Podcasting Update and Request

Hey, folks. So I'm about to ask for something that I have never asked for in terms of this site: help. I've been DJing  at WQFS since the fall of 1999, running this blog since the spring of 2003 and podcasting since the fall of 2006. All of the things I do are volunteer work - we're a family of devoted music lovers at WQFS - and obviously my blog here is a labor of love as well. But all it costs me is time, which I happily put into it. Not so much for the podcast. I started the podcast in order to reach out to listeners beyond our broadcast area - this was about 4 or so years before we finally began streaming the station online. But even after we started streaming, the podcast seemed popular and wanted as it gives people a chance to listen to the show at their convenience, something the streaming does not allow.

I have always used an excellent podhosting service called Libsyn. They provide me with a particular amount of upload space per month and then a lifetime of storage for all uploaded files. You can go back and listen to any of my podcasted shows going back to 2006 thanks to them. It's really awesome and not something I could probably do on my own very easily. They also provide me with stats for downloads and instant upload for syndication through the iTunes store so that people can subscribe to the podcast and have it delivered to them automatically without having to directly download it from the blog.

Good services like this, of course, don't come free, but I've always accepted the cost as something I was willing to undertake as part of my passion in being a DJ. My monthly fees to Libsyn are around $30 a month for the amount of space necessary to be able to upload all of my shows at 128kb quality mp3 without having to wait for space to free up to upload it. You may have noticed in recent months that I've had to occasionally upload shows to my personal hosting space at qfsmayhem.com rather than through Libsyn. That's because of personal monetary issues that necessitated I cut back in places in my budget. I came back to the $20/month service that Libsyn offers, but unfortunately that means I only get to upload to Libsyn about three shows per month rather than the four or five that I usually would.

This is where I'm reaching out to you guys. I don't see anything changing on my end in the near future in being able to pay for Libsyn's services. If anything, it may necessitate further cut backs. I love podcasting and DJing and would prefer to keep uploading the show on a regular basis. So this is where you potentially come in. Below you'll see a PayPal donate button. Click on it, log in through Pay Pal and choose the amount you would like to donate. Any and all amounts, no matter how small or large, are awesome and I can't thank you enough.

Obviously I can't offer you tax deductions for this. So what can I offer? Here's the hope:

- First, if enough money is raised to perpetuate the return to the $30/month level for the podcast, then podcasts will be uploaded weekly, on the same date at roughly the same time.

- Second, if enough money is raised to go beyond the $30/month level then I will start including additional homemade podcasts on a bimonthly basis that are theme based or just focus on new or classic music. These will be more around an hour in length.

- Anyone who donates money, no matter the amount, will receive a personal thank you email from me. Not much, but you clearly deserve it.

Now, these gifts are only going to be available until August 21st or until supplies run out. After that they may be limited or not available, though I will still be accepting donations. 

- Anyone (of the first 50 donors) who donates $15 or more will receive a copy of the 2006 compilation Consensus: Celebrating 36 Years of College Radio at WQFS Greensboro. It's a great collection put together by a former WQFS DJ and features bands you've heard on my show over the years (Adam Thorn and the Top Buttons, Health, Kudzu Wish, the White Octave, etc.) and some you haven't. All of the bands have some sort of connection to WQFS or Greensboro and it's a great listen.

- Anyone (again, numbers are limited) who donates $30 or more will receive a WQFS t-shirt. We have two currently in-production styles to choose from. Size availability may be limited depending on when you donate, but I will do everything I can to get what you need. Check out the shirts:

- Anyone who donates $50 or more will receive both the CD and the WQFS t-shirt.

- Anyone who donates $100 or more, well, I don't know what else I have to offer, but we can talk about it and see.

I appreciate you reading this and considering donating to help ease the monetary burden on my end to bring you the podcast each week. Even if you can't donate, please know that I appreciate you listening each week and reading the blog. Building a community around the music and the show is my biggest goal after all. All money raised will be spent explicitly on funding the show's podcasting. This is not about me profiting in any way beyond paying for the podcast services. So if you have the means and the will, click below to donate. And thanks!