Winamp, one of the oldest software launched in the early days of online digital music is going to shut down Dec.20 after 15 memorable years.
AOL, the New York based Communications Company which owns the software, has decided to shut down Winamp and its associated web services. The software will continue to work but will no longer be available for download after Dec.20.
"Winamp.com and associated web services will no longer be available past December 20, 2013. Additionally, Winamp Media players will no longer be available for download. Please download the latest version before that date. Thanks for supporting the Winamp community for over 15 years," according to a statement on the Winamp.com website.
The digital music file player and visualizer for Windows were created by Justin Frankel and Dmitry Boldyrev, former University of Utah students. The software was initially called Nullsoft. Two years later, AOL acquired the service when it purchased Nullsoft for $80 million in stock.
AOL's decision to discontinue services of the popular audio player doesn't come as a surprise. The software wasn't updated for a very long. Moreover, the rising popularity and supremacy of iTunes and Windows Media Player caused Winamp to disappear into the crowded technological world.
The shutdown of Winamp, "says a lot about the tech world's vicious utilitarianism and its readiness to mock or eliminate applications and services that have fallen out of wide use," Justin Peters writes in Slate.
In an attempt to start afresh and compete with the latest softwares in the market, Winamp released its 10th Anniversary edition in 2007, an Android version of the app in 2010 and Winamp Sync for Mac in 2011. But it failed to win hearts, leading to its demise.
Although several softwares have been introduced to meet the growing demands of online music, fans are still feeling nostalgic about Winamp's closure.
"Winamp was a trailblazer in the digital music revolution and iTunes wouldn't exist without the groundbreaking work they did," Michael Robertson, an early player in the online music space as the founder of MP3.com, told Mashable. "The guys behind Winamp were pioneers that deserve a place in the music hall of fame."
