News in Slow French Review (2026): Price, Levels, Free?

Bonjour ! Amélie here. 👋

This News in Slow French review starts where your search probably did: how much it costs, whether any of it is free, and whether your level fits. Then the part the sales page skips: what slow news French does for your ear, and what it cannot do.

The short answer: News in Slow French costs $22.90 a month for Full Access, or $6.90 for Audio Only, with no transcripts. New subscribers get a 7-day free trial, and there is a free public podcast feed. It is well made, covers beginner to advanced, and suits learners who enjoy current events. It will not train you for fast, casual French.

Every price and plan below is from the News in Slow French site, checked on 6 October 2026.

How much does News in Slow French cost?

Two plans, both monthly:

Plan	Price	What you get
Full Access	$22.90/month	All audio, transcripts with contextual translations, lessons and quizzes, a grammar course, an idiomatic expressions catalogue, pronunciation practice, flashcards, live conversation Rooms
Audio Only	$6.90/month	All audio and the Rooms; no transcripts, lessons or quizzes

There is no annual plan on the subscription rates page, so a year of Full Access is $274.80. You can switch between the two plans as often as you like, and cancel any time; your access runs to the end of the month you paid for. There are also gift cards and separate educational rates for schools.

My advice on the two plans is simple: if you pay, pay for Full Access. Audio Only is cheaper because it removes the transcripts, and the transcript is where most of the learning happens. You listen, you check what you missed, you listen again. Without the check, you are mostly hoping.

Is News in Slow French free?

Partly. There are two free ways in.

The 7-day trial. First-time subscribers get seven days of Full Access. That is enough to try all three levels and decide. Put a reminder in your phone for day six, like a responsible adult.

The free podcast feed. News in Slow French (Intermediate) is a public podcast on Apple Podcasts and other apps, with weekly episodes of roughly ten minutes. When I checked, it was on episode 814. You get the audio; the transcripts and exercises stay behind the paywall.

So: you can listen for free, indefinitely. You cannot study it properly for free.

What levels does News in Slow French cover?

Three, and they map neatly to the CEFR:

• Beginner (A1–A2), including a structured introduction called G.U.T.S. (Get Up To Speed).
• Intermediate (B1–B2), the original and best-known show.
• Advanced (C1+), with more authentic content and nuance.

The intermediate level is the heart of it. If you are around B1, this is where News in Slow French makes the most sense: the topics are adult, the French is clear, and you understand enough to stay interested.

Not sure which band you are in? Guessing is unreliable. My free listening test gives you your level in about two minutes, from real spoken French.

Is slow French good for your listening?

Yes, at the right stage. Then less so.

Slow, clear French does something valuable: it lets your brain separate words that, at full speed, melt into one long sound. That is how you build a mental dictionary of what French sounds like, not just what it looks like. News in Slow French is narrated at a learner pace, and for a B1 ear, that is a generous gift.

But news French has two limits.

First, it is news register. Newsreaders speak in full sentences with every ne intact. French friends do not. They say ben, they say franchement before every opinion, they end sentences with hein. None of that turns up much in a news bulletin.

Second, slow is a training wheel. If you only ever hear slowed French, real French will always feel like an ambush. At some point, the wheels come off, and you want to be the one choosing when.

My rule for students: when you understand slow news French at first listen, without the transcript, start adding normal-speed dialogue. Keep the news if you enjoy it. Add the café.

Who should pay for News in Slow French?

Pay for it if:

• you genuinely enjoy current events, and would read the news anyway;
• you are around B1 and want clear, weekly, adult listening;
• you like having grammar, expressions and quizzes in the same place as the audio;
• you want to try live conversation through the Rooms.

Skip it, or stay on the free feed, if:

• your budget is tight: InnerFrench has 200 free intermediate episodes with transcripts;
• you are a beginner on a budget: FrenchPod101 has a free account and cheaper paid plans;
• your real problem is following French people talking to each other, fast.

I compare all three side by side in FrenchPod101 vs InnerFrench vs News in Slow French.

What if you want real conversation instead?

This is where I declare an interest, because it is the gap I teach.

French with Amélie is built around real colloquial dialogues: two people talking the way French people actually talk, with audio at normal speed, 🐢 slow audio and ⚡ À la parisienne, plus a transcript. If you like the news angle, Hot Issues 🔥 is the series where my dialogues discuss what France is actually talking about.

Free subscribers get a new dialogue every week. Premium is 2 full lessons a week, the 💜 private podcast and the 220-lesson library: $24 a month, or $240 a year, which is 30% off right now at $168. There is a 7-day free trial too.

News in Slow French is cheaper month to month. French with Amélie is cheaper by the year, and noisier in the best way. Different jobs. For more options, see my News in Slow French alternatives.

How should you use the 7-day trial?

Make the week count. Here is the plan I give students:

1. Day 1: take the listening test so you know your level before you pick one.
2. Days 2–4: one episode a day at your level. Listen once without the transcript, then read it, then listen again.
3. Day 5: try the level above. If you follow most of it with the transcript, that is your real level.
4. Day 6: try a Room, if speaking is your goal.
5. Day 7: decide. Did you open it every day without forcing yourself? Then it is worth $22.90.

FAQ

How much is News in Slow French per month? Full Access is $22.90 a month; Audio Only is $6.90 a month. No annual plan was listed when I checked on 6 October 2026.

Is there a News in Slow French free trial? Yes: seven days of Full Access for first-time subscribers. You can cancel at any time.

Is News in Slow French free on Spotify or Apple Podcasts? The intermediate podcast feed is free on podcast apps. Transcripts, lessons and quizzes need a paid plan.

Does Audio Only include transcripts? No. Audio Only covers the audio and the live Rooms. Transcripts are Full Access only.

What level is News in Slow French? It has three levels: Beginner (A1–A2), Intermediate (B1–B2) and Advanced (C1+). Intermediate is the strongest fit.

Is News in Slow French worth it? For a B1 learner who loves current events and will use the transcripts, yes. For pure conversation, put the money into normal-speed dialogue instead.

Bon courage, and enjoy the news. Then go and eavesdrop on a café. 💜