AOL shutdown Winamp

[GoodBytes]

Winamp, the ultimate music player of 15 years ago, has now been shutdown.

Winamp was the must have music player in all computer for it's high quality MP3 and other format playback. Then in 1999 AOL bought Winamp for 80million$, and this is when the software started to spin down in quality, optimization, and started to be bulky and comes with extra junk software.

 

For the many years that followed, Winamp stop evolving and stopping at version 5.

 

Today, AOL decided to shutdown Winamp once and for all, next month exactly from now.

 

Winamp, the storied MP3 player bought by AOL in June 1999 for over $80 million, is set to shut down in exactly one month. According to a post that went live Wednesday at 12:00 pm Eastern Time on the Winamp website:

[...]

While the company has declined to release official figures, former employees who worked on Winamp estimate its current revenue at around $6 million annually. And Winamp still has an estimated user base of millions worldwide, a small fraction of which live in the United States. All of that appears to be water under the bridge now.

“There's no reason that Winamp couldn’t be in the position that iTunes is in today if not for a few layers of mismanagement by AOL that started immediately upon acquisition,”

 

Source: http://arstechnica.com/business/2013/11/after-15-years-of-llama-whipping-aol-shuts-down-winamp-for-good/

[miyabwah]

Foobar users unite.

[Hans Christian | Teri]

That's sad, but admittedly I haven't used it since the early 2000's where it was my player of choice. 

[NewAndreas]

I actually use winamp....

[FloRolf]

damn, i use that alot!

[Snickerzz]

Itunes :3

[LAwLz]

I've been using Foobar for the last 3 or so years so it doesn't really affect me. It's still a shame when popular software gets dumped though.

 

Please AOL, relicense it under the GPL before abandoning it, please.

[N7_Zer0]

No biggie. Foobar is far superior.

[Guest]

anyone remember soulseek? (not a music player, i know, but this made me think of it)

[GoodBytes]

The day Zune desktop software came to life, I never touch Winamp ever again. Sure it can only play MP3s, MP4's, WMAs, WMVs, and I think AVI's, but as all my stuff in those formats, I am fine. Sure there is no equalizer, but you should not touch software EQ's. Get better headphones and a dedicated sound card, and enjoy unaltered sound, in its full richness. EQ's are like having a 50$ TN panel with washed out colors and you boost in Nvidia or AMD control panel Saturation level... you get more crap.

 

The Zune desktop software is so nice, and smooth due to it's fully GPU rendered interface, and nice visualization that show case the currently playing artists, made me want to get XBox Music, which I won't get why anyone would get anything else. I mean you have more songs than any other service subscription out there (second largest, the first being iTunes), and you have unlimited music download and streaming. And you have an Android and iOS app (XBox Music).

 

[N7_Zer0]

anyone remember soulseek? (not a music player, i know, but this made me think of it)

 

No, but I remember Sonique which was Winamp's main competitor back in the day.

 

[Guest]

No, but I remember Sonique which was Winamp's main competitor back in the day.

 

Dayum, that thing looks like some HUD in an early sci-fi game. or halo or something

 

Soulseek was a limewire/napster alternative, which worked a lot like dc++ networks you get in university dorms often nowadays. had a looot of weird electronic music too..

[frontliner]

MP3s, MP4's, WMAs, WMVs, 

enjoy unaltered sound, in its full richness.

wat

[N7_Zer0]

wat

 

MP3 no, but MP4 and WMA can be lossless.

[Damikiller37]

ARE YOU F*ING KIDDING ME! (Sorry for the language) but OMG I've used Winamp ever since I had

my first PC (I were about 5) and now it will be gone for good?... I think I may cry I still use it to this day!!!

Why does this happen to good things

 

Source: Engadget

[rashdanml]

Good riddance, tbh.

[ERSCreeper]

I really disliked WinAmp. Caused more problems than fixing them.

[Norwegiantweaker]

and may it NEVER EVER BE MISSED.

[bradscoolio]

It's probably a sign that it's time to switch to foobatar.

[Ethnod]

Winamp used to be so good. Then it turned to shit... RIP Winamp

[Ookami]

Back in the days of first versions it was good, but next releases f*cked it up like they did with Nero (not company, but example). Been on Foobar for few years now and cant say ill miss Winamp.

[AndyCapets]

Are we (OP and I) the only ones who are going to miss it ?

[Damikiller37]

Are we (OP and I) the only ones who are going to miss it ?

Looks like it I liked it since it was simple and did what I wanted it to... still use the classic theme to this day

[That Norwegian Guy]

I don't understand how anyone still doesn't use VLC for everything possible ever. It's the most all-in-one wonder you could have.

[AndyCapets]

Looks like it I liked it since it was simple and did what I wanted it to... still use the classic theme to this day

I only recently switched to the new Bento (or something like that) theme at the start of 2013, and I started using it when my dad bought or first Windows PC in 2001, when I was 5... It's a shame they're closing it, gonna read the article to learn why.