On September 24, Winamp’s Belgian parent company, Llama Group, made its “Legacy Player Code” publicly available, inviting developers to bring their skills, insights, and enthusiasm to help shape the future of the iconic software.
However, less than a month later, the repository was completely removed. This came after it encountered or potentially violated a complex mix of code licenses, unintentionally exposed the source code of other proprietary software, and left a negative impression within the open-source community.
In late September, Winamp’s code was shared under the “Winamp Collaborative License (WCL) Version 1.0.1,” but it came with strict limitations.
The license prohibits distributing modified versions of the software in either source or binary form, reserving that right solely for the official maintainers. Essentially, contributions are welcomed, but only for Winamp’s direct benefit.
Justin Frankel, a key developer behind the original Winamp and founder of Nullsoft (also known for SHOUTcast), was asked about contributing to the project.
He criticized the license, calling it “completely absurd” in its wording and “terrible” even if interpreted as intended. His response was clear: “No thank you.”
Although the license seems to prohibit forks, the code has been forked over 2,600 times at the time of writing, possibly due to or in defiance of these restrictions. When developers initially reviewed the released source, they encountered some unexpected “anomalies”:
Significant parts of code from other projects, which are available under stronger licenses, appeared to have been incorporated (although later removed) from Winamp’s repository.
Furthermore, the original Winamp code potentially leaked the source for SHOUTcast server software.
In their attempt to eliminate problematic files through straightforward deletion rather than a rebase, Winamp inadvertently left access open to those familiar with Git mechanics.
Additionally, it appears that proprietary packages from Intel and Microsoft were also included in the build tools of the release.
As many contributors in the numerous active GitHub issue threads have pointed out, the landscape of coding has evolved significantly since the peak of the Winamp player during the Windows 98 era. It appears that Winamp has hurriedly released its code onto a platform it does not fully comprehend.
Winamp thrived alongside illegal MP3 sharing networks like Napster, Limewire, and Kazaa, offering an efficient way to organize and play heavily compressed music, often accompanied by inaccurate metadata.
Following a web shutdown in 2013, which seemed unavoidable in retrospect, Winamp’s assets were acquired by Radionomy in 2014.
A new version was anticipated in 2019, which intended to integrate local music libraries with web streaming options for podcasts and radio.
Winamp received a significant update in 2022, but as Andrew Cunningham from Ars noted, the app remained “an ancient application” in many respects. By the end of 2022, support for music NFTs was introduced.
In a press release announcing the code’s availability, Llama Group SA, based in Brussels and claiming to employ around 100 people (though estimates suggest it may be closer to 30), stated that “tens of millions of users continue to use Winamp for Windows every month.”
The company aims to roll out “two major official versions each year” featuring new functionalities and will also launch Winamp for Creators.
This version is designed to assist artists and labels in managing their music, including aspects like licensing, distribution, and monetization across different platforms.
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