Streaming today is also used as a term for broadcasting audio and/or video information over the Internet (or other networks) in real time. In order to stream, there has to be a transmitter and a receiver, and a connection which is good enough to support the streaming rate. The better the streaming rate, the better the audio and video quality will be. However, if the desired streaming rate exceeds the capacity of the connection, skipping will occur.

An example for streaming is Internet radio stations like Shoutcast or LAUNCHcast.