This week, Llama Group has open-sourced the Winamp player and transitioned the project to a collaborative development model. The application's source code, written in C++ and C, is now available on GitHub under the Winamp Collaborative License Version 1.0. The current desktop version of the player is built using Visual Studio 2019 and Intel IPP libraries v6.1.1.035.
According to available information, the move to an open development model was driven by internal restructuring at Llama Group, prompted by financial difficulties. Last year, the company had to sell the Shoutcast project and lay off the development team responsible for maintaining the classic Winamp application for Windows. However, the team has continued to develop the streaming service under the Winamp name, offering subscriptions for artists, as well as mobile versions of Winamp for Android and iOS devices.
The Winamp project has been around since 1997 and is one of the longest-standing multimedia players still in development. Its popularity on Windows led to several Linux clones, such as XMMS, XMMS2, and Beep Media Player. In 2022, Radionomy Group, the then-owner of Winamp developer Nullsoft, sold its audio business to Azerion and rebranded as Llama Group. Later, Llama Group announced a relaunch of Winamp as a music streaming service. The current available version of Winamp Full is 5.9.2.10042.
