Long before the revolutionary advent of the iPod, or even streaming music from Spotify, Winamp was one of the most famous media players among Windows users. It had a unique interface, customizable skins It was great for ripping music from CDs and putting together playlists.

The truth is, years have passed, times have changed, and most of us believed that Winamp’s life was over. However, in 2021, we learned that the developers are working on a new version, even though we have a few clues. Now, after a period of beta release, the software’s Release Candidate has been released.

Say hello to Winamp 5.9 RC 1

It took four years for the development team to get to this point with the multimedia player software. It has not been four years since the developers took a break for months during the pandemic. In every situation, We upgraded from version 5.8 to version 5.9 RC 1.

At first glance, we may not detect many changes. this skin modern is still up to date and the player’s different columns and functions seem intact. However, much of the update comes from the inside: the Visual Studio 2008 codebase has been migrated to Visual Studio 2019 to add new features.

These new features are not yet available, but work in Visual Studio 2019 the team now has the foundation to work on a more important update. Of course, we also lost some compatibilities along the way. Winamp no longer supports Windows XP, Windows Vista and earlier versions.

The new minimum requirements require Windows 7 SP1 or higher. This means that the player works flawlessly on all later versions of Microsoft’s operating system, including Windows 11. The good news is that those who want to try Winamp 5.9 RC 1 can download it now.

If you’re wondering how to get it, it’s easy. Just look for the download link on this page. joyfulThe software will immediately start downloading in an executable .EXE file.although it may be detected as “malware” by your browser or antivirus. These are false positives, according to Bleeping Computer.

After downloading, all that remains is to install it and start using it, or even skin Original to immerse yourself in the ultimate retro experience. It should be noted that Winamp 5.9 RC 1 is not a final release, but a “True Candidate” release that is not yet ready for mass distribution to the public.

We’ll have to wait a little longer for the final version to arrive, which promises to add native support for formats. Support for opus, ogv/ogm, TS, H.265, HLS and VP9 and new online services. Are we facing an alternative to VLC and Windows Media Player for listening to music? Probably yes, we’ll find out in time.

Cover Image | winamp