Llama Group SA clarified the advances made in the roll-out of the new version of the Winamp music platform. Its launch will be on a global scale, with an opening to artists starting March 15, 2023, before access is opened to audiences around the world starting 15 April. In the second quarter, many new services will be released progressively.

With two years of significant investments, Winamp is now ready to make its big return, with the ambition of revolutionising the relationship between artists and fans and to create new revenue streams for artists. Winamp already rocked the music world with its launch, dominating the early 2000s with an iconic player that is still used by 83 million current listeners worldwide. In the era of streaming platforms, Winamp is now ready to bring a solution to one acute problem in the musical world: fair compensation of artists.

The “next generation” Winamp will offer a new, strong response to this need for visibility and fair compensation, all while responding to growing requirements of fans searching for more proximity to artists. Thus, in the heart of the new Winamp is the Fanzone, a space that will offer artists the chance to take advantage of new recurring revenue sources. Creators will be able to implement subscriptions dedicated directly to their fans, with custom tiers and prices.

Starting March 15, 2023, artists will have one month's headway to create and set up their profiles and tiers before the platform is opened to listeners and fans on April 15th. Fans will be able to directly support their favorite artists while being rewarded with access to exclusive content in the Winamp Fanzone. This space will be embedded in the new player, which will also provide each user with a unique, fluid experience, while aggregating on a single platform all audio content: music, podcasts, radios, audiobooks.

Furthermore, new versions of the Winamp player will be available soon for Android, iOS, web browsers and Windows. This way, artists will be able to regain control of their career and benefit, beyond the subscriptions dedicated to their fans, from additional services that will be released before the end of June like digital distribution, copyright management (through Winamp's sister company Bridger), licensing (for sync and other commercial purposes), as well as an NFT marketplace with specific Winamp Original contracts. Winamp brings the total solution to the modern artist's need for the monetization and management of their content.

One of the main principles of the new Winamp is fairness, and in line with this value Winamp offers artists a revenue model that works in their favor. In the Fanzone, creators will receive an 85% share of the revenue generated from their fan subscriptions (exclusive content, copyrights, licences, NFT). The attractiveness of this unparalleled model should make it possible to bring together one million artists.