To download is to transfer the content of a digital file from a remote computer and store a copy on a local computer. The remote computer is usually called a server, and the destination computer is called a client workstation. The file is usually transferred via protocols such as HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) or FTP (File Transfer Protocol). The amount of time required to download a sound file depends on several factors: the size of the file, the amount of bandwidth available for the transfer, and to some degree, the performance of the client workstation itself.
In the simplest instance, a sound file must be completely transferred and saved to the client workstation before playback may begin. A newer method, called ``progressive downloading,'' allows playback to start before the sound file is completely transferred to the client workstation. Under the right conditions, this can mean almost instantaneous playback, and for that reason the end result of progressive downloading is not unlike the next delivery method we'll consider: streaming.