General Preferences: Top Level

• Select your internet connection: Select whether you have a LAN/DSL/Cable (always-connected), dial-up modem, or no Internet connection.
• Specify HTTP Proxy address (optional): If you want or need to use a proxy, type the server name of an HTTP Proxy. Use the following format:
  • servername:port
  • username:password@servername:port (otherwise, leave blank)
• Use proxy only for port 80 URLs: Only use a proxy when opening streaming media and URLs that use port 80.
• Show splash screen: Display the splash screen for 2 seconds when Winamp starts.
• Allow multiple instances: Allow more than one instance of Winamp to be open at once.
• Check for new versions of Winamp at startup: When Winamp starts up, you are notified about new versions of Winamp as they become available.
• Allow Winamp to report basic, anonymous program usage statistics: Allow Nullsoft to receive anonymous information about how much Winamp is used. Nullsoft does not track what you are doing with Winamp and no personal or identifiable information is sent to Winamp if you select this check box.
• Recycle permanently deleted files: When using the "Remove -> Physically remove selected file(s)". menu command, sends deleted files to the Recycle Bin. Uncheck this option to bypass the Recycle Bin (not recommended).
• Show Winamp in:
  • Taskbar: Display Winamp in the Windows taskbar during use.
  • System tray: Display the Winamp icon in the Windows system tray during use.
• System Tray Icon: Use the slider to choose an icon to use in the system tray, if enabled.
• Scroll title in the Windows taskbar: Scroll the current track title in the Windows taskbar.
• Show the playlist number in the Windows taskbar: Uncheck this option to remove the playlist number for the currently playing track from the beginning of the Winamp icon's string in the Windows taskbar.
• Disable always on top while fullscreen applications are focused: When checkmarked, Winamp will lose its 'Always on top' status when other fullscreen apps are in focus (note that this also includes the 'Show Desktop' command).
• Priority Class: Use the slider to choose how much CPU priority is given to Winamp.

General Preferences: File Types

• Associated file types: Select the file extensions that you want to be opened by Winamp by default. When you double-click on files with the selected file extensions, they will be opened within Winamp.
  • Set selection:
    • All: Click this to associate all of the listed file extensions with Winamp by default.
    • Audio Only: Click this to associate only the audio-based file extensions with Winamp.
    • Video Only: Click this to associate only the video-based file extensions with Winamp.
    • None: Click this to have none of the listed file extensions opened with Winamp by default.
    • Restore file associations on Winamp start-up: Allow Winamp, during start-up, to re-associate selected file extensions that are taken by other programs.
  • File Icon: Use the slider to select an icon to use for files associated with Winamp.
  • Playlist Icon: Use the slider to select an icon to use for playlist files (eg. M3U and PLS) associated with Winamp.
• Winamp Agent
  • Enable Winamp agent: Select this to enable Winamp Agent, which starts with Windows and adds extra functionality.
  • Show system tray icon: If Winamp Agent is enabled, show the system tray icon (near the time).
  • Maintain file associations: If Winamp Agent is enabled, automatically re-associate selected file extensions that are taken by other programs.
• Explorer Settings:
  • Launch Winamp for audio CDs: When you insert an audio CD, automatically play it using Winamp.
  • Enqueue files on double click in Windows (default is Play): Select this if you want double-clicked files to be placed at the end of the current playlist instead of wiping the current playlist and being played immediately.
  • Show Winamp in folder context menus in Windows Explorer: Select this if you want "Play in Winamp" etc. added as an option in the Windows Explorer right-click context menu for folders.

General Preferences: Playlist

• Show playlist item numbers in Playlist Editor: Show the track number before each track in the playlist editor.
• Zero pad item numbers: Automatically inserts leading zeros at the front of the Playlist item numbers, so if the last track in the list is e.g. 12505, the first will show as 00001.
• Playlist font size, in pixels: Type the font size for text in the playlist editor.
• Use skin or language pack font: When checked, uses the font specified in the current skin (or language pack, if one is installed/active). When unchecked, uses the font specified in the "Use font" drop-down menu underneath (can be useful if you need to display international/unicode characters, or if you need to select a monospace/fixed-width font for title formatting).
• Text Direction: Select one of: Automatic, based on locale settings (default); Left-to-right (e.g. for Latin, Cyrillic, Oriental based characters); or Right-to-left (e.g. for Hebrew, Arabic, Farsi, Urdu characters).
• Scroll playlist using Page Up/Down by X lines: Specifies how many lines to move when using the Page Up/Down keys. Default value is 4.
• Mousewheel scrolls double the above number of lines (default): The default behaviour is for the mousewheel to scroll double the number of lines of the Page Up/Down keys, therefore the default value would be 8 lines. Uncheck this option if you would prefer the mousewheel to scroll the same number of lines as the Page Up/Down keys. For example, if the above value is set to "1" and this option is unchecked, then both the Page Up/Down keys and mousewheel will scroll 1 line (whereas with it checkmarked, the Page Up/Down keys will scroll 1 line and the mousewheel 2 lines).
• Manual playlist advance: Play the current track and stop without advancing to the next track in the playlist, or repeat the same song if playlist repeating is enabled.
• When loading multiple files, sort file by name: When loading more than one file, sort the list alphabetically.
• Assume file extension of unknown file to be: Type the extension to use for unknown files types. Some plugins require an extension to work properly.
• Shuffle morph rate: Use the slider to choose how large the variation in shuffling tracks in a playlist, when Playlist Shuffling is on.

General Preferences: Titles

• Metadata Reading:
  • Read metadata when file(s) are loaded into Winamp: Read extended metadata (file info tags) when loading a track.
  • Read metadata when file(s) are played or viewed in the playlist: Read extended metadata when displaying a track.
  • Read metadata only when files(s) are played: Read extended metadata when playing a track.
  • Read metadata in the background when file(s) are loaded into Winamp or are played or viewed in the playlist editor: Read extended metadata as a background process on load or view or play (whichever comes first). Note that this option is new as of v5.54 and is now probably the recommended setting...
• Use advanced title formatting when possible: Display track titles using advanced title display format.
• Advanced title display format: Type the syntax for advanced title formatting.
  • Default: Use the default advanced title display format.
  • Help: Show syntax help for advanced title displaying formatting.
  • Tip: A full comprehensive list of all ATF syntax can be found here.
• Show underscore in titles as spaces: Convert "_" (underscore) to a space in titles.
• Show '%20's" in titles as spaces: Convert "%20" (the HTML code for a space) to a space in titles.

General Preferences: Playback

• Playback
  • Playback thread priority: Set global priority class for mp3, mp4/m4a, wav, ogg, flac & wma playback. Choose between "Lowest" to "Highest (default)" settings.
  • Allow 24bit: Enables 24-bit playback for sound cards which support it. True 24bit soundcards output at 24bit, therefore the soundcard won't need to upsample 16bit to 24bit if Winamp is already sending it a 24bit audio stream.
  • Allow surround sound: Enables surround sound for files encoded in e.g. 5.1-channel format.
  • Use Dither: Enables dither for supporting formats (currently, .ogg and .flac only).
  • Force Mono: Disables stereo output.
• Equalizer
  • EQ Type: Specify whether to use the Winamp 4Front EQ or the Constant-Q EQ. 4Front is the original Winamp EQ, whereas Constant-Q is a new option as from Winamp 5.51 and higher.
  • Frequency Bands: Specify whether to use Winamp frequency bands or ISO Standard bands. The ISO bands are a new option as from Winamp 5.51 and higher.
    • ISO Standard Equalizer frequency table: 31.5, 63, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000, 16000
    • Winamp EQ frequency table: 70, 180, 320, 600, 1000, 3000, 6000, 12000, 14000, 16000
    • Note: The skin says: 60, 170, 310, but is actually wrong.
  • Use Limiter: Specify whether or not to use clipping prevention. Default is "On".
• Replay Gain
  • Use Replay Gain: Enables Replay Gain (automatic volume levelling) for all files with RG values applied. The main purpose of Replay Gain is to attempt to playback all files at approximately the same volume. To apply Replay Gain to your music files, right-click items in the Media Library or Playlist and select 'Calculate Replay Gain' via the 'Send To' menu. The Replay Gain values are stored in the file tags. The actual audio data is unchanged. Supported formats are MP3, WMA, WMV, AAC, MP4, M4A, OGG & FLAC.
  • Amplification Mode: Default selection is 'Apply Gain / Prevent Clipping' (recommended). This will level out the volume and prevent distortion.
  • Preferred Source: Choose between 'Track' (default) or 'Album' modes.
  • Disable if preferred source not available: Disables RG if e.g. 'Album' mode is selected but only 'Track' info is available.
  • Adjustment for files without RG: Pre-amp selection applied to all files without ReplayGain info (default value is -6.0 dB).
  • Replay Gain Preamp: Pre-amp selection to adjust global gain for all files with or without RG info applied (default value is 0 dB).
  • Ask before writing Replay Gain to analyzed files: When checkmarked, the Replay Gain Analyzer results dialog will appear at the end of each scan. Our personally recommended preference is to use 'Save as Album', which also writes Track data. When unchecked, values will be saved automatically without prompting.
  • Ask after each album is scanned: Prompts to save values after each album is scanned.
  • Ask after all files are scanned: Prompts to save values after all files are scanned.

General Preferences: Video

• Video Playback
  • Display the video window when video playback begins: Open the video windows automatically when playing a video stream or file.
  • Close the video window after playback ends: Automatically close the video window when video playback stops.
  • Stop playback when video window is closed: Stop video playback when the video window is closed.
  • Resize video window to fit video: Automatically resize the video window to the size of the current video file or stream.
  • Disable Windows screensaver when playing video: Don't start the Windows screensaver when Winamp is playing a video.
• Fullscreen Video Playback
  • Remove fullscreen on stop: Resume the previous size when playback in fullscreen mode stops.
  • Enable On Screen Display when in fullscreen mode: Show information and controls while in fullscreen mode.
• Advanced Video Options
  • Vertically flip videos (for compatibility with old drivers): Can be useful if using an old system with onboard graphics where there's no updated drivers available and some videos appear inverted.
  • Lock video aspect ratio: Use a fixed ratio when viewing video even when the video window is resized.
    • My screen has an aspect ratio of: Type a horizontal and vertical ratio number that corresponds to the video aspect ratio of your display monitor. This ratio is usually 4:3 for older CRT monitors and 16:9 for newer widescreen LCD/TFT monitors.
  • Synchronize video to screen refresh rate: Match the Winamp refresh rate to that of the current screen refresh rate.

General Preferences: Localization

• Installed Language Packs: Lists all installed WLZ language files. Double-click or highlight item and click the 'Switch to' button to switch to a language pack. The default built-in language is "English (US)", which cannot be renamed or uninstalled.
• Language Pack Directory: Click this if you wish to change the default folder for storing your WLZ (Winamp Language Zip) files.

General Preferences: Global Hotkeys

• Enable default multimedia key support: Will attempt to process media keys by using WM_APPCOMMAND messages ('off' by default). Try checkmarking this option if your Play/Pause, Stop, Previous & Next keys aren't recognized by just using the 'Enable' Global Hotkeys setting below.
• Enabled: Checkmark this to enable Global Hotkeys. Global Hotkeys can be used to perform actions (Play, Stop, Next, Previous, Rate Items, Copy Title, etc) even when Winamp isn't the active application.
• Action: Select which extra hotkeys to enable via the drop-down menu.
• Hotkey: Use your keyboard to select a unique hotkey for the selected action (eg. hold down Ctrl + Shift + H) then click the 'Add' button.