Winamp media player is a name known to all Windows users, this is one of the sacred monsters of the Windows platform. In the 16 years since the launch of the popular app, AOL owner announced that Winamp and related services will not be available after December 20, 2013.
16 years ago, when even an ordinary playback of an MP3 file was a difficult task for 486 or Pentium processors, the Nullsoft company released Winamp, a small audio player that has become one of the most popular software in PC history. After its acquisition by AOL, in 1999, Winamp’s development slowed down and the application’s hype gradually diminished as more and more options came into the market. AOL later launched OS X and Android versions, but Winamp still has not managed to keep up its popularity.
Even if it is no longer a crowd favorite, Winamp is still one of the most popular media applications and its Pro license still brings revenue of $6 million per year. However, AOL announced yesterday evening that Winamp and all related Web services will not be available after December 20, 2013.
Users who still prefer this product will be able till then to download the latest version, but will no longer receive updates. Because AOL said it would also close related services, galleries themes and plugins will probably disappear too and the Shoutcast service fate is still uncertain. The owner did not provide more details, but in recent weeks has already closed a number of hosted servers, the fate of the radio channel aggregator and podcast distribution platform seems uncertain at this time.
More details will come as the 20th draws closer, when we discover if there is something available in the Web ecosystem formed around Winamp.
