Streaming allows people to watch video or listen to audio without waiting for an entire file to download. For instance, the later parts of a video will download while you are watching the first moments, so your media player always has enough data to continue playing the video without interruption. This is a better experience for viewers and a better use of broadcasters' bandwidth and processing power.

Broadcasters typically wish to provide two forms of streaming content: Live streaming and on-demand streaming. For instance, a radio station might want to broadcast their audio live over the Internet, simultaneously as it is broadcast via FM radio. However, that same radio station might like to provide on-demand access to the archive of their recorded content.