The best German listening app depends on what you want next to the audio. Poppy writes lessons with read-aloud audio, LingQ and Language Reactor put text and a dictionary under audio and video, and slow podcasts give you real voices to follow. This page compares the text, speed, replay, offline use and voices of seven options. For courses and tutors, see our German app comparison.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn German. You learn from German you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your German lessons. If a sentence is hard to follow, ask Poppy to explain it.
With Regenerative Review™, words you save show up again in new lessons, so you hear them in new contexts.
- Every German lesson shows its text next to read-aloud audio, so you can read along as you listen.
- Ask Poppy to explain a German sentence you can't follow, and she answers in English.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- The read-aloud voices are generated, so for German speakers, talk with a tutor or a language partner.
- It plays no videos or podcasts, so pair it with an option below for broadcasts.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
LingQ
LingQ suits learners who want to read a German transcript while the audio plays and tap each new word for a meaning.
- The German library has lessons with audio, and you can import your own texts.
- The beginner guide says you can change the audio speed and listen one sentence at a time.
- The menu and the explanations are in English.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
Language Reactor
Language Reactor suits learners who want real German video with subtitles and a dictionary.
- It adds German subtitles and a dictionary to Netflix and YouTube videos that you pick.
- The player has subtitle and playback controls, so you can go back over a line.
Browser extension
Yabla, News in Slow German, Easy German and Slow German each give you real speakers, and each handles text differently. Yabla shows German video with captions in both languages and lets you slow the audio without changing its pitch. News in Slow German reads news stories and dialogues at learner levels, with a transcript to read after you listen. The Easy German podcast has hosts in everyday conversation, and Slow German has one host who speaks slowly.
Other Apps We Looked At (4)
- YablaReal German video with captions in German and English, a dictionary and listening exercises. You can slow the speech and loop a part of a video. Some videos are free, and full access is a paid subscription.
- News in Slow GermanNews and dialogues read slowly by native speakers, with transcripts and explanations in English. The iPhone app gives you two news stories each week without payment or signup, and the full program has a 7-day free trial.
- Easy German podcastA podcast of natural German conversations that anyone can play. Members get interactive transcripts and bonus content.
- Slow GermanA podcast by Annik Rubens with slowly read episodes and the text of each one on the website. The site is in German, and you can download the episode audio.
Easy German and Slow German are podcasts, and Language Reactor is a browser extension. They are in the table because they give you German audio with text.
| App | Usable in English | Learning help in English | Text with the audio | Speed and replay | Offline | Voices | Free boundary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Yes | Partly | Lesson text with read-aloud audio | Speed control and replay in the reading panel | Unconfirmed | Generated read-aloud voices | Lessons by other learners are free to read; unlimited custom lessons need Pro |
| LingQ | Yes | Yes | Lesson text, sentence view and dictionary | Speed setting and sentence listening | Premium | Depends on the lesson | 20 saved words and 5 imports free |
| Language Reactor | Yes | Partly | Subtitles on Netflix and YouTube | Subtitle and playback controls | Unconfirmed | Whatever video you choose | Free to install; some features are in-app purchases |
| Yabla | Yes | Yes | Captions in German and English | Slow speech and segment loop | Unconfirmed | German speakers in video | Some free videos; the rest is a paid subscription |
| News in Slow German | Yes | Yes | Transcripts and explanations | Slowed audio | Unconfirmed | Native speakers | Two stories each week free in the app; 7-day trial |
| Easy German podcast | Yes | Partly | Transcripts for members | Depends on your podcast player | Depends on your podcast player | Named hosts in conversation | Episodes public; membership paid |
| Slow German | No | Unconfirmed | Episode text in German | Slow narration; replay in your player | Downloadable audio | One host | Podcast and text free |
If you also want to read and watch German, our German comprehensible input app comparison covers reading and video apps. To practice speaking, see our German speaking apps. For listening apps in any language, see our listening practice apps guide.
Which German listening app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning German, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or choose News in Slow German if you want slowed news you can read after you listen, since its free weekly stories need no signup.
Can I read a German transcript while I listen?
LingQ shows lesson text beside the audio, and Yabla shows captions in German and English. News in Slow German gives a transcript with explanations, and Easy German offers interactive transcripts to members. Slow German posts the text of each episode on its website.
Which German listening options work offline?
LingQ Premium supports offline listening, and you can download the Slow German episode audio. Podcast players handle downloads for the Easy German podcast.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- LingQ: learn German online
- LingQ: how to use LingQ as a beginner
- LingQ: free versus Premium
- LingQ: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Language Reactor: Chrome Web Store listing
- Yabla: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- News in Slow German: official site
- News in Slow German: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Easy German: podcast page
- Slow German: official site
- Bubblegum
- Language Reactor
