Yup, but a streaming music service is a place. A tool is something that you have. For that matter, Winamp is still a tool you can use to access streaming servi

Yup, but a streaming music service is a place. A tool is something that you have. For that matter, Winamp is still a tool you can use to access streaming services: rtsp streams / internet radio / ShoutCast / etc. The problem is not with the tool, it's with the places you want to bring your tools to. They specifically don't allow you to do that. They close down the API's and take down alternative clients. Spotify feels like a place because it is a place, and it's not your home.