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TV, movie and music streaming services

Learn how to access and enjoy the enormous amount of online TV, video and music.

Watching and listening online

With catch-up TV services, online music applications and video sharing sites, you can watch and listen to just about whatever you want, whenever you want. You don’t even need a TV, because you can watch and listen using a smartphone, tablet or computer!

When accessing online media, it’s important to:

  • use reputable, well-known sites for these services, such as YouTube, ABC or Spotify (less reputable sites might provide media illegally)
  • understand that video and music use a lot of data. Be sure your internet service has enough data available each month so you don’t get a big bill, or have your service throttled to a slow speed for the remainder of the month.
A movie being played on a tablet

Catch-up TV and streaming video

Free-to-air TV works to a timetable, but that timetable doesn’t always work for you. With free-to-air TV, there are a number of reasons why you might miss out on shows, including:

  • You might not be home when the show is broadcast
  • You might have forgotten the show was on
  • A friend might recommend a show that you didn’t watch
  • People in your household might want to watch different TV shows broadcast at the same time.

Catch-up TV lets you watch shows at a time that suits you by streaming the show over the internet.

  • Catch-up TV shows are generally available online for several days or weeks after broadcasts
  • Many TV stations have a free catch-up service.
  • ABC iView and SBS On Demand are two catch-up TV services that are available in most places in Australia.

There are also subscription movie and TV services, with thousands of shows available for viewing.

Popular subscription services include:

  • Netflix
  • Amazon
  • Stan
  • Disney+

Streaming services and ads

Ads on TV can be annoying. As a general rule, free streaming services (including catch-up TV) contain ads. Services you pay for (such as Netflix or Disney+):

  • Don’t have ads for products
  • May advertise other shows and films at the beginning of your content.

All about YouTube

YouTube is a free video streaming service that can help you with everything from educational courses to learning the latest dance moves. YouTube can help you:

  • Take music lessons
  • See how to do home repairs
  • Learn academic subjects
  • Search for information on very nearly anything
  • See other people engaged in your hobbies and interests
  • Watch fun videos to relax!

Find YouTube by typing youtube.com in your web browser.

Using YouTube

YouTube’s home page shows a grid of videos based on what’s trending, or popular. Click one to watch it! Or:

  • You can search for a video using the search bar at the top of the page.
  • The Explore button to the left also lets you search by video topic.
  • Enter funny cat videos in the search bar and YouTube will show a list of relevant videos.
  • A Filters option lets you be more specific, such as searching only recent videos, or videos that are of a certain length.
  • YouTube also shows a list of Recommended videos on the right, based on what YouTube thinks you might be interested in!
  • When you click a video, player controls appear. You can also rewind or fast-forward by moving the red bar forward or backward.
  • There are also controls to auto-play the next video, adjust volume, and turn on closed captions.
  • Sometimes YouTube will play an ad, but after 5-30 seconds, a Skip Ad button will appear, allowing you to skip the rest of the ad.

Signing in to YouTube

You can use YouTube for free without signing in, but if you sign in to YouTube using your Google account, you can get some extra features:

  • A channel to upload your own videos
  • A settings menu which lets you restrict adult or possibly offensive material using Restricted Mode
  • A history of videos you’ve watched (which you can delete)
  • More settings for captions, how you appear to other YouTube users when you comment on a video, and more.
  • You can subscribe to YouTube channels and get updates when new videos are posted. You can also unsubscribe from a channel if you like.

Free YouTube vs YouTube Premium

There’s a paid version of YouTube called YouTube Premium. You can subscribe to it using your Google Account, similar to how you subscribe to Netflix or Stan. With YouTube Premium:

  • You can download videos to watch later
  • Ads do not play before or during videos
  • There’s no contract, and you can cancel any time.

You need to be signed in to YouTube to access YouTube Premium.

Streaming music and internet radio

Just about any music you might like is available legally over the internet.

  • Streaming services such as Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, Apple Music and YouTube Music have music ready to play.
  • Some music services have free versions, with advertisements or restricted capabilities.
  • All music services have paid subscription services which provide unlimited access to the music.
  • All music services have apps you can use to access music on mobile devices.
  • All music services stream content, and by default, the music is not stored on your device.
  • Some services (such as Apple iTunes and Amazon, for example) can be used to download music to keep.

You can listen to radio shows and access a world of podcasts on the internet.

  • There are tens of thousands of radio stations from all over the world available via the internet.
  • A free service such as TuneIn is one way to find and listen to internet radio stations.
  • Often you can listen directly from the radio station’s own website. Click Listen Live or similar.
  • Podcasts can be radio programs, or non-radio recordings of conversations and interviews on all manner of topics. You can usually download podcasts to your device to listen to later.
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