All those who knew computers and the first steps of the Internet at the end of the 90s necessarily also used Winamp, which made it possible to play pieces of music recovered more or less legally. Nine years following its last update, the software is back!
For many Internet users, Winamp is a name that resonates far in the past! At the end of the 90s, it was indeed the software of choice for playing music, and in particular MP3 files which began to flourish in a not very legal way. In addition to being able to read this type of file, Winamp stood out with the possibility of changing its interface with skins, and also with its psychedelic visualization options.
Historical software
But now, it has been 9 years since the software had not received any updates, gradually reducing the number of users. Some have chosen alternatives such as iTunes, or simply listening to streaming music. Surprise, Winamp is making a comeback with version 5.9! There is no great revolution, the nostalgic will find “their” Winamp almost unchanged.
But the developers have mostly dusted off the code to modernize it. Technically speaking, this update still required four years of work (interrupted by the pandemic). The code had to be transferred to Visual Studio 2019 when it had remained at the 2009 version of Microsoft’s development tool!
This code will serve as the basis for the design of new features, such as support for H265 or OGG formats. It is also an RC1 version (“release candidate”), which means that it is still a beta to be used with caution. Antiviruses even see the software as a danger for the PC… Winamp passed in 2014 into the bosom of the Belgian company Radionomy, promising a version 6.0… in 2019.
