Winamp source code now available on GitHub

There can be few computer enthusiasts of a certain age who do not remember with some fondness Winamp -- one of the first popular MP3 applications, and one famed for “whippin’ the llama’s ass”.

Having been open sourced earlier in the year, the source code for the iconic software has now been published to GitHub. The team behind the player is looking for help from developers to, “improve and modernize the player to meet current user needs”.

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Back in May, Winamp promised that, “the application's source code will be open to developers worldwide”. Keeping its word, the source code can now be accessed in the Winamp GitHub repository. But while the source code is now available, there are restrictions on how it can be used.

Clearly keen on brand preservation and maintaining quality, Winamp CEO Alexandre Saboundjian previously indicated that while it is keen to, “benefit from thousands of developers' experience and creativity”, the company will “remain the owner of the software and will decide on the innovations made in the official version”.

Over on the repository, the team behind the software says:

Winamp is a multimedia player launched in 1997, iconic for its flexibility and wide compatibility with audio formats. Originally developed by Nullsoft, it gained massive popularity with still millions of users. Its development slowed down, but now, its source code was opened to the community, allowing developers to improve and modernize the player to meet current user needs.

Head on over to the Winamp repository, take a look, and get involved if you can; there are also hundreds of forks to choose from.

Image credit: Michelangelo Oprandi / Dreamstime.com