There is a new version of Winamp, a popular third-party Windows application for playback of digital audio files usually ripped from CDs or downloaded via peer-to-peer file sharing networks, and the software is back in stock. Late last month, developers posted the latest build of the software on the developers' website, which has not been updated for four years.

A pandemic-related hiatus has been baked into the current build, which constitutes the culmination of four years of work by two different development teams. As soon as testing is complete, new features will be added to the application, which has been migrated to a more current codebase.

Winamp was renowned for its ability to play the most popular audio formats and customization of the user interface with trippy visualizers and unique "skins" that changed the application's appearance during the download era. Its popularity waned as digital streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music proliferated and the iTunes Store became more prominent.

It was shut down by parent company AOL in 2013. Shortly thereafter, the company was sold to Belgian digital audio company Radionomy. Before this latest update, version 5.8 was released in 2018 after a premature leak prompted developers to publish it themselves.

source; pitchfork