Like soundbites in the stream Streaming audio is ideal for previewing an audio file that would otherwise have to be downloaded in entirety before it could be heard. When you first click on a link to a streaming audio file, you will notice your player (Winamp, Media Player, RealPlayer) status bar says 'buffering', usually with a percentage amount shown. Streaming audio travels from the server where the audio file is held to a buffer (temporary storage area) in your computer. When the buffer is full the audio file starts to play whilst the remainder of the continues to be downloaded. If the server connection is disrupted, the file will continue to play from the buffer. If the connection is lost long enough for the buffer to empty, the audio will stop playing to allow the buffer to fill again.
