Unless you need a very specific feature when listening to music, there's hardly a reason to replace the latest build of Winamp. However, the people behind it are all smoke, and if you prefer a lightweight audio player that's still under active development, there's nothing better than downloading a copy of the classic 1by1. This software takes up less than 200 kilobytes in its standard configuration, lets you customize several aspects of its interface, and you can easily extend its compatibility with additional modules.
Local audio players are like browsers: In general, it's very hard for users to switch once they've found their favorite. The uninterrupted use of Winamp by thousands of people is clear proof. The latest build dates back to 2018 and is a preview that basically shows no changes compared to version 5.666 from 2013. However, it's never a bad idea to step out of your comfort zone and explore other options. Many of our readers favor alternatives like AIMP and the classic foobar2000, but I'd like to add a personal favorite, 1by1. Developed for years by Martin Pesch, 1by1 stands out by positioning itself as one of the lightest audio players on the market, with an executable that doesn't exceed 200 kilobytes.
1by1: Lightweight Audio Player for Any System
1by1 has been specially designed for users who don't prioritize playlists. If all your music is already organized in subfolders, it's enough to browse to them and press Play. The program can remember the last track played in ten different folders, enable gapless mode for smoother transitions (either by removing silence or using mixing), and expand its format support with the help of secondary modules.
What exactly does that mean? In its default configuration, 1by1 only plays MP3 files. To add formats like WAV and FLAC, you need to download the latest version of the Bass Audio Library in its 32-bit edition (it's the first one you see inside the zip), along with additional libraries like BassFLAC and BassMIDI. There's nothing complicated: just copy the modules into the folder that contains the 1by1 executable.
It's also worth noting that 1by1 lets you modify its interface. The easiest way to do this is by going to the Window Style section in its settings and picking one of the available presets. Alternatively, you can change the size of the symbols and the font type. It's easy to make mistakes, but an extra click on any preset will fix the problem (I recommend going back to Classic and restarting 1by1).
In short, you'll hardly find a lightweight and complete audio player like 1by1. Its latest build works on all recent versions of Windows, but if you want to experiment with retro machines, build 1.75 is available for Windows 9x and ME. Download a copy!
Official site and download: Click here
