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If you\u2019ve been a long time fan of podcasting and music, you\u2019ve bound to have found Dave\u2019s Lounge<\/a>. Dave\u2019s Lounge is perhaps the most versatile and accessible music podcast out there<\/em>.<\/p>\n By versatile I mean that it can be played almost anywhere. You can listen while you work, when you want to relax, you can play it during a party, it can be played in the office, or while you\u2019re stuck in traffic and it will always serve you in different ways<\/em>.<\/p>\n If you love down-tempo and trip-hop, it really is a no brainer<\/em>.<\/p>\n This podcast is a must<\/strong> subscribe. It\u2019s guaranteed that at some point it will be the<\/em> perfect podcast to play<\/em>.<\/p>\n Bonus: Dave Warner, the host of Dave\u2019s Lounge, has a deep resonant voice, he is incredibly passionate about what he does, and has awesome insights about life and music in general. He is celebrating his 7th Anniversary episode. Help him celebrate by subscribing<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n When I started Dave\u2019s Lounge, I just did it to share some indie music I had found and really liked. The feedback I got was enough to keep me going, not to mention the free music and the contacts I\u2019ve made over the years. As time went on, I started exploring ways for the show to make a few bucks, mostly through affiliate advertising at first, then finally opening it up to listener donations. Most of my listeners seem to prefer the ad-free, listener-supported model.<\/p>\n It only took a year or so for Dave\u2019s Lounge to become a profitable hobby, but even seven years in, it\u2019s still just a hobby. I\u2019m hoping this will change soon with the launch of the Dave\u2019s Lounge Premium Podcast<\/a> this month. Still, it\u2019s always been fun to find good new music and share it with people. Sometimes just the fact that I can do that legally keeps me going.<\/p>\n Most people just thank me for helping them get through their work day or their commute. I had one listener, though, thank me for helping him keep a level head while he was going through chemotherapy. He sent me a very nice photograph he took in Italy as a gift. I\u2019m still surprised by how big an impact this little show can have on some people. I chalk it up to the power of the music more than anything.<\/p>\n I also had one artist that I play semi-regularly on the show tell me a few years ago that I was responsible for about 25% of her sales. That was quite an eye-opener.<\/p>\n I\u2019m finding more and more that engagement is much more crucial than raw numbers, because engaged listeners will help you spread the word about your show<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Download numbers don\u2019t tell me how people listen to Dave\u2019s Lounge, how they found it, or what songs they like the most.<\/p>\n Keeping a good dialog with your audience will do much more for growing your podcast in the long run \u2013 especially when you\u2019re like me and you\u2019re doing a show on a budget too small to afford advertising!<\/p>\n Back when I started the show in 2005, I contacted other podcasters about doing bumpers for my show. One of them was Jamie Mottram, who at the time was doing the Sports Bloggers Live podcast for AOL.<\/p>\n I mentioned to Jamie that I was also doing a football blog at the time, and that led me to being a semi-regular guest on that show and, eventually, a writer for two years at FanHouse, AOL\u2019s sports blog.<\/p>\n That gig paid off my credit card bills and paid for my trip to the New Media Expo in Las Vegas in 2008.<\/p>\n The biggest benefit of the show itself, though, has been all the great music I\u2019ve gotten over the years. People recognize this show has a dedicated listener base that loves trip hop and downtempo music, and they want their music to be part of that \u2013 and if it\u2019s good, it will be.<\/p>\n First off, whether you\u2019re starting a podcast, a blog, a YouTube channel, or even a Tumblr, keep your focus on a topic that excites you personally. If you\u2019re passionate about something, that will come through in your show, and it will keep you engaged in doing your show regularly.<\/p>\n Second, keep as regular a schedule as possible. Consistency is important with any media, and it\u2019s doubly important in an age where there\u2019s so many media options out there for people to choose from. If they can rely on you to put on a good show every week or every other week, they\u2019ll keep coming back.<\/p>\n Third, always look for ways to keep your listeners engaged with you, because your listeners will ultimately be the ones who sing your show\u2019s praises to their friends. That\u2019s how your audience grows.<\/p>\n Finally, if you\u2019re looking to get rich right away from podcasting,llb you\u2019re doing it wrong. Podcasting is a long game. It took Leo Laporte years to get where he is now, and he was a seasoned professional with a keen understanding of how media works.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been doing this for seven years, and honestly, I still haven\u2019t figured it out. Still, I do Dave\u2019s Lounge because I want to do it and because artists and listeners alike enjoy it, not because it makes me money.<\/p>\n This doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019ll stop looking for ways to make the show even more profitable, of course, but if you\u2019re doing something just for the money, you\u2019ll get tired of it in a hurry \u2013 especially if it\u2019s not successful right away. If you love what you do and do it well, though, the money will come soon enough.<\/p>\n Get your day going by listening to the Dave\u2019s Lounge 7th Anniversary Mix<\/a>! And of course then promptly SUBSCRIBE<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Dave has just launched a Premium edition of his podcast, higher-quality version of the show that includes chapter markers, album art, embedded links to songs, and no voiceovers in the mix. Good stuff! Check it out<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Ready to get your podcast going? Do it with the best podcasting host around! Start here<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\nFun, Fame or Profit? Why are you doing the show?<\/h3>\n
What is your most memorable feedback from a listener?<\/h3>\n
Do download numbers matter to you? or is audience engagement key?<\/h3>\n
How has or has podcasting helped create opportunities for you?<\/h3>\n
What advise would you give a new podcaster so that they keep going!<\/h3>\n
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