The buffer in a streaming audio player temporarily stores the last few seconds of your station’s playback. In the event that your network connection slows down or is momentarily disrupted, the station you’re listening to will play back from the buffer until the connection is restored. If the buffer runs out, the audio will begin to skip or possibly drop off completely. This is similar to a buffer on a portable CD player, which prevents your portable CD player from skipping as you jog.
