I'm with you in terms of listening, actually (at least partially; I have a large stereo at home on which I do actively listen to a lot of music; but I also have background music while I work during the day). That's why I find the subscription model a bit limiting currently.

I see your point about the more passive listeners leaning more towards the subscription model. My argument has long been that for a more passive experience, you need more complete library coverage because the expectation is that you can "get anything" pumped into your ears in that passive mode. I contrast it with Netflix where the forced active nature of the viewing means that the catalog need not have full coverage--so long as it has enough coverage to keep you actively engaged when you choose to use the service. That thinking (at least for me personally) has been why I've long avoided streaming music services but use Netflix streaming regularly.