Beloved Music Player Winamp Releases Source Code, But With a Catch

The iconic music player, Winamp, has finally released the source code for its classic version, a move that has long been anticipated by fans around the world. This release took place on GitHub, making the source code of the version many have grown to love and use widely accessible.

However, there's a twist. The source code has been released under a custom license, WCL 1.0, which strictly prohibits anyone from forking, modifying, or maintaining a forked version of the software. The only individuals allowed to make modifications are the official maintainers of the Winamp project. Essentially, this means that while the source code is out in the open, its practical utility is limited due to these restrictions.

Despite the restrictions, the release of the source code on a platform like GitHub, where forking and modifying projects is a common practice, seems somewhat contradictory. Several forked repositories have already appeared. It seems Winamp might be using this license as a way to preemptively mitigate potential risks.

For instance, should someone create a new player based on the Winamp classic source code, they would be in violation of the license agreement. While developers might use it for personal purposes without much issue, distributing it publicly could lead to legal complications.

Winamp launched a new version last year, which, despite updates, has struggled to attract a substantial user base. This version diverges from the traditional player model, inviting artists and creators to join and integrating features like NFTs.

However, the classic version of Winamp, despite not being updated for many years, remains functional. Thanks to the lack of updates, various custom skins created by the community over the years are still compatible, which could be considered good news for users simply looking to play music locally.

Those interested in exploring the classic version's source code can visit it here: https://github.com/WinampDesktop/winamp