Question:  What difference does it make if content is streamed, rather than downloaded?
 
Answer: Audio data files can be huge. You could spend hours waiting for them to be downloaded to your computer if they weren't streamed. Streaming media technology allows you to see or hear the content in just a few seconds, instead of having to wait for it. Your only wait is the few seconds it takes for a "buffer" to be built up that helps avoid interruptions caused by connection problems.