Oh, to be an innocent young techie in the 90s again.
It was a golden era I mean, thats what my friend told me.
One thing we both enjoyed, however, was the magical world of Winamp.
Oh, the customisations.
Truly, these were the glory days of the internet.
Naturally, they couldnt last.
As iTunes and streaming services absorbed digital music, Winamp was ushered into the tech graveyard.
At least, thats what I thought.
Dont call it a comeback
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In 1999, AOL acquired theappsoriginal developer, Nullsoft, for $80 million.
After a merger and a rebrand, Radionomy evolved into the Llama Group.
As Winamp veterans may remember, a llama was the original apps mascot.
The move renewed hopes of a comeback but, apparently, the app never really went away.
According to Lllama Group, Winamp still has 83 million users worldwide.
(Lads, if youre reading this, c’mon send me your location.)
Despite the enduring popularity, Lllama Group has a bigger target:250million users.
How will it get them?
By launching a new player, of course.
In the vision of Llama Group, the overhaul empowers bothartists and listeners.
For creators, that means theres a new Fanzonefor sellingexclusive content and experiences.
Llama aims to attract 1 million artists to the feature.
Our aim is to empower creators to make more money.
That all sounds lovely, but it hasnt revived my memories of Winamps vintage years.
The look is more reminiscent ofSpotify, while the web-based app is far removed from Winamps desktop player.
Plans to integrateNFTshave further alarmed fans of the original.
The new app may offer some market differentiation, but my dewey-eyes are disappointed.
Sadly, it seems my wistful childhood memories have been depraved again.
I guess nostalgia isnt what it used to be.
Story byThomas Macaulay
Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he e(show all)Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he enjoys playing chess (badly) and the guitar (even worse).
