Listen and Learn With Genealogy Podcasts
So you’re doing genealogy, and you’d like to learn more about history and family history, but you don’t have a lot of spare time, right?
Have you discovered podcasts?
I’m guessing a few hands went up, but most of you are saying “no” as you read this. Some of you might not even know what they are (stick with me as I’ll explain). Anyway podcasts are a fabulous way to learn – not just for genealogy, but any topic. They are simply audio recordings that you can listen to on your computer, iPad or Smartphone, and there are literally thousands of them – all history and genealogy related – and waiting for you to listen to whenever you choose.
With podcasts you can listen interviews with genealogy peeps, information on coming events, reports on past events, reviews on products, and hear plenty of general genealogy news.
Below are just a few of the more well-known genealogy-related podcasts. Note, they are all free to listen to. And no you don’t need a subscription. Just click on the ‘listen’ or ‘play’ button, and start listening. If you have a iPad, or iPhone, most you can download from iTunes.
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Extreme Genes
Extreme Genes is a weekly radio show and podcast about family history. Host Scott Fisher keeps you informed on the latest in family history research around the world, and talks to people about amazing things that have happened while they were doing family history research.
Family Tree Magazine Podcast
Hear about the best genealogy tools and tips directly from Family Tree Magazine’s editors and experts! Each month you are taken behind the scenes to learn more about genealogy topics from the Family Tree magazine, books, courses and more. Each episode features interviews with genealogy experts and Family Tree editors on using genealogy websites, records and resources, along with sneak peeks at the latest tools from Family Tree.
Genealogy Gems Podcast
The Genealogy Gems Podcast helps you make the most of your family history research time by providing quick and easy-to-use research techniques.
Held monthly, producer and host Lisa Louise Cooke brings you the best websites, best practices, and best resources available!
The Genealogy Guys
George G. Morgan and Drew Smith have been podcasting about genealogy since September 2005, when they launched “The Genealogy Guys Podcast”. Each episode includes the latest news from genealogical companies and organisations, listener email, and other content, such as book reviews and brief interviews. George and Drew delve into all kinds of topics that would interest every genealogist, from the beginner to the expert.
In June 2016, the Guys added “Genealogy Connection”, an all-interview podcast. Drew connects the listener to some of the biggest names in the genealogical community, including researchers, writers, speakers, educators, entrepreneurs, technologists, librarians, and archivists. At the end of each interview, the interviewee recommends to the listener a book, a technology tool, and a methodological tip.
The Genealogy Professional Podcast
Marian Pierre-Louis is the person behind the Genealogy Professional podcast. This ran from 2013 through until last 2017. Held once a month Marian had a special guest on each time, and asked them a whole range of questions such as what got them into genealogy, what they’ve learnt along the way, what advice they can give others and plenty more. The guests include many of big names from the genealogy scene all around the world, such as Lisa Alzo, Yvette Hoitink, Thomas MacEntee, Christine Woodcock, Caroline Gurney, Helen Smith, Kathleen Brandt, Eileen O’Duill, Lorine McGinnis Schulze, Lisa Louise Cook, Carol Baxter … the list goes on.
Genies Down Under
Genies Down Under is Australia’s longest running genealogy podcast, and ran from 2011 to 2016. This monthly podcast was hosted by Maria Northcote and she gave listeners advice and tips on research, information on upcoming events, event tips like reading between the lines of old documents and looking beyond the faces in old photographs.
With 62 episodes, there’s oodles available to learn from. Each episode had a theme like naming patterns, free stuff, convicts, blogging, tech stuff, immigration, occupations and heaps more.
Irish Family History Centre
Listen to talks that have been held at the Irish Family History Centre. With presenters covering everything from Irish DNA, to different types of Irish records, combined with talks on various aspects of Irish social history, this is a great collection of podcasts to list to.
The National Archives (TNA UK)
If you’re interested in the social history of England, the TNA podcast is one for you. With hundreds of episodes for you to listen to, you’ll be happy camper for months!
There’s everything from the Mapping of women’s sufferage, Jane Austen’s life from beginning to end, the Battle of Agincourt, Traces through Time: a feature for finding records at TNA, England immigrants between 1330-1550, Security files released, Blindness in Victorian England, Prisoners of War and so much, much more.
The Photo Detective
Maureen Taylor is well-known in the genealogy world as “The Photo Detective” and she’s earlier this year she started a podcast/Facebook Live where she answers lots of listener and viewer questions.
In just one episode she covers several great questions about identifying Orphan Photos, Conservation of Photos printed on Fabric, looking for clues in tin-types and locating information about old photo studios. Additionally, she provides some terrific resources for finding more ancestral photos and uploading photos to Ancestry.com.
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So if you are driving to work, catching the bus, or have time to kill while your kids are at sport practice, or whenever else … download some episodes, and get listening, and get learning!
And if you listen to other genealogy podcasts and find them useful, please leave a comment below so others know about them.
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