What is it like to be a busker in an increasingly cashless society?

Josh Thompson knows.

He travelled the world for four and a half years as a busker and has seen audiences move away from carrying cash.

To counter this, Mr Thompson and his busking partner have started taking electronic payments for their street performances.

"Technology's moving, no industry can escape it," he said.

"I think if buskers can keep up with that and have the technology available on the street for someone to just swipe and walk away, then that spontaneous feeling is still there."

Are audiences paying?

Mr Thompson says busking audiences in Australia are hesitant to make electronic payments to buskers, but that this isn't the case everywhere.

How do buskers adapt to an increasingly cashless society? Point your fans to electronic transactions, that's how. ( Supplied: Josh Thompson )

"In Europe and the UK, with apps and PayPal and everyone getting into bitcoin, people actually are paying buskers with digital currency," he said.

Marketing expert Julie Lee said she understands why some sectors of the market are hesitant to take up the practice.

"If we're thinking in general, pulling a bit of change out of your pocket is less identifiable, and has no safety and security issues involved with it," she said.

Professor Lee highlighted that some people still have trouble trusting electronic payment systems.

"There's an idea that you've got a card that maybe has personal details on it, or that if you pay electronically you could be charged more than you're willing to give," she said.

Attitudes changing

Professor Lee said young people were far less worried about such ideas, and were more likely to make small payments electronically.

"Younger people have grown up with the idea that money is on a card," she said.

She said many schoolchildren think that keeping money on a card is safer than carrying cash.

"Schoolkids today often have a school ID card that they pay for their lunches at the cafeteria with rather than cash," Professor Lee said.

"They're told it's more safe and secure to pay with card."

Musical micropayments

Music academic Sarah Taylor said the way people are paying for music is changing, putting busking in a unique position.

"It's not a typical thing now to spend a lot of money on a musical object," Dr Taylor said.

"You tend to pay for the experience, and that's why it becomes very interesting for busking."

Josh Thompson said setting up electronic payment systems at performances overseas has resulted in larger individual contributions.

"Instead of what's just in the pocket you might get thirty dollars, or fifteen euro," he said.

Some things never change

Though many parts of the busking scene are changing, one thing is not.

Broome busker Bambilla highlighted the fact that finding a good spot in a good city will ultimately have more of an impact on a busker's bottom line than their payment system.

"In Melbourne there's a million people, which means a million chuck-in," he said.

"If I could play there for a year I think I'd be able to buy myself a brand-new car," he said.