Winamp is preparing a major comeback for 2027, transforming its classic MP3 player into a streaming-focused service with its own premium subscription. The plan brings a familiar music brand into a new era while keeping local files, Internet radio, podcasts, and cloud-stored music libraries at the center of the experience.
The new player will arrive through a partnership with Deezer, which will provide the white-label streaming technology and licensed catalog behind the service. Winamp signed the deal with Deezer on July 1, 2026, setting the stage for a return that reaches beyond downloaded music.
A Familiar Player With a Much Bigger Library
Winamp’s 2027 version will combine several listening options inside one player. Users will be able to access local files, Internet radio, podcasts, cloud-stored music libraries, and the new subscription service from the same product.
That combination gives the reborn player a clear mission: connect the music people already own with music delivered through a modern streaming catalog. Deezer will supply the licensed catalog and streaming technology, while Winamp will shape the player around its own interface and features.
Alexandre Saboundjian, CEO of Winamp Group and former CEO of Radioomy, described the goal as “a more complete listening experience spanning home, MP3s, cloud libraries, podcasts and streaming radio stations.” The plan also promises a customizable interface, social features, and new tools for discovering and organizing music.
Winamp has not provided details on pricing or supported platforms yet. The company has confirmed that the service will offer a premium subscription, but the cost and device reach remain open questions ahead of the 2027 launch.
Forty Million Users Give the Comeback a Foundation
The original Winamp still has more than 40 million active users worldwide. That user base gives the new player a substantial audience before the streaming version even arrives, especially because the planned service will preserve access to local and cloud-based music libraries.
The premium subscription will also mark a first for Winamp. The company will offer paid access for the first time in its near 30-year history, adding a new business model to a player long associated with personal music collections and flexible playback.
Deezer brings its own partnership challenges to the agreement. In its first half 2026 financial results, Deezer reported that new subscriptions from partner deals fell to 3.1 million, down about 800,000 year over year.
Revenue from partnerships also dropped 7.6 percent to 70.7 million euros as a bundling deal with Mercado Libre wound down. Mercado Libre served as Deezer’s LATAM retail partner in that bundling deal, making the Winamp agreement part of a wider push around partner-based growth.
From Open-Source Controversy to a New Product
The streaming announcement follows a turbulent moment for Winamp’s software history. In September 2024, Winamp published the classic player’s source code on GitHub under a custom license that initially barred distribution of forks.
The entire GitHub repository disappeared a few weeks after September 2024. The deletion followed criticism of the licensing terms and concerns about proprietary code belonging to Dolby and Microsoft.
That episode placed Winamp’s code and licensing decisions under close attention, but the 2027 plan shifts the focus back to the player itself. Instead of centering the next chapter on source access, Winamp is building a service that joins its established music tools with Deezer’s licensed streaming catalog.
Andreas Cahyo is associated with Winamp, while Radioomy remains part of the company’s recent history through Saboundjian’s former leadership role. The names connected to Winamp’s past now sit alongside a new product direction built around subscriptions, streaming, and music discovery.
Why the 2027 Return Matters
Winamp’s comeback will test whether a classic music player can carry its identity into a subscription-driven future. The answer will depend on how well the new version balances its original strengths with the features listeners expect from a modern streaming service.
Customization could help the player stand apart, while social features and discovery tools may give users more reasons to return after they have finished playing their own files. The inclusion of Internet radio, podcasts, cloud libraries, and streaming music also creates one destination instead of separating each listening habit across different services.
Pricing and supported platforms remain the missing pieces. Once Winamp reveals those details, users will have a clearer picture of how the premium subscription fits alongside the player’s local files and other free or existing music sources.
For now, the direction is set: Winamp will return in 2027 with a Deezer-powered streaming service, more than 40 million active users behind it, and a promise to make its near 30-year history part of a broader listening experience.
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