Rumor: Microsoft May Snap Up Winamp and ShoutCast, Llamas Beware

Unfortunately for llamas everywhere, media player Winamp may not be dead after all. Fortunately for longtime Winamp devotees, that’s because Microsoft may be purchasing Winamp and ShoutCast (a media streaming service, like Winamp also formerly a property of Nullsoft) from AOL.

This is just a rumor, but TechCrunch (which is owned by AOL, incidentally) says a source indicates that Microsoft is in talks with AOL to buy Winamp. Why Microsoft would want Winamp is a little unclear, but we wonder if Redmond thinks it can get it for a song, since, you know, AOL was planning on shutting it down anyway.


Microsoft would also snap up ShoutCast, and with both in hand, it’s possible that the company would seek to augment its music and media offerings, most likely on the Xbox One.

Or maybe this is all just a nostalgia buy, the pet project of misty-eyed Microsofters who don’t want to see Winamp disappear.