List of streaming media services

A streaming media service is an online provider that allows users to watch or listen to content, such as films, TV series, music, or podcasts, over the Internet. Instead of downloading the content to a media device, users can stream it in real-time, which means they can start watching or listening immediately without having to wait for the entire file to download. Streaming services offer instant access to content, allowing users to watch or listen on-demand without the need for downloads or physical media. Some streaming services started as an add-on to a Blu-ray video title as a supplement to the material watched. Popular examples of video and audio streaming services include Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, Audible, and Spotify. Over-the-top media service (OTT) (also known as streaming platform) is a streaming media service delivered via the public Internet. OTT television bypasses terrestrial, cable, and satellite transmissions, the systems that have traditionally been the controllers or distributors of television content. As with broadcast networks and cable channels, many major film studios are involved in the production of the content provided by streaming television platforms. Digital streaming acts in a similar way to on-demand television in that the program to watch is selected. But the program is not recorded or stored like it might be on TiVo, etc.