Otto Radio expands to add on-demand podcasts

Otto Radio announced new features that add on-demand controls to its core offering of curated, lean-back listening. With the latest update, Otto Radio adds a podcast suite.

Users can now track and manage their podcasts subscriptions with the addition of Your Library. This tab collects the newest episodes of shows a listener follows and lets them download an episode or mark to listen later. Either pick your favorite shows by hand or import your titles from Apple Podcasts or other hosts.

Otto Radio initially caught our eye as a 2016 RAIN Awards winner. At that point, it was only offering lean-back listening based on personalization. A user chose topics they liked and set how long they wanted to listen, and Otto would deliver audio to those preferences. That’s still the core feature, but Otto’s recent moves show that it aspires to be more. The company inked content deals with several notable journalism outfits to expand its news radio coverage.

Anna Washenko