AOL to Discontinue Winamp, Likely Shoutcast

[Casey]

AOL has announced plans to discontinue Winamp in December. All Winamp web services will be discontinued as well, which likely means Shoutcast. Although Microsoft has already announced interest in buying both products, so there could be hope.

http://techcrunch.com/2013/11/20/after-15-years-of-whipping-the-llamas-ass-winamp-shuts-down/

If Shoutcast would die, it would be a tremendous blow to independent online radio stations.

 

[KeithE4]

AOL has announced plans to discontinue Winamp in December.

I didn't even know AOL was still in business, let alone Winamp.

 

[AMFMRadFan]

I still use Winamp. Out of all the media players I have installed on my laptop, Winamp & RealPlayer are the ones I use the most. I just counted all the streams I have bookmarked in both players, and it's very close. I have 51 radio streams bookmarked in Winamp, and I have 49 radio streams bookmarked in RealPlayer. If Winamp is discontinued, it will mean that I along with others will be listening to radio streams more via Flash Player in web browsers (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, etc.) For me, that's not good if I want to go to a page in another tab that also requires Flash Player usage because if I'm doing something else on a different page while listening to a radio stream in another tab, the audio may sound crummy. Sometimes, the audio goes in & out and then stops playing. Not a pleasant experience. Bummer.

 

[KeithE4]

I still use Winamp. Out of all the media players I have installed on my laptop, Winamp & RealPlayer are the ones I use the most. I just counted all the streams I have bookmarked in both players, and it's very close. I have 51 radio streams bookmarked in Winamp, and I have 49 radio streams bookmarked in RealPlayer.

I was shocked to find out a few months ago that RealPlayer is still around as well. Almost nobody save for ReelRadio.com uses it anymore.

If Winamp is discontinued, it will mean that I along with others will be listening to radio streams more via Flash Player in web browsers (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, etc.) For me, that's not good if I want to go to a page in another tab that also requires Flash Player usage because if I'm doing something else on a different page while listening to a radio stream in another tab, the audio may sound crummy. Sometimes, the audio goes in & out and then stops playing. Not a pleasant experience. Bummer.

Flash will be dead in a few years, if not sooner, thanks to Apple and Android not including it. It can't happen soon enough for me.

 

[Casey]

I still use Winamp. Out of all the media players I have installed on my laptop, Winamp & RealPlayer are the ones I use the most. I just counted all the streams I have bookmarked in both players, and it's very close. I have 51 radio streams bookmarked in Winamp, and I have 49 radio streams bookmarked in RealPlayer. If Winamp is discontinued, it will mean that I along with others will be listening to radio streams more via Flash Player in web browsers (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, etc.) For me, that's not good if I want to go to a page in another tab that also requires Flash Player usage because if I'm doing something else on a different page while listening to a radio stream in another tab, the audio may sound crummy. Sometimes, the audio goes in & out and then stops playing. Not a pleasant experience. Bummer.

I stopped using Winamp a few years ago. But I do still use Shoutcast's web version to download the .pls files to play the internet streams in VLC. I guess if Shoutcast closes down I will download my favorite stations .pls and that will be the end of my searching the directories for new stations. TuneIn takes too long to search through and has too many AM/FM streams. But I guess I don't really use traditional internet radio much anymore.

I didn't even know AOL was still in business, let alone Winamp.

Winamp is pretty niche at this point. It has a small userbase and hasn't seen a significant update in years. But shoutcast is still a tremendous part of the internet radio industry.

 

[Casey]

According to a new TechCrunch article, AOL was planning announcing the end of Shoutcast next week. Currently it looks like Microsoft may be the service's only hope. That's a scary thought.

http://techcrunch.com/2013/11/21/source-microsoft-in-talks-to-buy-shoutcast-and-winamp-from-aol/

 

[thelegacy]

OK first I need to put some education into all of this:

1. Shoutcast DNAS can still work Without the directory you will have to list your stations Elsewhere. (Shoutcast 1.9.8). 1.9.8 is all over the net so you can Download the DNAS, Rent a server and Install it on that server and turn OFF the YP. What do you think listen2myradio does with its FREE service and freeshoutcast.com has its OWN directory as does myradiostream.com.
2. Shoutcst V2 is a MESS and the only good thing about it is that they tried to mimic what Icecast V2 KH does and did a horrible job doing so. From what I heard you have to buy a license for V2 to stream Mp3 if your gonna install it on a server (setting V2 up for failure if the company closes) but fear not there are warez sites with patches. and or V 1.9.8 which doesn't need a crack already works better than V2. Services like StreamLicensing, LoudCity have their own directory.
3. This is the BEST alternetive and that is to switch to Icecast V2. Its open source does not need a license to operate once you install it on a server.
4. You can stream .pls and .m3u files with iTunes, MediaMonkey, RealPlayer,CherryPlayer, Aimp, and many others. If you have the installer for Winamp your Winamp will still work.
5. Why would M$ buy Shoutcast when they have their own Music service Zune and XboX Live?

I would not trues AOFail for they have tried music services that rival Independent Internet Radio so you can think about the reason they want to end Shoutcast is it is contrary to their interest a competitor. Why would AOFail want to serve us independent broadcasters when they want to sell their own crap. Besides look at when they had adware in AIM its all about the $$.

In short Independent Internet Radio will Not Die it will adapt and keep right on kicking. There are even services like Streamerp2p which don't need a central server and relay the signal from one peer to the other. So even that is an Alternetive I like Icecast V2 KH Better.