CNBC: Google is going in the opposite direction of Apple’s $10-a-month music service, launching a free, ad-supported version of its $9.99-a-month Google Play Music in the U.S. The company said it is designed to give artists another way to earn revenue and that the goal is ultimately to bring more people into its subscription service. It’s a direct challenge to services such as Pandora and Spotify. Google will have the advantage of being able to direct people searching for songs to its service.