The most POPULAR stream recording software (free download):

• WM RECORDER
  the easiest audio/video stream ripper
• REPLAY CAPTURE SUITE
  the best audio/video stream recording/capturing bundle
• REPLAY MUSIC
  the best streaming music recorder

Other RECOMMENDED software and services:

• REPLAY MEDIA GUIDE
  free service to find and record online radio, Internet TV, podcasts
• AVS VIDEO TOOLS
  convert, split, join, remove commercials, edit, rotate, apply effects, capture, transfer, copy, rip and burn DVD and video files
• EMUSIC
  the best legal music download service
• AUDIBLE
  download audio books, audio magazines, newspapers, radio programs
• SOUNDTAXI
  remove DRM protection from Windows Media, iTunes music and video files

High quality video and audio media normally require high speed connections (Cable, DSL). But in many cases you may record high speed media even if you have a slow connection (Dial-Up).

Also if you have fast connection, you can record much faster fully using your bandwidth. WM recorder, Mass Downloader, HiDownload as well as many other stream recorders can record using multiple threads (so you may capture streams faster than in real time).

Note that live (continuous) streams can not be recorded at a speed higher than your connection speed. To record on-demand (seekable) streams on slow connection with a higher speed you may have to change bandwidth settings (only for streams with multiple bit-rates). Depending on a stream recorder the bandwidth settings must be changed in the stream recorder itself or in a player like Windows Media Player, Real Player.