Earworms vs Michel Thomas Language Library
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
Michel Thomas Language Library
Learn languages by listening and speaking from the first lesson, without memorization or note-taking. This method focuses on intuitive understanding and building sentences naturally. Try any language for free for 20 minutes.
- Learn by listening, not memorizing
- Build sentences from day one
- No note-taking or homework
- Mistakes are learning opportunities
- Courses led by real teachers
- 20 languages available
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Start speaking a new language from your first lesson. Learn by listening, not by memorising. No memorisation, no notetaking, no homework, just intuitive, simple and stress-free learning. Join over five million learners worldwide and discover why the Michel Thomas method has transformed language learning. Try any language for free for 20 minutes. No payment card details required. LEARN FROM REAL TEACHERS AND LEARNERS Listen to learning as it happens and learn from every breakthrough. BUILD SENTENCES FROM DAY ONE Master the key structures of the language and create your own sentences NO NOTE-TAKING, NO MEMORISATION Learn how the language works instead of repeating grammar drills and vocab lists MISTAKES WELCOME Every slip-up is a step forward, helping you understand the language better Learn by listening, not by endless tapping. With courses led by real teachers with years of experience, you’ll gain confidence quickly, learning at a pace that feels fast but never overwhelming. No memorisation, no homework and no drills. You’ll master the building blocks of a language, unlocking the ability to create your own sentences. And don’t worry about mistakes. They’re not failures, they’re opportunities to deepen your understanding and grow faster. We’re on a mission to make language learning something you look forward to. Fast progress, real conversations, and the joy of learning. That’s why more than five million language learners have put their trust in the Michel Thomas approach. READY TO GET STARTED? Jump in - your new language is waiting! 1. Choose a language from our website and sign up for an account 2. Download the free Michel Thomas Language Library app 3. Sign into the app with your account, download your course and start learning Join five million people who have already learned a language with the Michel Thomas method and achieve your goal to speak a new language with confidence. CHOOSE FROM 20 LANGUAGES TO LEARN TODAY Arabic (Egyptian); Arabic (MSA); Danish; Dutch; English; French; German; Greek; Hindi; Irish; Italian; Japanese; Korean; Mandarin Chinese; Norwegian; Polish; Portuguese; Russian; Spanish; Swedish Plus, new languages and levels coming soon. ANY QUESTIONS? Contact us at support@michelthomas.com Michel Thomas® is a registered trademark of Michel Thomas, used by Hodder & Stoughton Limited (a division of Hachette UK) under exclusive license.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Earworms at 4.8 against Michel Thomas Language Library's 4.2. Earworms also leads on review sentiment (73% vs 41%) and iOS requirement (12.4 vs 15.6). Michel Thomas Language Library's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). 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
Both are free to download. Earworms sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Michel Thomas Language Library asks for nothing beyond the download.
Earworms holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 370 and 157 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Earworms's written reviews are positive against 41% of Michel Thomas Language Library's.
Earworms ships an update every 5 months, Michel Thomas Language Library every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Earworms | Michel Thomas Language Library |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (370 ratings) — better | 4.2 (157 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 72.6% of reviews — better | 41.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 370 — better | 157 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 4 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.4 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 48 MB | 99 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | earworms Ltd | Hachette UK (Holdings)Limited |
Customer experience
Earworms
Michel Thomas Language Library
User reviews
Earworms
From 370 App Store ratingsWhat 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 157 App Store ratingsWhat 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 moreShow fewer
- 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
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- 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 moreShow fewer
- 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 moreShow fewer
- 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
Earworms
- Try before you buyFree
- Álbum de demostraciónFree
- French Vol. 1$11.99
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- Italian Vol. 1$11.99
- Spanish Lat. Am. Vol. 1$11.99
- German Vol. 1$11.99
- 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
Michel Thomas Language Library
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Earworms free?
Is Michel Thomas Language Library free?
Which has better reviews, Earworms or Michel Thomas Language Library?
Do Earworms or Michel Thomas Language Library have ads?
Which is updated more often, Earworms or Michel Thomas Language Library?
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