AIMP6 will be the first truly cross-platform release. In fact, the development (porting) has started 1.5 years ago, in January 2024.

By the time v5.40 was released, the general-purpose runtime libraries such as AIMP.Runtime and AIMP.Shared had been ported, on which this version was based. In terms of v6, we’ve ported all left app code and all standard plugins.

Linux

AIMP for Linux is based on GTK2 + Cairo, and requires for support for alpha-composing on side of OS’s window manager. Windows-specific build uses WinAPI directly as before, without using the GTK compatibility layer.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AIMP BUILDS FOR DIFFERENT PLATFORMS:	Win32	Win64	Wine	Linux
Skins	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️
Plugins from old AIMP / Winamp / Sonique	✔️	❌	❌	❌
Plugins form AIMP5	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌
DSP/VST Plugins	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌
Playback of TAK format	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌
Encoding to TAK format	✔️	✔️	✔️	❌
Playback of WMA format	✔️	✔️	❌	✔️
Encoding to WMA format	✔️	✔️	❌	❌
Associations with file formats	✔️	✔️	❌	✔️
Global hot keys	✔️	✔️	❌	✔️
Integration to OS shell environment	✔️	✔️	❌	❌

If skins can be used without any issues in all builds, all plugins MUST BE adapted for AIMP6 and Linux.

Target Distributives

Official supported distros*:

• Alt.Linux 11 (KDE/Gnome)
• Astra Linux 1.8+
• Debian 12+ (Gnome)
• Mint 22+
• Ubuntu 22+

* where the app is tested by ourself before each release. On other distributions, most likely, the app will work in same way.

Distribution

Now, the installer is available in form of DEB and RPM packages that can be easily installed on all Linux that we have tested. (if these packages are not supported on your Linux, please provide us a link to OS distributive and package specifications)

We are planning to keep support of the WINE-based version of app for Linux. Over time, it will become clear whether the WINE-based app is still used or whether everyone will switch to native Linux version.

Sound Engine

New formats

• Add support of the E-AC3 codec
• Add support of the HE-AAC profile
• Add support of the MLP file format
  In streaming mode only (without navigation throughout the file)

UI

Updated appearance

Mainly, changes has been affected to secondary windows of the app:

---

Extended theming options

Added brightness adjustment for colored elements:

Additionally, the color scheme applies to toolbar / menu icons too:

---

Extended scaling mode

We’ve added an ability to adjust emulated scaling factor for skinned windows with fixed scale:

The option will be useful if the skin is too small or large for your screen.

Note: changing emulated scale factor may lead to decrease final UI quality and increase CPU usage.

Playlist

Thumbnails

Thumbnails for playlist tracks is a long-awaited innovation for most of our users (disabled by default). The thumbnail always has a square form factor and shown in two-line items display mode.

You can turn on the thumbnails globally in the app settings, or individually for a specific playlist.

Playback indicator

Playing item now has a new small glyph that called the playback indicator*. The indicator has two states: 1) track is playing 2) playback has been stopped on this track, but now different playlist is now playing.

* skin must supports for this feature.

Music Library

Composite Fields for Grouping Tree

Composite fields provides an ability to combine data from multiple fields and display it at same nesting level.

Take a look on example: let’s make album name display along with year of its release.

Create a new grouping template, but instead of selecting from the existing fields, click the “create composite field” button:

In the dialog, specify the fields that will be used to generate the result:

Use the %field() macro function to access to field’s data, where the field index is specified as an argument for the function (starting from 0).

After we have set all necessary parameters for the composite field, click OK in both dialogs. The template will be applied to contents of database:

Table

We’ve added new view for data in the table – “Table With Thumbnails”:

Added an ability to disable navigation between grouping tree presets via Ctrl+Click on cell’s value:

But the shortcuts (located below album art on the screenshot above) will continue to operate.

Release Plan

Alpha

Alpha version of AIMP6 is already available for preview in catalog of nightly builds or via update to alpha-version using built-in to app update installer.

Warning! Version is under development stage and may contains many bugs. Please let us know about everything you find, even if it’s something insignificant. Don’t forget to specify app build number and your OS version.

Warning! If you’ve been wanting to switch to Linux for a long time, but haven’t done so yet, don’t start getting to know this OS by installing AIMP – we won’t be able to help you get used to it.

Warning! You must uninstall wine-based version of app before installing native one.

Beta

As soon as all features that we’ve planned to this version will be implemented. We are focusing on beginning of 2026.

Release

Planned to end of 2026.