Winamp is rolling out new tools to bring creators and fans together simply, and welcoming a first group of 25,000 creators with free access and exclusive perks.

Storied listening platform is rolling out new tools to bring creators and fans together simply and easily, and welcoming a first group of 25,000 creators with free access and exclusive perks.

Winamp, the listening platform with 83 million users worldwide, is ready to show the world a whole new side. It’s expanding to offer artists and audio creators a unified set of tools to take their career to the next level. From distribution and royalty administration to direct-to-fan services like subscriptions, Winamp is offering a simpler, more transparent toolkit for artists to find, reach, and gain support from fan communities, uniting services for today’s digital world.

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It’s a logical next step for a brand trusted by millions as a go-to place for listening. “Winamp has long prided itself in creating the perfect place for fans to collect and enjoy their music,” explains Winamp CEO Alexandre Saboundjian. “Now creators can meet them there, forming direct connections right where many people are already listening—and where many more will soon join them. We’re offering creators control and transparency as they look for good ways to distribute, promote, and monetize their music.”

Winamp will roll out these new services and features to a select group of artists and audio creators who jump in first. Listeners, never fear: these services will be mirrored by enhancements and upgrades for music fans later this year, making Winamp the music superapp music lovers have longed for.

To kick off this new Winamp era and celebrate Winamp’s 25th anniversary, Winamp is inviting an exclusive first cohort of 25,000 creators to sign up and join the Winamp launch crew, starting August 16. These creators will get one year of free access to subscription-only premium tools, as well as a Creator Pass to commemorate the occasion and open up exclusive perks. These Passes will feature—what else?—the legendary Winamp llama, in 25 different guises inspired by creators’ wide range of music styles and genres. The 25,000-strong group will be the first and only artists to access Winamp’s creator side until full launch happens later this year.

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These lucky first creators will be able to learn all about Winamp’s new features when the platform’s first tools unlock in September. As more and more tools and features become available over the coming months, artists will find more to explore. As they do, they’ll discover tools that are simple yet highly customizable, giving full control to the creator. For example, fan subscription tiers can be set at any price level. At the same time, creators will see that everything has been carefully tailored to their needs, incorporating not only promotional and fan-connection tools, but licensing opportunities, data visualization and analysis, and rights management, all in one place. The full launch of Winamp’s creator side will come in November, when it unveils FanZone, the space on Winamp where fans and creators meet.

“Our vision is to make Winamp the main place music lovers need to go,” Saboundjian says. “Fans have trusted us with their music. Now creators can trust us to support their work and careers.”

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