Get your Slipknot skins ready, folks, because beloved music player, Winamp, is making a comeback as a mobile app. Rather than the stock-standard audio player from yesteryear, the new and improved version wants to become a one-stop-shop for all of your listening needs, including podcasts, streaming, playlists, and more.
[jwplayer sKZZk6x3]
Speaking with TechCrunch, Winamp CEO, Alexandre Saboundjian, says it’ll still be the app you know and love, but with a fresh, modern sheen. “There will be a completely new version next year, with the legacy of Winamp but a more complete listening experience,” he said.
“You can listen to the MP3s you may have at home, but also to the cloud, to podcasts, to streaming radio stations, to a playlist you perhaps have built.”
While mobile seems to be the biggest push for Winamp, its desktop application will also be copping an update. The idea is for the platform to become a single, searchable location for all of the audio in your life. It’s unclear how services like Spotify or Apple Music fit into this equation, but Saboundjian says there are many conversations underway, so I guess we’ll just have to see how that pans out.
Winamp was first released back in 1997 as a free media player which became incredibly popular for its lean use of system resources (which made it a PC gamer’s best friend for playing and listening to tunes simultaneously) and an insane library of community-made skins. The last update the program received was back in 2013.
No one knows what the new Winamp will look like and more importantly, how it will function, but fans of the ancient player will no doubt be stoked on its revival.
Winamp 6 won’t be released until sometime next year, but in the meantime, a small update, 5.8, will be released this week to address some bugs and compatibility issues around Windows 10.
It really kicks the llama’s ass.
