36 + Best Free French podcasts (Updated 2024)
“En outre, ces mesures devaient être temporaires.”
Meaning: Furthermore, those measures were supposed to be temporary.
Let me tell you that the sentence is in French. Do you find it hard to read it? Yes, it is. But do you know what the harder part is? Its pronunciation. The way you read and speak is very different. To help myself with the pronunciation, I started listening to French podcasts. In fact, the sentence added above, was clearly learned from the podcast itself. However, choosing the right podcast is tough. Thus, to ease your search, I am here with a list of some free French podcasts that helped me a lot.
Select a one and start with your journey.
Top Free French podcasts
I always use podcasts as a language resource for learning a new language. My French journey was also filled with multiple podcasts. Below I have added them to make your research easy-
1. Coffee Break French
(Available: Apple, Youtube, Spotify, Offical Website)
Coffee Break is like a series of different language-based podcasts. You must have seen this podcast in my previous blogs where I have discussed Italian and Japanese Podcasts. The main aim of this podcast is to help you improve your listening skills. The name of this podcast is kept on the idea of listening to it in the coffee break. The duration of each episode is about 30 minutes. It has multiple seasons to help learners at each level. The beginning starts with basic greetings like hello (bonjour) or goodbye (au revoir). As you go along with it, there are tough respects of the language.
2. Easy French Poetry Podcast
(Available: Apple, Podtail, Podbean)
If poetry is your way of relaxing, congratulations you have found the perfect podcast for you. The podcast’s narrator reads some classic poems to keep you engaged with the content. They are read slowly. When I was listening to the stories, it was easy for me to repeat them after her. After reading them at slow speed, they are read at a normal pace. There are key facts of the author’s life also. All the poems I listened, to gave me some new vocabulary to learn.
3. French Blabla
(Available: Apple, Offical Website, Soundcloud)
The narrator of the podcast, Caroline is a professional French tutor. I think there is no better way than learning through the tutor itself. She has been teaching for the past 10 years. This experience of hers makes it a perfect choice to listen. The sense of humor she has makes it an educational as well as entertaining podcast. There are tips given in English to improve the French for all the level learners. When I started talking in French, I found it very hard to pronounce the French ‘r’. This podcast was the one that helped me improve it. There is transcription also available with the episodes on her website. But you have to take the subscription plan.
4. Parlez Away
If you are a serious learner like me, I am sure you must have heard about Babbel. It is a platform that offers courses to learn the language. It’s a popular thing about it. But do you know what the unpopular thing is? It’s the podcasts offered by it. Parlez Away is the first French podcast offered on Babbel. It is hosted by again Caroline, a tutor having 10 years of experience.
This podcast focuses more on conversations rather than learning. The first episode is again related to how to greet someone. If you are using Babbel to learn French, I would highly recommend you use this podcast along with it. This podcast is designed in a way that follows the same path about it.
5. À Podcasts: pour apprendre le français
There is no clear goal for this podcast. The episodes are 5 min. The only reason why it is on the list is that you can listen to natural conversations. There are four types of episodes in it-
- Radio Qu’est-ce que c’est – for upper beginner
- Radio Quelque chose – for intermediate learners
- La chanson de la semaine – recommending French song
- les recettes de grand-mère – gives new recipies
6. FrenchPod101
(Available: Apple, Youtube, Spotify, Offical Website, Soundcloud)
Another podcast that is a part of the podcast series, is Pod101. This is one such podcast that I never miss while learning a language. This series is part of my Japanese, Italian, Chinese, etc., learning journey. In fact, I recommended the Dutch podcast of this series to my students too. The FrenchPod10 website is a collection of podcasts for learners at different levels. Dialogues have common situations and cultural insights. It also provides information related to France. It has multiple podcasts related to grammar, exercises, quizzes, vocabulary, etc.
7. Language Transfer
(Available: Apple, Offical Website, Soundcloud)
Language Transfer is an audio-based platform that is more like a podcast. It is the best platform for beginners and has multiple introductory audio courses. Though it does not immerse me but definitely gave me knowledge of how it works. Each important pillar of the language is covered. The host Mihalis, also interacts with a beginner student and corrects their mistakes.
8. One Thing in a French Day
(Available: Apple, Spotify, Offical Website, Podbean)
A podcast hosted by women living in France. She talks about her daily life and shares new experiences. The episodes are designed in a way that each episode gives me some new words. I remember the story she shared about her visit to a hairdresser. I had no idea what a hairdresser is called in French. This podcast helped me to learn about it. In addition to that, there were many new words that I learned from it like-
- Magasins bio (Organic Stores)
- Épiceries (Groceries)
- Plats (Dishes)
The podcast’s information is clear and the words are easy to understand.
9. Little Talk in Slow French
(Available: Apple, Spotify, Patreon, Podbean)
If the basics are already covered, this is the podcast for you. I have used this podcast, and one thing I can say is that it is the best choice for an upper beginner. This is an immersive podcast, which makes it a perfect choice to use. The episodes are mostly in French, but there are some translations in English as well. All the episodes are slow and clear covering the following things:
- Cultural notes
- Language
- History and many more
10. French made easy
(Available: Apple, Spotify, Offical Website)
It is a podcast that has both sized and easy-to-follow lessons in French. The podcast is hosted by Mathilde. I must say, she has done a commendable job. Everything she taught, was so simple and important to start with my French learning journey. With the help of her, I could speak it clearly and confidently. The topics covered in each episode are related to different aspects of the language. Following are the three important pillars of the language-
- Grammar
- Vocabulary
- Pronunciation
Unlike other podcasts, there is also an exercise at the end of each episode. Download the exercises and start practicing them.
11. Learn to French
(Available: Apple, Youtube, Spotify, Offical Website)
It is another beautiful podcast hosted by a teacher itself, Eden. She is a native French language teacher and loves to share knowledge and expertise in French. The podcast is mainly for intermediate learners. It is because the host mainly answers the common questions regarding French. It includes bilingual text, grammar lessons, dictation exercises, etc. According to the official statement, it is also created like you are having a coffee break.
12. Join Us In France Travel Podcast
(Available: Apple, Youtube, Spotify, Offical Website)
Is learning Grammar and vocabulary enough to learn the whole language? No. It is important to learn about the rich culture also. This is what the podcast does. There are a lot of things that are covered in the podcast including art and vacation guides. Most of the episodes are French helping the learners to get French experience.
13. Le Français à la une
(Available: Apple)
- Le Français means The French
- à la une means in the news
The meaning of the name gives you the idea that it is related to the news in French. The podcast is hosted by a teacher and a journalist. Thus, it is obvious, that it is for the news in French. The narrator, Viviane, reads 3 headlines from different newspapers. Each headline is broken down by the expressions and the words. Transcripts for each episode are also available and there is also a photo of the original headline, on her official website.
14. LanguaTalk Slow French
The episodes on this podcast may not be that slow. But the host makes sure to be clear. There are multiple expressions and vocabulary to learn. In some episodes, there were interviews entirely in French. And sometimes, she helps in learning expressions and vocabulary. It also gave me a transcript, vocabulary list, and entire learning tips.
15. Inner French
(Available: Apple, Youtube, Spotify, Offical Website)
I feel it’s a perfect choice for any intermediate learners. The basic concepts covered in it are Social issues, politics, history, etc. I think, to learn the difficult topic with ease, Inner French is a perfect choice. The episodes are longer but worth listening to. Hugo, the host makes it easy to understand, by speaking clearly and slowly. It also has a full French course to enroll in.
16. Paris O’Clock
(Available: Apple, Youtube, Spotify, Offical Website)
Another podcast is hosted by a teacher itself. Aurélie, the French teacher lives and teaches in Paris. She started this podcast for intermediate learners so that they could improve their listening skills. There are multiple interviews to learn about the French figures.
17. Animalia
(Available: Apple, Spotify, Offical Website)
Animalia is one such show, I liked because of the way it is created. Many people may find it a silly show, but for me it easy really engaging. The podcast is created for French children, and the main concept it follows is interviewing animals. It may look funny, but trust me it’s full of fun with some serious issues covered.
18. Duolingo podcast
(Available: Apple, Spotify, Offical Website)
Duolingo is a platform that is created for serious language learners. It is a perfect choice for beginners looking to learn from the basics. But do you know it also offers podcasts for some languages? I first got to know about Duolingo podcasts when I was in the Spanish course. The podcasts of this platform are created keeping intermediate learners in mind. It also offers English translation for each episode in it. If you are learning French from Duolingo, don’t miss this podcast.
19. Cultivate Your French
(Available: Apple, Spotify, Podbean)
The host of the podcast is similar to the One Thing in a French Days i.e. Laetitia. Most of the text is read slowly and at a natural speed. It also has an interesting exercise that engaged me a lot. There is a dialogue in the podcast and the next dialogue is muted. I had to reply in place of the reply given to the dialogue. It’s a perfect way to improve the conversational skills. This podcast is mainly for the upper-beginners, who want to learn intermediate content.
20. Un Petit Caoua?
(Available: Apple, Spotify, Podtail)
Meaning: A little coffee
Un Petit Caoua? Is a French-based podcast created for beginners. The duration of each episode is only 5 minutes. The narrator of the podcast, Paul, focuses on particular topics like cooking, music, etc. After completing the whole podcast, there is an ask-and-respond exercise. He will respond to the questions and speak slowly the words and phrases. It’s the perfect choice for you if you need full-immersion podcasts.
21. Daily French Pod
Each episode is of 3-5 minutes and is hosted by Louis. In each of them, Louis introduces a new sentence and provides synonyms for it. The words are used in different contexts and manners. There is also an English translation available in the description of each episode.
Note: There is another podcast hosted by Louis that was created in a similar manner, which is Louis French Lessons.
22. Ehoui!
(Available: Apple, Youtube, Spotify, Offical Website, Podbean)
Founder of Ehoui!, Virginie, holds a master’s degree in French as a Foreign Language. She has a10 years of teaching experience around the world. In her podcast, she talks about how to interact and understand French. I could easily learn about verb tenses and various vocabulary and phrases.
23. French Voices
(Available: Apple, Spotify, Offical Website)
Jessica, the host helped me to improve my listening comprehension with the help of interviews with the French speakers. There are scientists, bird watchers, and many more in more natural French conversations. There are two parts of each episode –
- English introduction
- French interview
Reading from the website allowed me to read the English summary and get the French words. It also allowed me to purchase the transcripts.
24. Français Authentique
(Available: Apple, Youtube, Spotify, Offical Website)
The host of this podcast is Johan, whose main goal is to help intermediate speakers improve their grammar and pronunciation. He has so much authentic content and makes the grammar lectures easy. There were so many jokes and exploring philosophy. Though the podcasts are created differently, many of them are just recordings of YouTube videos. It also gave me a PDF to understand what was going on. However, to get it had to go on the official website.
25. 3 Bières
In my whole podcats list, this is one of the most popular podcats and was nominated for best comedy podcats at the Canadian Gala Les Olivier. The podcast is hosted by three hosts. They basically take the topics from the social media platforms and choose a random topic. They discuss it with beer. As there are three different hosts, choosing three different topics, over a beer, they name the podcasts as 3 beers. In the episodes, they also invited some Québecois artists to join them. As an advanced-level learner, I can say this is the best podcast. It has everything in it from comedy to new vocabulary. There are some real-life conversations in Québécois French.
26. News in Slow French
(Available: Apple, Youtube, Spotify, Offical Website)
Another podcast where news stories are read in French. As the name suggests the podcasts are created in slow French. With the help of this podcast, I could hear the words perfectly. There are different sections, stories, conversations, and also many new idiomatic expressions.
27. Les Baladeurs
(Available: Youtube, Spotify, Offical Website)
If you love adventure and traveling, this podcast must be on your list. There are real-life adventures of people. These experiences will help you understand different challenges and thrills that you may face in the future. From discussing how to climb a rock to how to bike in hile areas, all are the parts of this podcast. This podcast is basically for native speakers. Therefore, if you are at an advanced learner level, check out this podcast and unlock some new adventures.
28. French through stories
(Available: Apple, Youtube, Spotify, Podtail)
This podcast has an amazing bio:
Sit back, Listen, and Relax
This is exactly how this podcast works. Just sit down at a silent place and listen to it. As you go along the story, you will feel relaxed. The first thing that attracted my attention was the short bio of it. It was relaxing to hear the podcast. Each episode has a different and interesting story. I was so engaged with the stories it offered.
29. Learn French by Podcast
(Available: Apple, Spotify, Offical Website)
The podcast is hosted by two experienced French tutors, Hugh and Amélie. High is not a native speaker, but give a lot of clear explanations. Each episode is based on the real-life situations. It also covers important vocabulary that is used in Daily life. From gardening to taking the child to daycare, everything is covered. If you are a beginner, start from starting. It’s because it covers the basics and future episodes have intermediate and advanced level content.
30. French En Route
Remember Parlez Away? A podcast is available on Babbel. French En Route is also like it. This podcast is available on Babbel. It has stories offered by the native speakers all around the world. The host, Sam, himself is an English speaker learning French. He makes sure to teach important grammar rules, vocabulary, and pronunciation lessons throughout the journey.
31. French Etc
(Available: Apple, Spotify, Offical Website)
This is a website having multiple Podcasts in it. However, the most important podcast that I would recommend to you is ‘Today’s French’. It covers many important expressions and useful vocabulary. I am sure you will enjoy it, as there is a lot of funny vocabulary used in it. Not only are there podcasts, but there is also a ‘Learn French’ section offering a wide list of vocabulary, grammar rules, and even homework. It was founded by Anne Guével, a French native and experienced language teacher.
32. Fleur-de-lis: a French Podcast
(Available: Apple, Spotify, Podbean)
Fleur-de-lis is another podcast hosted by a French tutor from Quebec, Sarina. When I was in my upper Beginner stage, I used this podcast. It’s like an immersive podcast. The host mostly communicates in French but covers every syllable of the words spoken. Generally, there are multiple people on the podcast and everyone speaks slowly. This helps me to understand what is spoken in the podcasts. The topics that are usually covered are related to travel, literature, etc. Each episode is of 5-10 minutes each.
33. Géopolitique
(Available: Apple, Spotify, Offical Website)
Géopolitique means Geopolitics. It automatically shows what to expect from the podcasts. The episodes are shorter to 4 minutes. Each of them has short summary of the episode with additional resources like references. There is also a transcript attached with each of the episodes to follow along.
34. Grand reportage
(Available: Apple, Spotify, Offical Website)
The translations: Great report
It is a podcast offered by Radio France International platform. There is attention to the diversity of life experiences that are the results of political conflicts. It also discusses a lot of environmental issues going on in the world. However, to understand it, you must be at an advanced level. The best thing about this podcast is that the episodes are uploaded daily along with written articles. It helps in improving the reading and listening skills.
35. Génération XX
(Available: Apple, Spotify, Offical Website)
This podcast is all about promoting women’s empowerment. On this podcast, there are interviews of female entrepreneurs for the projects and the experiences they had. Listen to this podcast if you also have such a mindset. Understand how to come out with new ideas and execute them. It made me learn about my professional and personal life. These stories will inspire you to get up and execute the ideas you had. There are over 100 episodes on this podcast.
36. La Grande Librairie
It’s more like a show that has a direct relation to influencing the book’s sales. In each episode, four writers are interviewed about their latest book or writing. This is a great podcast if you love to read. When I was looking for some French novels, it was the podcast that helped me select one. I listen to the podcast for 3-4 days. The books that I found interesting were noted in the notebook. After that, I choose one for me and go on with it. Thus, it is the best choice for anyone looking to choose a French book.
37. À Poêle
(Available: Apple, Spotify, Offical Website, Soundcloud, Podtail)
If you are a foodie, I have something nice for you. It’s not a regular episode, it is usually aired on the second Thursday. This podcast is about inviting Chefs, restaurant owners, and important people to the restaurant business. The topics are wide in nature. In some, they may discuss new dishes. And in others, they may be talking about the future addition of the cuisines. Though the episode is long, check the description and save time by skipping on the topic, you want.
38. Nouvelle École
(Available: Apple, Youtube, Spotify, Soundcloud, Podtail)
Not just the motivational talks but the journey of others can inspire us. There are so many people who are self-made. When they talk about their journey, there is no chance of losing hope in the things they are doing. Listen to this podcast and see how inspiring the life of other people is. Till now, the host, Antonin, has invited over 85 different French entrepreneurs to talk about their daily lives.
39. (Bonus) One Minute French Podcasts
(Available: Youtube, PlayerFM)
It is a podcast that is offered by the Coffee Break Academy. Although it’s not free, it offers a lot of important information that I think is important while learning the language. It is a perfect choice for anyone on a trip. They have the very basics which are needed in the basic conversations. However, the duration of this podcast is 2-4 minutes despite having the name one minute.
How to use French podcasts to learn French?
There are several ways to use the podcasts to learn the french. I am mentioning the most common ways of how I use podcasts in my journey-
- I made sure to check the level for which a particular podcast is created. There are so many podcasts on the internet. If I am an intermediate learner, there is no way to select the advanced-level podcast.
- Choose the topic of my choice. Unlike many other learners, I make sure to check what are the topics covered on it. Of course, every niche has some podcasts in it. Selecting the podcast matching to interest is important.
- Make sure to listen to them even if I am busy. Many times, it is possible that you may be busy with some work. In such a case, you might not pay attention to the language. Never do that. Try to listen to them when you are doing other things like watching shows or movies.
- Repeat the dialogues in the podcast. I always do that to improve my pronunciation of the language. This method is known as Shadowing. I followed this technique even when I was learning Latin.
- Don’t forget to mix 2-3 podcasts. Sticking on a single podcast may get boring. In such a situation, try to mix two to three podcasts together.
Conclusion
Listening to a podcast is a way to improve pronunciation and listening skills. When I was learning French, I listened to some amazing podcasts that helped me a lot. I have created a list of my favorite podcasts. There is a wide range of podcasts for different level learners and various niches. Choose a podcast that has popular food recipes or focuses on women’s empowerment. I have also mentioned a small guide to explain how I added them to my whole learning journey.
FAQs
Does listening to French podcasts help?
Undoubtedly, yes. Listening to a French podcast definitely adds lots of benefits to learning the language. It improves pronunciation and listening skills.
Can I learn French by listening to podcasts?
If you rely on the podcast only, it will not help you to get proficient. There is no doubt, that it is a way of improving pronunciation and listening skills. But it will not teach you the language much. Thus, to learn the language properly, add the other resources along with it.
