I didn't pay for my Linux install and it has zero ad-supported junkware.
Wasn't there a big bru-ha-ha when one of the big linux gui distros added amazon crapware by default?
There was.
It was just one distribution of many (Ubuntu), just one version of it in fact (Unity Ubuntu, Xubuntu or Kubuntu or whatever is Gnome Ubuntu called didn't include it) and it was not only possible (unlike in Windows 8 and 10) but also rather easy to remove.
There was, and as a result a lot of people shitcanned that distro, and said incident left an indelible black mark on the vendor's reputation.
No, the Windows 10 upgrade was "Free", but I was talking specifically about Windows 8 with regards to ads in the O/S.
The music app comes with the O/S, and is the default registered music player, for all intents are purposes, it's part of the O/S, and it's ability to inject ads into the start screen (as well as the Games widget, and Store widget doing the same thing) are just more of that.
There isn't any "ads" in the music app. Don't know where you saw this, but it wasn't in the built-in Music app in Windows 10.
Did you pay for Windows 10?