Comparison

Earworms vs Michel Thomas Language Library

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Earworms

Learn languages effectively using the "earworm effect" with catchy music and lyrics. This method anchors foreign language words and phrases into your long-term memory through engaging, brain-based audio-visual lessons. Improve vocabulary and grammar with bite-sized tracks and native speaker pronunciation.

Highlights
  • Learn languages with music and lyrics
  • Brain-based learning technique
  • Audio-visual experience with karaoke lyrics
  • 6-9 minute learning tracks
  • Content-rich language based on CEF
  • Native speaker pronunciation
Features
Read full description

Do you know what “earworm effect” is? Experience it while you learn languages with catchy music and lyrics that you just can't get out of your head. This highly effective award-winning learning technique uses music as the medium to transport words and phrases of a foreign language into your long-term memory. Start your language learning now! Learn Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Maltese, Dutch, Greek, Russian, Arabic, or Turkish and improve your vocabulary and grammar using the power of music. Earworms plant the words of a foreign language into your head with easy language courses. Try our language learning with music lyrics demo for free. THE EARWOMS METHOD 1. Brain-based: The Earworms method not only provides the words, phrases and grammar that you need for language learning, it also actively anchors them into the auditory cortex of your brain! It’s much more than language courses, it's language learning! Learn French, Spanish, English, Italian, German or Dutch listening to music lyrics. 2. Music is the key: Using music as the medium to learn languages is not only fun, it is also effective. Firstly, music puts the learner into the optimum state of consciousness for learning different languages. Secondly, music lyrics learning allows repetition (a prerequisite for language learning). On top of that, music engages and stimulates both hemispheres of the brain, unleashing more learning potential. 3. Chunking: Instead of language learning in terms of individual words and grammar, the Earworms approach immerses the learner in real-life dialogues and expressions with lyrics. These are broken down into bite-size chunks, practiced rhythmically with music and then reconstructed into full sentences. This gives the learner a strong sense of how real language courses are constructed and learning French, Spanish, German, Italian, English and other different languages and their vocabulary becomes easy. IMPORTANT FEATURES * Developed by language teaching experts. * Convenient. 6-9 minute tracks. Listen and learn track by track, any time, anywhere. * Audio-visual experience with 'karaoke-like' live lyrics feature. * Specific unambiguous goals. 200+ optimally selected sets of words and phrases for language learning. * Measurable. Easy tracking of progress of your language courses. * Target language spoken by native speakers - so correct pronunciation is acquired automatically. * Relevant. Carefully chosen content-rich language. Based on the CEF (Common European Framework) and immediately useful to the learner. * Time-bound. The musical memory method enables real rapid progress. E.g. you can learn to count up to 999 in Mandarin in an hour (!) or retain and recall words, phrases and structures in one language level within a couple of weeks. * Educational discounts are available. Visit https://www.earwormslearning.com/edu LANGUAGES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE French + German + Italian + Spanish (European) + Spanish (Lat. American) + Mandarin + Cantonese + Japanese + Arabic + Portuguese (European) + Portuguese (Brazilian) + Russian + Greek + Turkish + Polish + English + Dutch LEVELS There are 3 learning levels available, which will take you up to intermediate level (CEF level A2). * Volume 1. Within a few hours of listening to this volume, you'll have enough vocabulary knowledge of a language to be able to deal with real-life situations like taking a taxi, at the hotel, at the restaurant, requesting, polite phrases, finding your way, numbers, dealing with problems and so on. * Volume 2. This language course will soon have you talking about yourself, chatting and even flirting! * Volume 3. Here you learn more useful everyday situations while going more into the structure, the grammatical rules of the language while improving your vocabulary. NB. The app includes a demo album, full tracks of all languages available – and is free to download. You can then in-app purchase full courses.

About

Michel Thomas Language Library

Learn languages naturally through an audio-based method without books or memorization. This app guides you from beginner to confident speaker by actively participating in simulated live lessons, building a solid foundation and speaking in full sentences from the start.

Highlights
  • Audio-based lessons
  • No books or memorization required
  • Learn from simulated live lessons
  • Active participation
  • Speak in full sentences from the start
  • Learn at your own pace
Features
Read full description

*****‘A great app and a wonderful teacher…Best way to learn a language by far’ – Ethicos *****‘His method is just genius! It works so well around a busy life’ – Kim s *****‘I could not believe how quickly I was able to learn a language’ – Laurie 1954 The Michel Thomas Method Languages app makes language learning easy! Go from absolute beginner to confident speaker – all without books, homework or having to memorize anything. The stress-free Michel Thomas Method teaches you a foreign language in weeks, not years. Trial 20 minutes of any language for FREE (no card details required). You’ll stick with it because you’ll love it. HOW TO GET STARTED 1. Choose a language from our website to trial for free, or purchase, and sign up for an account. 2. Download the free Michel Thomas Method App. 3. Sign into the app with your account, download your course and start learning! Ready to move up to the next level? Find your next course on our website and continue learning! THE METHOD THAT WORKS WITH YOUR BRAIN 'What you understand, you know; and what you know, you don't forget.' – Michel Thomas Based on Michel Thomas’s 25 years of extensive research on how the brain best learns and retains information, and perfected over another 25 years of teaching with students, academics, professionals, politicians and Hollywood stars. The highly acclaimed Michel Thomas Method courses provide an accelerated method for foreign language learning that will have you speaking a language in whole sentences right from the start. You will quickly build a solid foundation and gain a deep understanding of the language, and be motivated to carry on due to your phenomenal progress. HOW DO THE COURSES WORK? ‘All stress inhibits true and effective learning’ – Michel Thomas During your course, you will join a Michel Thomas Method teacher and two students in live lessons, learning from both their successes and their mistakes to keep you motivated and involved throughout the course. You, as the learner, become the third student and participate actively in the class. Within the very first hour you will be able to construct simple phrases by listening and thinking out answers for yourself without the pressure of writing, or stress of having to memorize. You will learn at your own pace, pausing and repeating where necessary. Michel Thomas Method courses are the perfect foundation for anyone looking to start their language learning journey, continue their journey, or for those who have failed to learn a language in the past or lack confidence speaking. We offer courses from beginner to high intermediate level. The courses make it easy and convenient to fit language learning into your daily routine in whatever time you have. Let go of the tensions and anxieties traditionally associated with language learning, and enjoy it. WHY IS IT SO EFFECTIVE? You will learn the language naturally, as you learned your own, by listening and speaking, rapidly building your confidence and improving your fluency. The language is broken into essential building blocks which you reconstruct to create sentences, absorbing the vocabulary and grammatical structures almost effortlessly, to say what you want, when you want. You will enjoy the language learning process as it creates real excitement – you’ll speak the language immediately and experience a constant sense of progress through your new understanding. LEARN UP TO 19 LANGUAGES: Arabic (Egyptian) Arabic (MSA) Danish Dutch French German Greek Hindi Irish Italian Japanese Korean Mandarin (Chinese) Norwegian Polish Portuguese Russian Spanish Swedish Join 5 million people who have learned a language with the Michel Thomas Method and achieve your goal to speak a new language today! Any questions? Contact us at support@michelthomas.com Michel Thomas Method® is a registered trademark of Michel Thomas, used by Hodder & Stoughton Limited (a division of Hachette UK) under exclusive license.

Screenshots

Earworms4 screens
Michel Thomas Language Library4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Earworms at 4.8 against Michel Thomas Language Library's 4.2. Earworms also leads on review sentiment (71% vs 41%) and iOS requirement (12.4 vs 15.6). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Earworms sells 16 one-off in-app purchases and Michel Thomas Language Library sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Earworms holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 357 and 156 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Earworms's written reviews are positive against 41% of Michel Thomas Language Library's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Earworms ships an update every 5 months, Michel Thomas Language Library every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Earworms versus Michel Thomas Language Library: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEarwormsMichel Thomas Language Library
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (357 ratings) — better4.2 (156 ratings)
Positive reviews71.2% of reviews — better40.8% of reviews
Number of ratings357 — better156
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.4 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB97 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerearworms LtdHachette UK (Holdings)Limited

Customer experience

Earworms

All ratings357 ratings
Positive94.1%
Neutral2.8%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews73 reviews
Positive71.2%
Neutral11.0%
Negative17.8%

Michel Thomas Language Library

All ratings156 ratings
Positive78.2%
Neutral5.1%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews98 reviews
Positive40.8%
Neutral6.1%
Negative53.1%

User reviews

Earworms

From 357 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎵 Music-based learning method effectively reinforces memory
  • 👍 Easy and intuitive to use
  • ⭐ Excellent customer support team
  • 🎯 Practical, conversational phrases for real-world use
  • 🧠 Words and phrases stick in memory effortlessly

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing issues
  • 📱 Poor booklet formatting on mobile devices
  • 💸 Pricing considered expensive by some users
  • ❌ Limited number of lessons per language
  • 🔧 App lacks autoplay/continuous playback feature

Michel Thomas Language Library

From 156 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🧠 Excellent language learning methodology
  • 🎯 Effective speaking-focused approach
  • 📱 Convenient offline access to lessons
  • ⏱️ Flexible short lesson format
  • 🚗 Great for learning while driving

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing
  • ⏸️ Play/pause button unreliable
  • 💰 High pricing compared to competitors
  • 🔐 Account access and login issues
  • 📉 Poor customer support responsiveness

Bugs and requests

Earworms

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • App crashes every few minutes on iPhone
  • Network error on startup despite internet connection
  • Infinite loop on initial setup screen
  • App closes unexpectedly during playback
  • Restore purchases feature not functioning
Show 6 more
  • Activation code cannot be claimed in app
  • Tracks download corrupted or fail to load
  • Text display shows English instead of native script
  • Phrase book download button subscribes to email instead
  • App no longer works after OS updates
  • Category selection feature removed in newer version

Requested features

11 requests
  • Additional volume levels for existing languages
  • More lessons and expanded content library
  • Autoplay feature for continuous listening
  • Repeat single track functionality
  • Ability to select specific lesson categories
Show 6 more
  • Business-focused lesson modules
  • Emergency/medical/police interaction lessons
  • Grocery shopping and tradesperson lessons
  • More Cantonese, Maltese, Hindi, and Finnish content
  • Improved booklet formatting and accessibility
  • Direct email contact option for support

Michel Thomas Language Library

Reported bugs

16 issues
  • App crashes on login
  • App crashes when opening audio files
  • Pause/play button unresponsive when phone locked
  • Pause button skips back 30 seconds
  • Progress bar out of sync with audio
Show 11 more
  • Audio tracks fail to play despite downloading
  • Auto-play between tracks not working
  • App minimizes unexpectedly
  • Incompatibility with iOS 13+ updates
  • Sign-up button non-functional on iPad
  • Downloaded content shows 'coming soon' indefinitely
  • Purchased courses inaccessible after app updates
  • Device limit restrictions blocking legitimate users
  • App blocks access after multiple reinstalls
  • Slow loading screens for simple operations
  • Inconsistent play/pause icon display

Requested features

11 requests
  • Bookmark/progress saving functionality
  • Lesson completion tracking
  • Better pause/play button responsiveness
  • Improved UI design with larger control buttons
  • MP3 file access for external players
Show 6 more
  • Subscription option for all courses
  • Spaced repetition reminders
  • Real-time speaking feedback
  • Consistent track numbering with PDF booklets
  • Better integration with lock screen controls
  • Dark mode option

In-app purchases

16 purchases

Earworms

One-time16
  • Try before you buyFree
  • Essayez avant d’acheterFree
  • Álbum de demostraciónFree
Show 13 more
  • French Vol. 1$11.99
  • Italian Vol. 1$11.99
  • Spanish Lat. Am. Vol. 1$11.99
  • Portuguese Vol.1$11.99
  • French Vol. 2$11.99
  • Dutch Vol. 1-2$19.99
  • Japanese Vol. 1-2$19.99
  • Spanish Lat. Am. Vol. 1-3$27.99
  • Bundle deals, French Vol. 1-3$28.99
  • Bundle deals, German Vol. 1-3$28.99
  • Bundle deals, Italian Vol. 1-3$28.99
  • Bundle, Spanish Eu. Vol. 1-3$28.99
  • Portuguese Vol.1-3$28.99
4 purchases

Michel Thomas Language Library

One-time4
  • Pack of 11 Credits$10.99
  • Pack of 12 Credits$11.99
  • Pack of 90 Credits$89.99
Show 1 more
  • Pack of 100 Credits$99.99

Questions

Is Earworms free?
Earworms is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Michel Thomas Language Library free?
Michel Thomas Language Library is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Earworms or Michel Thomas Language Library?
Earworms is rated higher. Earworms averages 4.8 out of 5 from 357 ratings, while Michel Thomas Language Library averages 4.2 from 156 ratings.
Do Earworms or Michel Thomas Language Library have ads?
Neither Earworms nor Michel Thomas Language Library shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Earworms or Michel Thomas Language Library?
Earworms ships an update every 5 months, and Michel Thomas Language Library every 4 months. Most recently, Earworms was updated on September 19, 2026 and Michel Thomas Language Library on September 23, 2026.

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