Perform for Thousands in the NYC Subway System

taken in Union Square, NYC

Anyone who has traveled the underground metro system of New York City is familiar with NYC subway performers. If you’re a band, songwriter, or solo performer, you (yes you!) can set up shop in a busy subway station and perform for thousands! This article serves as a guide to performing in public in New York City.

Street and subway performers are everywhere in New York City. You see sax players in the tunnels of Central Park, mariachi bands jumping through subway cars, jazz quartets in Penn Station, acoustic folk rockers in the Union Square subway station, and horn and drums combos at Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. They’re in all five boroughs, covering all genres and styles. I have witnessed some of the most amazing and unique talent just by walking the streets and tunnels of New York City.

If you’re a musician living in New York City, performing in the transit system could be a tremendously rewarding experience.  You have the opportunity to share your live music with thousands of listeners from all walks of life.  The convenience of living in the NYC area allows you to try out different locations to see which spots work best.  Once you have a few favorites, you could stick with them in hopes of reaching repeat-passers-by and gaining fans.

If you’re not local to the big apple, you might want to consider traveling here to take advantage of the live music culture of the NYC underground.  Be sure to walk the city a bit before you start playing.  Watch the subway performers and see how things are done.  Take note of where they set up, the volume, the way they interact with listeners, etc.  Take in as much as you can first, and then get out there and and perform.

Can anyone just play in the NYC subway?

There are mixed messages out there about the legality of performing without a permit (more info on permits below). It seems to me that many people DO perform without a permit and without hassle from police or station agents. To be sure you can rock out without problems, be sure to follow these general (and obvious) guidelines:

• Play acoustic, or with a low-volume, non-intrusive amplifier.
• Don’t block any stairways, escalators, elevators, entrances, exits or subway boarding areas.
• Don’t block the flow of walking traffic.
• Don’t play during public service announcements.
• Use common sense.  Be cool.

For the most part, your music is welcomed and appreciated by commuters who dread the daily grind of riding and waiting for the subways.  Serve them with well-rehearsed performances and pleasing and interesting material.

Permits and Music Under New York (MUNY)

There is an official program sponsored by the MTA (metropolitan transportation authority) called Music Under New York.  This program  sponsors musical performances at 150 of the most popular locations inside the New York City transit system.

To join MUNY, you must complete an application and perform an audition to be considered for membership.  It’s a fairly exclusive program which makes for a high level of talent as well as diversity in genre and style.

The advantage of performing with a scheduled MUNY permit is that you have the exclusive right to the most popular spaces and times.  If another non-MUNY performer is in your space, they need to stop playing or relocate during your scheduled performance.

More info

Arts for Transit: Music Under New York

NYC MTA Rules of Conduct

A Guide for Subway Musicians & Other Performers

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