Winamp will return in the first half of 2027 through a partnership with Deezer, introducing a premium subscription service powered by Deezer’s streaming technology and global licensed catalog.
The reboot will pair Deezer’s catalog and infrastructure with a player built around user control. Planned features include:
- Streaming alongside local music files
- Internet radio and podcasts
- Personal cloud collections
- A customizable interface
- Social features and new discovery and organization tools
Pricing and supported platforms have not yet been disclosed.
Reviving the customizable player
Before Spotify and Pandora popularized streaming, many listeners built digital libraries track by track, rearranged files and installed skins to change a player’s appearance. Winamp is betting that some users still want that level of control over how their music is collected and displayed.
Winamp said it does not want to launch another streaming app with a familiar logo. Instead, it aims to restore the idea that a music player can feel personal.
Deezer supplies the catalog and infrastructure
Under the partnership, Deezer will provide the catalog and technical infrastructure, while Winamp retains control of the product, brand and subscriber relationship. As licensed catalogs become broadly similar across services, the next competitive front may shift from what a platform carries to how it lets users collect, navigate and relate to music.
For artists, another branded entry point into the same streaming ecosystem does not automatically change economics or fan relationships. Winamp has called its subscription model “fundamentally different” but has not explained what that means. Those details will determine whether the service is a genuine alternative or Deezer under a nostalgic interface.
Existing app and past delays
The classic desktop player is not being retired. Winamp said it still has more than 40 million active users worldwide and plans to add the new subscription service to that app after the next-generation player launches.
Winamp announced another streaming-era revival in 2018 with a planned 2019 release that did not materialize. This time, the company has a partner capable of supplying licensing and streaming machinery.
