Streaming media is media that is consumed (heard or viewed) (mostly in the form of clips) while it is being delivered. Streaming is more a property of the delivery system than the media itself. The distinction is usually applied to media that are distributed over computer networks; most other delivery systems are either inherently streaming (radio, television) or inherently non-streaming (books, video cassettes, audio CDs).

The word "stream" is also used as a verb, meaning to deliver streaming media.

Microsoft Producer 2003 allows users to add video, audio, images, photographs and HTML files to a presentation to create a media-rich experience. It allows individuals to develop exciting tutorials and presentations that can be run in Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser.

The application is not unlike video editing applications such as Apple's Final Cut Pro and familiar users of Adobe Premiere will feel comfortable inserting and arranging media components on a timeline. To enhance speed and reduce lag, Microsoft Producer also allows streaming from a Windows Media server for audio and video to be delivered simutaneously, rather than progressively consuming bandwidth with large downloads.