To say more on point (b): I enjoy running my own music-streaming server with Navidrome, and I have a not-small library of music, but I'm not happy with many of the wrinkles such a collection introduces. My brain forms media habits really quickly, so if I'm not routinely exposed to different musical options, which is hard to do on a small device that is often sorted alphabetically, I will play the same few songs and albums over and over again, despite wanting to broaden my horizons. I also want all of us on my family, including my young child, to be able to browse and select music without staring at a screen.

Because this uses Music Assistant, I can still browse the full library on a device when I'm feeling up for it. But this also allows a more curated, lower-tech method of interaction that matters a lot to me.