Streaming is a technology used to deliver content to computers and mobile devices over the internet without having to download it. Streaming transmits data—usually audio and video but, increasingly, other kinds as well—as a continuous flow, which allows the recipients to watch or listen almost immediately without having to wait for a download to complete.
Overall, streaming is the quickest means of accessing internet-based content. When you stream something, you can start using the content before the entire file downloads. Play a song on Apple Music or Spotify, for instance, and you can click Play to start listening almost immediately. You don't have to wait for the song to download before the music starts. This is one of the major advantages of streaming: It delivers data to you as you need it.