Winamp has a new version and you should try it

Winamp has a new version and you should try it

Anyone who has used a computer in the era of Windows 98, 2000 and Windows XP is sure that one of the first programs installed on the PC was Winamp. With this program we could listen to music in MP3, as well as the radio, with excellent performance, great ease and a multitude of customization options. However, in the late 2000s, AOL stopped developing the program, and even sold it to another company, Radionomy, a few years later. After almost a decade disappeared, finally, today we have it back in our hands.

In 2018 we could see some movements regarding the development of Winamp, as well as a possible return of the program, although they were nothing more than rumors and speculations. But in all rumors there is always some truth. And, after a long time waiting for it, this MP3 player has finally risen from its ashes like a phoenix, with a new version full of changes and new features.

A few months ago we were able to see the first Winamp Release Candidate. But, from today, we can already download the final version.

Winamp 5.9

What changes does Winamp 5.9 bring?

In all these years many things have changed in the development of the program. The first of these is that the use of Visual Studio 2008 libraries has been left aside to start using the new Visual Studio 2019, opening up a world of possibilities in every way. Of course, this change implies that, in order to use the program without problems, we must have Visual Studio 2019 Redistributable installed.

Leaving this aside, the most significant change is that Winamp is no longer compatible with Windows XP or Vista, but in order to use it, it is necessary to have a version equal to or later than Windows 7 SP1. And, in addition, support for Windows 11, the new Microsoft system, has been added . Another aspect to note is that some old skins have been removed, since it has not been possible to adapt them.

We can also find improvements in the playback of streaming content, new content for podcasts, and support for playing high-resolution content.

We can see the full list of changes to this player at this link . And, if we want to download and install it on our computer, for old times’ sake, we can do it for free from their servers.

The future of the program

But the development of Winamp does not stop here. Its developers have already announced that they are working on the next version of the program (which we hope will take less than 10 years to arrive). Specifically in 5.9.1, a version that will be focused, above all, on debugging the program. And it is that, as the developers assure, there have been several bugs pending to be solved due to some last-minute complications.

In addition, this version will bring other interesting news, such as native support for more formats , integration with MusicBrainz and MusicStory, adding more services to ml_online (such as lyrics, and even compatibility with Spotify), improvements in configurations, and much more.

Will Winamp be able to steal ground from the current leader, Spotify? Time will tell.