The developers of the music player Winamp have announced a partnership with French service Deezer to launch their own premium streaming service. The new version of the application is scheduled to appear in the first half of 2027 and will combine online streaming with users' local music libraries.
The developers of the music player Winamp have announced a partnership with French service Deezer to launch their own premium streaming service. The new version of the application is scheduled to appear in the first half of 2027 and will combine online streaming with users' local music libraries.
This was announced by representatives of Winamp and Deezer. Under the terms of the agreement, Deezer will provide its white-label infrastructure, a catalog of licensed music and support for Hi-Fi audio without loss of quality, while Winamp will retain its recognizable brand and its own interface. The first previews of the updated product are promised to be shown in the coming months.
«Twenty-five years ago, we changed the way people listened to digital music, and we believe it’s time to change the listening experience again. This partnership with Deezer gives us access to streaming technology and one of the richest music catalogs in the world, allowing us to focus on what matters most: creating a unique product,» said Alexander Sabunjian, CEO of Winamp Group.
The new generation of Winamp is being developed to combine music subscriptions, files from the device, Internet radio, podcasts and cloud audio collections in one application. The classic desktop player will also receive an update with a subscription. The developers also promise expanded interface personalization options, customization and new social features for searching for tracks.
The company claims that the new subscription service «will provide a fundamentally different experience compared to today’s traditional digital streaming platforms.»
Despite stiff competition from Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music, Winamp is banking on a large user base and growing interest in MP3-era technology. According to the company, the free desktop player Winamp is still used by more than 40 million people.
The Winamp brand has shifted focus several times in recent years. During the rise of the Web3 market, the company experimented with NFT integration, prepared a mobile app, and launched monetization and distribution tools for musicians. The partnership with Deezer will be the most focused attempt to return the player to a mass audience.
Deezer is a French audio streaming platform founded in Paris in 2007 and one of Spotify’s oldest European competitors. The service offers access to a catalog of tens of millions of licensed tracks, supports lossless Hi-Fi audio playback, and currently operates in 180 countries worldwide with a team of over 550 employees.
