Winamp, the MP3 player that ruled Windows desktops, returns in 2027 with its first paid subscription
Winamp is returning in 2027 with something it has never had in nearly 30 years, a paid subscription of its own. The company has signed a partnership with Deezer , which will supply the white-label streaming technology and the licensed catalogue behind a premium tier sold under the Winamp brand. The new player is scheduled for the first half of 2027.
The pitch is that the subscription will not sit alone. Winamp says the new player will pull streaming together with local music files , internet radio , podcasts and cloud-stored collections in one window, alongside a customisable interface, social features and new ways to sort and discover music. Pricing and supported platforms have not been shared yet, though the company promises a subscription model that works differently from what streaming services offer today.
The classic desktop player is not being retired for the new oneWinamp puts the old app's active user base at more than 40 million worldwide, and that version will keep running. The Deezer-powered subscription will be added to it after the new player launches.
Deezer's side of the arrangement is straightforward enough. Its partnerships business has been shrinking, with subscriptions from partner deals down to 3.1 million in the first half of 2026 and segment revenue falling 7.6 percent to 70.7 million euros as a Mercado Libre bundling deal wound down. Rebuilding through white-label tie-ups is a stated priority, and Winamp is the largest brand it has signed so far.
Winamp has announced a streaming-era revival before, in 2018, for a 2019 launch that never arrived. That plan depended on integration deals the company never landed. This one starts with the licensing already in place.
The pitch is that the subscription will not sit alone. Winamp says the new player will pull streaming together with local music files , internet radio , podcasts and cloud-stored collections in one window, alongside a customisable interface, social features and new ways to sort and discover music. Pricing and supported platforms have not been shared yet, though the company promises a subscription model that works differently from what streaming services offer today.
The classic desktop player is not being retired for the new oneWinamp puts the old app's active user base at more than 40 million worldwide, and that version will keep running. The Deezer-powered subscription will be added to it after the new player launches.
Deezer's side of the arrangement is straightforward enough. Its partnerships business has been shrinking, with subscriptions from partner deals down to 3.1 million in the first half of 2026 and segment revenue falling 7.6 percent to 70.7 million euros as a Mercado Libre bundling deal wound down. Rebuilding through white-label tie-ups is a stated priority, and Winamp is the largest brand it has signed so far.
Winamp has announced a streaming-era revival before, in 2018, for a 2019 launch that never arrived. That plan depended on integration deals the company never landed. This one starts with the licensing already in place.
Next Story