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AOL Making Media Player, Music Store

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the everybody's-doin'-it dept.

An anonymous reader writes "BetaNews is reporting that AOL Music is ramping up its efforts to release a new Media Player independent of the AOL client software, with a long-term goal of building its own music store. The company plans to bring AMP outside its "walled garden.""

7 of 174 comments (clear)

  1. Ahh... So they bought it for the name by fembots · · Score: 5, Interesting

    AOL's Media Player = AMP, and they want to win, right? So there you go, Winamp!

    Don't get your hopes up just yet, the article is quick to mention that:

    "Surprisingly, AMP is not based on AOL's Winamp platform, only utilizing Winamp's "Unagi" playback engine. Instead, AMP is built atop the company's Communicator XUL user interface framework. Communicator was first unveiled in beta form two years ago and eventually evolved into Fanfare."

    However, AOL did say "its new Media Player is not a competing product and has different audience, as Winamp users are not likely AOL users."

    Is this the knockout punch for Winamp? What did Netcraft say?

    --
    Rock that crushes, Paper & Scissors that don't matter.
    1. Re:Ahh... So they bought it for the name by Cuthalion · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I used to work for AOL on this product from 2002-2003*. I personally worked on 4 completely different implementations which all got scrapped for one reason or another (usual reason: internal politics). I laughed out loud when I saw 14 months of pain being condensed into a single sentence in this article.

      The AOL Media Player is targeted at their mainstream user base. Winamp is targeted at the technically savvy people. The Winamp user base typically is extremely sensitive to advertising and corporatism. Not trying to win over the winamp users to the AOL Media Player is a very good decision.

      * worst job ever

      --
      Trees can't go dancing
      So do them a big favor
      Pretend dancing stinks!
    2. Re:Ahh... So they bought it for the name by cmacb · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I just don't know what to make of AOL. So much potential, so little action. Why did they buy Netscape and then not make any use of it in their offerings? Why didn't they ever get into broadband? How could they let so many other companies pass them by in so many areas where they should have been a pioneer?

      I know they are hated by some for letting so many of the "unwashed" on the Internet so quickly, but I think they have done more good than harm in many respects. Yet lately almost everything they do seems like such an obvious mistake. Sounds like they are WAY late for the party on this one, but I wish them well anyway.

      I participated in a focus group thing done for them (we later found out) in which it was clear they were trying to think of a way to equalize themselves with the likes of Yahoo, MSN and Google in the various things that they do from portals to search engines. All catch-up stuff. So far no hints they are actually working on such a thing though. Now after all those lay-offs I have to wonder if anything can save this company. Will they throw tons of money into a new media player, abandon Winamp, and then in the end not put a product out at all? Nothing would surprise me. I wish them luck, which is apparently what they are looking for.

  2. Errr... by Realistic_Dragon · · Score: 5, Funny

    Why not cut out the middle man and just mail you CDs with music on them?

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    Beep beep.
  3. It's nice to see AOL... by Anita+Coney · · Score: 5, Funny

    On the forefront of new technology and not just jumping on someone else's bandwagon.

    --
    If someone says he and his monkey have nothing to hide, they almost certainly do.
  4. Interesting... by daveschroeder · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Not surprising, but interesting as AOL already has several arrangements with Apple to allow AOL Music, AOL accounts, etc., interoperate with the iTunes Music Store:

    Apple and America Online Announce Online Music Alliance

    AOL Members Now Have Instant Access to Apple's iTunes Music Store

    iTunes Music Store AOL account signin

  5. Zzz zzzz zzzzz zz.... by HarveyBirdman · · Score: 4, Funny
    ...zzzzzzzzzzzzzz- huh? Wha?

    (blinks)

    Um... AOL... music service...

    Zzzzzzzzz.......

    --
    --- Ban humanity.