now you my friend. I've just ordered your CD cos you've been such an inspiration to 47 year old me to go and try to do some busking myself in the near future. Keep that positive soul going Ben! Greetings from Belgium.
I love this! I also am honoured to be included in the list! CD is on it's way my friend! 🙌 😀
CD’s are alive and well! I always have cds on hand when busking and gigging…I also use them as a business card for club owners, promoters, other musicians etc…great to put something in their hands..money (and gigs) in the bank! Cheers my dude! 🤘
This is a great shout actually! Thank you man, appreciate it as always! 🙌 😀
Well done, ARP! I always have CDs, download vouchers and Marshlander greetings cards with me. As you note, we can’t offer them for sale, but if someone puts folding money in my hat I give them a physical object in return. I’m not surprised that your donations were down in Peterborough, nor that someone else started playing within earshot! I experience both those things whenever I busk there. Apart from that the parking is really expensive compared with many other places. Once again, so near, yet so far. We’ll meet one day, my friend. Do the four CDs I bought count as one person or four … ? 🤣🤣
Thank you Marshlander! We're bound to bump into one another at some point, I'm sure! 😀 Thank you for getting more copies of the album too, I hope the ears they fall on enjoy the songs! I'm trying to count the rad folk like yourself, that order more than one copy, as one still! 😂 🙌
@@AugustRadioProject I realise that keeping close tally like that isn’t always easy. To be fair I’ve no idea how many of my own CDs I’ve sold. All I know is there are loads left 🤣🤣🤣 At least they’ll do me for a while longer!
Was it last Sunday 15.12.24. you were in Peterborough as I nearly came to Peterborough to busk & I normally busk were you are. I find I tend to sell CD's to people that have heard me a few times and had a chat. It seems to be more like they want a souvenir of you and if you become famous the CD may be worth something.
It wasn't! It was a Wednesday (4/12) that I was there! I'll be up that way over the next couple of weeks so I could be making another appearance in P'boro... 👀 🙌 😀
Loved the video!
Makes a lot of sense, I’ll be ordering soon my guy!!
Always awkward when somebody wants to jump up with you, certainly on a song you don’t know too well!
Very well handled haha, although I’m sure I could smell him through my screen 😂 - glad he enjoyed it after such a passive-aggressive introduction haha
Thank you man! What can be really awkward is the amount of spit thats already in my microphone from the hours of singing... I always try to tell folk who want to jump on that they probably don't want to be putting their mouth anywhere near it! 😂
Things are looking up, new plectrum :)
One selling trick a lot of people do is only have a few CD's on display for sale. Make you think may be sold out soon so buy now not later.
Great video.
Honestly, I am so stoked that somebody noticed!! For the first time in many many years, I've switched to using a lighter plectrum...! 😂 The trick is a good shout too - I'll be sure to use this! Thank you! 🙌 😀
I love the idea of Show Your Work! Do you have any knowledge for those of us who have a hard time writing songs? Maybe a vlog? 👀👀 I know for me personally, I can sit and write lyrics and come up with progressions, but I cannot for the life of me put them together. Much love, bro! Great video!
I've been thinking lately that I really want to make some songwriting videos! It's something I want to lean into more for 2025! This comment is a great sign to do must that! On it's way my dude! 🙌 😀
@ that’s awesome!! Thank you so much, bro!
One of your original 60 here. I always try to support fellow artists by buying merch. You can't put your autogragh on a stream. My copy of Keep Showing Up arrived here in Philly, PA, USA, a few days ago! Carry on!!
I love this! I may have to use the line, 'you can't put an autograph on a stream' - that's honestly brilliant! Thank you for the support, I really appreciate it! 🙌 😀
Great video Ben . Yeah CDs are a great first port of call for performers at st level. You're right ,it makes so much more sense to have them and have also seen first hand evidence that people do want them. I had a few when I started busking again last year and now need to get some more made. I did try ( before busking ) to do digital downloads on there own but like streaming it doesn't work on its own. Folks need to see you play in order to get that immediate experience from your music directly ,then having a download in place could pay off aswell as having CDs. I've learned through all my so called mistakes which are really learning curves that people still have the best experience of music when it's played live and everything else will follow in its own way. Love the video . Agree completely with all of it . Sorry long winded but I'm passionate about this stuff . All the best Dude .
Thank you! And thank you for this comment. I agree with you! You cannot beat the live experience. I guess this is another reason busking is so great, it allows folks to see you live first and then decide to invest in a CD or download! I love the mantra, 'Live first and everything else will follow' - this is a great line! Thank you again! 🙌 😀
Hey Ben. Another interesting video: and a topic that seems to be coming up more frequently. Certainly lots of discussion around buying CDs on some of the FB groups I'm in. I've 'acquired' more new music this last couple of years than I have in many years - and all of it on CD. Buying 'hard' product is the best way to support independent artists directly - and it gives you more of a connection to the artists you like - so hopefully CDs are having a bit of a renaissance. I think the closest the 'Wonders' tour gets to us is Lytham (a nice little venue - with an even better cafe attached to it - in a very nice seaside town), but it's the week we're away, so will have to send a note from mum to explain our absence. Keep on keeping on, cheers.
I like that theres clearly a movement within music. It's encouraging to see music artists taking ownership and venturing off the default path! I'm 100% sure it's gonna lead to a change and shift the way things are! 🙌 😀 shame you can't make the show! Next time, I'm sure!
Totally agree about boycotting streaming platforms, but I did have a thought on how to make use of them without giving your music away for free. How about cutting together a taster compilation, say 15 seconds of 6 songs and uploading that, with a qr code to your website in the description?
I too think CDs are still a good thing to have on sale, I get asked for them regularly! Inspiring and on point as always Ben 🤘🙂
This is actually a rad idea... like a little teaser! I'll see what I can do! Appreciate it and the support as always Martin, thank you! 😀🙌
“It’s those who do things differently who stand out the most.”
Or, as Bansky famously put it, “I want to be non-conformist, just like everybody else”.
Also, while I’m enjoying the video, £11.11 is a good number.
Maybe you could have a song in 11/11 time to promote online sales.
And one in 10/0 time for live busking. (Which, if my music theory is correct, means there would be an infinite amount of time between each beat 🤔).
On the music theory issue, you might be able to get around it being too slow by giving it a tempo marking of something like ∞ = three seconds.
Well said! 🙌 😀
You should make a video in winter busking and what to expect for 1st year buskers. It's my first year and I can't really tell if what decrease in income is normal. It's been strange,
The donations fluctuate all the time, don't overthink it! A lot of the time I can't tell why... You just gotta keep showing up and eventually it turns around! I did make a busking in the winter video already, here it is: th-cam.com/video/_wvNLYHlYwE/w-d-xo.html 😀🙌
Hi Ben, I definitely have nothing in my house that can read or CD or take your songs from it to put somewhere else ! You can get 1 GB memory sticks from China for 76 cents of a euros ! I would put my music onto that and then maybe stick it on the back of a CD format designed cover with song list and stick taped to the back ! I reckon the profit margin might be better, plus anybody could take your music and put it anywhere they chose !! CD,s for me have indeed been taken out of music sharing as i see it !
I did think about USBs as I've seen a few other buskers out there with them! Even USB drives are now less common too! Maybe I could do a run of them at some point as an experiment? I'll think about it! Thank you for the Brian, always appreciate the support! 🙌 😀
I have over 400 CDs, and I still have a CD player.
RAD! This is good news for someone who is now selling CDs! 🙌 😀
Why not pop a printed QR code in the CD with a link to the digital download, with perhaps a £1.11 special price for CD purchasers?
This is a rad idea and one I think I'll use for when I get the next batch of CD's printed! 🙌 😀
I wonder what the reaction would be , if you had a few cassette tapes made!??
Oooh! I have seen a few musicians with cassettes - I like the aesthetic of them! Maybe I'll do a little research...! 🙌
When is yer record commin' out on vinyl. I can only listen to music on a vinyl record, I'm actually allergic to cd's I break out in hives when I even see one.
😂😂😂 I plan on making vinyl happen so stay tuned! 👀😀
I didn’t know you had a car, only seen you on public transport in your vids! That guy coming up to you was a bit awkward, I’d have trouble knowing what to say without seeming rude or angering him. Anyway I have have two questions: 1. How have you still not done a livestream?! 2. What did you have for dinner?
I actually was borrowing the car for this but I can confirm I will be getting a vehicle in 2025 for all the touring - ARP is levelling up! 🙌 😀 as for your questions... 1. I really don't have a good excuse for this do I? I will be sure to make a point of doing some livestreams for 2025! 👀 This is official confirmation! 2. For dinner I had a curry made with beans with pita breads! What did you have for dinner?
Over here, possibly over there as well, everything is priced at like 9.98. Or 9.87. Just stupid mind trick. Kinda like fuel 2.49'9. But it works. Give you an example. Years ago my daughter was selling girl scout cookies in front of a Walmart for 3 dollars a box and not having much luck. They started posting signs and telling people one box for three dollars or three for nine... Yeah, sold out. Weird
The psychology of numbers eh... I read once that the human mind is more drawn to numbers that seem specific! I guess this could work when selling CDs in the street but the faff with change seems like it could get in the way of the music! Maybe some experimenting to be had...! 🙌 Thank you for the support as always John! 😀
Where do you get the music for your videos man? The music that you don’t play I mean.
I use the TH-cam audio library! 🙌 😀
I still buy cd as if you font hve internet connection and havent downloaded the song you have no music
Very true! 🙌 😀
Ben you should get used to play songs you do not know very well, for instance "sitting on the dock of the bay" is not that difficult. People are very grateful if you play songs they like, that,s the nitty gritty of busking. Take that as a suggestion from my side because it augments the donations.
This is a good point and one I'm definitely taking on board for the year ahead! Improving will be a big focus for 2025! Thank you for the support as always! 😀🙌
Stupid question, maybe, but how does this fit into busking and street trading laws?
I doubt anyone cares more about selling CDs on the street than having someone playing on the street, so maybe unlikely to ever be a problem, but my understanding was that busking is actually legal on public land, even in places that insist on busking licences, as you’ve said yourself, but isn’t street trading more strictly regulated?
I’m just thinking, if grumpy anti-buskers realise this, they may use the fact some of us are selling stuff against us instead. Or am I being paranoid?
Oops! Ignore my question. Been watching the video in bits while doing other stuff and think I just got to the bit about “a few rules…” that might explain it all.
In Germany (I busk in Berlin) you actually need a special License for selling anything on the Street. But ofcourse Nobody really cares because it’s hard to control Hundreds of Buskers in a big City like Berlin.
Good to know!! 🙌 😀