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| Zinf | |
|---|---|
 Zinf playing an audio file | |
| Developers | Robert Hart, Tim Lesher, David Hough[1] |
| Initial release | July 2, 2002; 23 years ago (2002-07-02) |
| Stable release | 2.2.5 (February 17, 2004; 22 years ago (2004-02-17)) [±] |
| Preview release | none [±] |
| Written in | C++,GTK+ |
| Type | Audio player |
| License | GPL |
| Website | zinf |
| Repository | sourceforge |
Zinf is afreeaudio player forUnix-like andWindows operating systems.[2] Zinf is released under theGNU General Public License.
Zinf is a continuation of the FreeAmp project and uses the same source code.[3][4]
Zinf can play sound files inMP3,Vorbis, andWAV formats, among others.[5] It supportsskins and is part of theMusicBrainznetwork. The player features an optimized version of the XingMPEG decoder, a powerful music browser and playlist editor, and a built indownload manager which supports downloading files from sites using the RMP (RealJukebox) download process. Zinf was also notable for handling all audio files based on theirmetadata (Author, Album, Song Title), and hiding more-technical details like actual locations and file names[6] (but these features are now standard in many players).
Zinf is arecursive acronym that stands for "Zinf Is Not FreeAmp!"[6] Use of the nameFreeAmp had to be discontinued due totrademark issues, as "AMP" is a trademark of PlayMedia Systems, Inc.[7][8]
The FreeAmp project was originally funded byEMusic, who paid the salaries of 3 developers working on the player. Later,Relatable joined EMusic to help support continued development.[9]
In January 2001, after 2 years of funding the project EMusic pulled their support, and subsequently fired the developers.[10] The Zinf project was unable to find another sponsor, and development slowed greatly. The most recent release was made in early 2004. As of 2008, nearly all development of Zinf has ceased.[citation needed]
Zinf was once among the better-known open-source audio players, but development has been largely inactive since the early 2000s,[11] and contemporary reviews describe it as basic compared with newer players.[12]
In 2010 the zinf.com website was bought by a domain squatter for the purpose of capitalizing on the site's traffic for monetary gains. A new link called "QnA" and "Ads" are now visible on the zinf.com website that is a redirect to the squatter's site.
Lists latest stable release (2004) and no newer official versions.
Describes Zinf as a simple player that lacks features found in newer apps.
