Today we sat down with a true podcast queen. She was blasting podcasts on her iPod before they were cool. She spends most of her time at 2xxFM hosting the youth podcast Caught in the ACT, waking ANU up on Woroni’s Breakfast radio or madly dashing from said podcast show to class to work to anywhere there’s live music. And when she isn’t listening to podcasts or creating her own content, you can find her nestled at a cafe drinking coffee and chasing the sunshine.

Introducing: Loretta Lackner

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What first got you into podcasts?

When I first started to listen to them it was because I couldn’t afford to pay for audiobooks and, like many people, I struggled to sleep. Podcasts provided a way for me to tune out just the right amount to nod off. Then came the explosion of content that has seen me often staying up later than intended listening to foreign narratives rather than lulling me into sleep.

How long have you known about podcasting?

I have been listening to podcasts since around 2009. Podcasting has been around for a while longer than that – it was first created as a play on the then popular ‘iPod’. The use of the word pod might be largely lost in our hardware, but the ‘podcast’ is more prevalent than ever. The first episodes I listened to had no sponsorship, and in most cases, didn’t sound as polished as they do now.

What involvement do you have with podcasts currently? What are the hardest challenges that come with this?

I listen to them constantly; I don’t even know what music I like anymore.

I am pretty wrapped up in the podcast world – I’ve joined Woroni Radio and 2xxFM in different capacities, I sometimes guest on other people’s podcasts and I watch live recordings. I think the biggest challenge for operating in the space at the moment is the avalanche of high-quality content that is available and making your stories engaging enough that people will return for more. It’s not a bad problem to have as a consumer, but as a creator it means you have to be across the content creation as well as pretty media savvy.

Where do you see podcasts in the future?

Broadly speaking, podcasting’s main problem is monetisation and I think as podcasting solidifies itself in the mainstream we will start seeing more branded podcasts. Gimlet, the creators of shows like Reply All and Homecoming have recently teamed up with brands like Ebay, Tinder and Gatorade to produce shows under their Gimlet Creative banner.

And finally, clue us into the podcasts that keep you up at night.

1. Note to self

For the tech illiterate, this is a great place to start learning about using the internet. Manoush Zomorodi is singlehandedly responsible for my awareness of the need to take time out from the internet.

Listen to: ‘Mindfulness on Demand’ (2 Nov 2016)

2. Cosmic Vertigo

This one is for your friend who needs a little perspective in their lives. Dr Amanda Bauer and Dr Alan Duffy track the cosmos and spell out just how big the planet is.

Listen to: 009, ‘Emptier than empty’

3. Criminal

For the true crime nuts out there, this one is for you. Pheobe Judge looks at crime from a more critical, maybe even sociological perspective.

Listen to: episode 40, ‘Pappy’

4. It’s a match

This one is an Aussie podcast out of Melbourne that covers the trials and tribulations of using Tinder.

Listen to: ‘Start at the start’