The third edition of AFTRS’ Digital Futures Summit series focuses on the intersection of sound, radio, and podcasting and the shared and individual challenges and possibilities facing the sectors in the age of digital disruption.

Following an introduction by AFTRS Council Chair Russel Howcroft, Lillian ‘Flex Mami’ Ahenkan will offer her insights into creating content and how she engages, connects with, and grows her audience in a session with AFTRS radio and podcasting program convenor, Natalie Pozdeev.

Ahenkan is a social commentator, media influencer, brand consultant, TV presenter, podcaster, model, speaker, DJ, author, founder, and CEO. With a platform focused on legacy, intention, and reprioritising people, Flex cultivates dialogue and encourages her community to think critically about themselves and the world around them.

In the second keynote, AFTRS head of sound, Stephen Murphy, will be In Conversation with BBC Sounds new formats and innovation editor Nicky Birch, discussing the intersection of technology and creativity for audience engagement. In what has been described as a boom time for audio, it has never been more important to address the content and experience needs of a broader audience. Birch will talk about how technology plays a key role in delivering audio that connects with audiences.

In the session, Hyperlocal: Go Big or Grow Small, Koori Mail general manager Naomi Moran, Awesome Black Media producer/director Travis De Vries, ABC Audio Studios/Radio National digital and engagement editor Andrew Davies and Judith Neilson Insititute education director Andrea Ho will discuss the growing movement in radio and podcasting to ‘grow small’ and provide local content in response to demand from community audiences, rather than the decades-long trend towards centralisation of commercial radio and other media throughout the 21st century.

Breaking Sonic Barriers: The Future of Immersive Audio will feature sound designer Liam Egan, composer/sound designer Jeff Van Dyck, composer/writer Freya Berkhout and MC Claire Evans exploring how what is often thought of as visual storytelling involves more than just that one mode of perception – with sound an essential part of an engaging narrative. This panel will discuss the future of immersive audio and the opportunities created for audiences in both physical and virtual spaces.