From Winamp Help

Revision as of 09:13, 1 February 2010

Promotional URLs

This wiki page will be used to provide insight into the web-based Winamp client launching service(Winamp Launch Gateway) located at http://launch.winamp.com/ and high level info on its required browser plug-ins.

The Winamp Launch Gateway or Winamp Promotional URL (http://launch.winamp.com/) is a service we've created for third parties or any user really who wish to easily open their online service (or other Winamp plug-ins/features) inside the Winamp client from a link within a web page/email/etc.

Overview

A user can now promote Online Services, Podcasts and Now Playing pages which rests inside the client right from their webpages. Clicking on these simple promo URLs, a user visiting the web page can:

• Subscribe – allows user to subscribe to podcast & launches Podcast tab within Winamp Client
• Add – this badge allows the user to add content to the Winamp client (e.g. Winamp Online Service: Tour Tracker, Metro Lyrics, 7Digital store, Moviefone HD Trailers, etc.)
• Now Playing in Client – this launches a specific artist page within the Winamp client including deep-linking to sub-tabs such as -
  • Biography – band bio/history powered by AMG
  • Songs – allows for playback of any available songs
  • Photos – powered by AOL Music
  • Videos – powered by Truveo
  • Radio – powered by SHOUTcast
  • News – All News, AOL Music News, & Blog

The simplest example of the launcher is to just open up your web browser (as long as it's either Firefox or IE) and visit:

http://launch.winamp.com/

The page first does a quick check to ensure that the proper browser plug-in/dll is installed and that the user is using Winamp version 5.57 or above before it attempts to launch Winamp. Additionally, thanks to two browser plug-ins (one for Firefox, one for Internet Explorer) there is a way to presence check Winamp before attempting to load such a URL.

Anatomy of an Example Request

The diagram below explains the specifics of making a Winamp Launch Gateway request. The first and second parameters are optional.

Test Bed

Check out how these URLs work.

• Subscribe to Podcasts:
  • Podcasts Root - http://launch.winamp.com/Podcast/
  • Subscribe to the Podcast (http://rock-of-ages.podOmatic.com/rss2.xml) in Winamp - http://launch.winamp.com/Podcast/Subscribe?url=http://rock-of-ages.podOmatic.com/rss2.xml

• Add Online Services:
  • Online Services Root - http://launch.winamp.com/Online%20Services
  • Online Services Details Page - http://launch.winamp.com/Online%20Services/go?id=222025

• Play in Now Playing:
  • Now Playing Root - http://launch.winamp.com/Now%20Playing
  • Now Playing Artist Page - http://launch.winamp.com/Now%20Playing/artist/?artistID=1003359

==Winamp Promo Badges

• Subscribing to a Podcast

• Adding an Online Service

• Playing in Now Playing

Winamp Client Requirements

Version 5.57 and up

Compatible Winamp Plug-ins

• Online Services
• Now Playing
• Podcast Directory

Example Fail Case

If a user with an older version of Winamp attempts to use the Winamp Launch Gateway they will need to click the "Didn't open?" link and follow the given instructions.

Currently, there is just a generic message telling them to make sure they have the latest version of Winamp.

Screenshot:

Caveats

• Winamp is not focused on launch. When attempting to launch, if Winamp is already open (hidden behind other windows, for example) or minimized, it will not steal focus.
• If the user doesn't have Firefox installed at the time of installing Winamp 5.57, then later decides to install Firefox and use the Winamp Launch Gateway, the presence check plug-in will fail because it was not installed (due to the absence of Firefox at install time) and there is currently no way for them to manually install it other than re-installing Winamp.
• At this point it is not known what other browsers&em;if any&em;will launch Winamp correctly besides Internet Explorer and Firefox.