Many streaming platforms offer original content.
Streaming is a term from the English language that, despite not being part of the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ), is frequently used in our language. Its use occurs in the Internet environment to refer to a transmission that is carried out live from the source to the user .
When a person accesses streaming content, therefore, consumption takes place simultaneously with the download . This means that the individual does not have to download the data to their computer , phone or smart TV and then access it, but rather both processes take place at the same time.
Streaming Features
It can be indicated that streaming is a mode of distribution of multimedia information. Its peculiarity is that the product flows continuously from the source to the consumer.
Streaming is associated with the dissemination of videos and audios. The methodology is based on a buffer (a single-use temporary memory sector), where what is downloaded is saved on the user's device while it is displayed.
To enjoy streaming content, you need a fast connection: otherwise, buffering (an unwanted pause) occurs. The bandwidth , therefore, must be sufficient to facilitate the download and consumption of digital data without interruptions or outages.
There are streaming services that allow you to discover their offer through a free trial.
Live or delayed
It is important to mention that streaming can involve a live broadcast or the broadcast of something that was already recorded . The notion is associated with distribution , not with the nature of the product.
Suppose an artist offers a concert in a theater in New York and said show is broadcast live via YouTube Live . Thanks to streaming, it is possible to visit the corresponding channel on the video platform and watch the show from anywhere in the world simultaneously with its completion.
Content offered on demand through Netflix , Amazon Prime Video and other similar services also works with streaming. The user selects the movie or series they want to watch and then the transmission starts.
Popular streaming platforms
Precisely, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video , in addition to HBO Max , Hulu , Paramount+ , Star+ , Disney+ and Apple TV+ , to name a few more, are among the most used streaming platforms. In these cases, companies provide access - after paying a subscription - to films and series.
Other firms specialize in music streaming. Some of the best known are Spotify , Amazon Music , Apple Music and Deezer .
The business model of these platforms usually includes monthly payments and annual payments for the service, also offering exclusive content to their subscribers (such as movies that are not available in the competition). This production of its own content can differentiate one company from another.
Returning to what was mentioned about live transmission or live programming, it must be emphasized that numerous television channels and radio stations broadcast over the Internet via streaming. Thus, viewers and listeners do not need to receive the analog transmission ( TV cable , AM , FM , etc.) since they connect to a website to proceed with consumption.
At this point, it is interesting to note that there are channels and stations born directly in digital format to operate in streaming. Many radio stations today never had an antenna nor did they broadcast on AM or FM : their entire structure is based on the dissemination of their proposals through the Web , thereby making Internet radio.
Streaming of conferences contributes to the dissemination of lectures and presentations.
Uses beyond entertainment
Streaming has uses that go beyond the consumption of movies and series and the transmission of concerts or sports. With this technology, you can attend webinars (virtual seminars) or even pursue a degree, for example.
Streaming online classes is very useful for a person to study in an educational institution regardless of their geographical location. With a good Internet speed , this is a training possibility that should be taken into account due to the advantages it offers.
Live videos are often combined with the video on demand option when it is not possible to "attend" the class at the time it is being held. It should be noted that this educational alternative can use streaming on social networks (such as conferences via Facebook Live or Instagram Live ) and include interactions via Zoom or Google Meet , to mention a few possibilities.
Streaming can also be very important in the workplace. The CEO of a company who wants to report something to those responsible for the various subsidiaries or branches of the company that are distributed in different cities or even countries can do so with a Zoom conference.