Streaming delivers media content continuously over a network. You do not download the whole file. You play it as it arrives. The video or audio is buffered. If the network is fast enough, playback is smooth. If not, it stutters. Streaming is how most people watch video and listen to music today.

Streaming uses compression. Video is compressed with codecs like H.264, H.265, and AV1. Audio uses AAC, Opus, and MP3. The compressed data is sent in chunks. The player buffers a few seconds ahead. Adaptive bitrate adjusts quality based on network conditions. If bandwidth drops, quality drops.

Streaming types

• Video: Netflix, YouTube, Twitch
• Audio: Spotify, Apple Music, podcasts
• Live: sports, news, concerts
• On-demand: movies, series, albums
• Interactive: cloud gaming

Streaming changed media. It replaced DVDs, CDs, and broadcast TV for many people. It requires bandwidth. It requires servers. It requires content delivery networks to cache data close to users. The cloud is the new broadcast tower. The stream is the new signal.