Do Winamp's ads bother you? Nix'em.

[Vormund]

I kind'o put the fairly new ads in Winamp/Shoutcast aside, ignoring them...but really, they get incredibly annoying when the ad takes time to load, and takes up half of the previously-viewable area. Nonetheless, I finally searched and found a simple solution... (Note, buying Winamp Pro will not remove the ads.)

Apparently they're using limited ad servers, so if you just add these two entries to your hosts file, you'll be good for the present time:

216.239.59.104 ar.atwola.com
216.239.59.104 twx.doubleclick.net

Noting that your hosts file is in "C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc". For a full description and rants galore (for good reason), visit where I got it from. It's nice being ad-free, once again...

 

[KSoD]

Even better. Just dont use WinAmp.

 

[Vormund]

Even better. Just dont use WinAmp.

What decent alternative is there? Enlighten me!

Shoutcast is my main reason for using Winamp...and for it's easy editing of the ID3v1/2 tags (highlight the file and hit alt+3)...but I honestly haven't found another decent one.

 

[zmatt]

winamp is a good program. one of the few windows based media players that can play ogg, and flac natively.

 

[KSoD]

Well there is WMP, Zune, iTunes, Music Match, among others that play music. I can even begin to name them all.

As for the tag editing. There are plenty of free MP3 tag editors out there that can accomplish this task. I have used a couple myself. But as you said it is incorporated. So that helps for sure.

 

[Vormund]

Well there is WMP, Zune, iTunes, Music Match, among others that play music. I can even begin to name them all.

As for the tag editing. There are plenty of free MP3 tag editors out there that can accomplish this task. I have used a couple myself. But as you said it is incorporated. So that helps for sure.

WMP is even worse with their ads - just playing a song for example, you get the nice CD advertisement.

Music Match...boy, that has been awhile. I used that on my good 'ol HP nearly a decade back, and it led me to search for, and find, Winamp, so for whatever reason I didn't like it then...and it's doubtful now.

iTunes...blah. I can't empower them! Nah, but seriously, I haven't heard too much good about it. Zune goes along with this. Besides, I don't want the program built around a specific player, such as the IPod, even if it has since evolved, while there's a better alternative.

Now, the above is not much of a defense, but like I said, I'm all for the alternatives - if someone has something good to say about it! (Vs just listing them...hah!)

Winamp has been good for many years...so whilst I have no ads, I'll be happy, for the moment, buaha!

Oh yeah, and for the third party MP3 tag editors - so true - but why bother when you can have an "all-in-one"? It's the Walmart story, except we're empowering the little guy instead of the large corporations. eek

 

[zmatt]

musicmatch is an annoying player. iTunes is ok if you have an iPod (and i dont), WMP, dont get me started.

Winamp arguably is the best player for windows.

 

[Ste]

Winamp has ads?


-looks at his-

Mine doesn't..

 

[Vormund]

Winamp has ads?


-looks at his-

Mine doesn't..

I'm not too sure, but I think it's version 5.3 and above. It's in the Shoutcast area, among others, but I just use Shoutcast Radio.

This is an example from the Winamp thread linked above, here. It's a nice flash banner that's ~1" tall.

And if you have one of the host ad-blocking programs, which many do, it's probably already blocking the two that Winamp use.

 

[Ste]

Oh, probably explains why ive never seen any ads, since ive never used that option...