[Updated in August 2021]

You must love genealogy, or you wouldn’t be reading this. Do you listen to podcasts? If not, you’re missing out on an easy and entertaining way to broaden your genealogy world.

A podcast is essentially a radio program that you can listen to on your smart phone, tablet, laptop or computer whenever you choose. I listen to podcasts while I’m cooking, cleaning, gardening, or driving.

To listen to podcasts, you just need a program or app and a way to listen to your device (headphones or speakers).

If you use an Apple device, look for the “Podcasts” app. You can download a podcast and start listening immediately. You can also subscribe to have new episodes automatically downloaded, set up playlists, etc. Pro tip: If you use Siri, and know the name of the podcast you want to subscribe to, just say “Siri, subscribe to [name] podcast.”

If you use a Windows or Android device, there’s just one extra step because you need to choose an app. If you already listen to Internet radio, you’re in luck. (And if you’re not listening to Internet radio, what are you waiting for?) Spotify and Stitcher let you listen to podcasts. You can also download dedicated podcast apps. I use and love Podcast Republic but there are many other free podcast apps.

With so many different devices out there, I can’t provide detailed instructions, so Google “how to listen to podcasts” and you’ll find wonderful explanations with pictures for all devices and apps. If you still have trouble after that, email me at coastalgagensociety@gmail.com and I’ll be happy to walk you through it.

Now, what podcasts to download? You can search for ‘genealogy’ in whichever app you choose but be sure to look for the date of the latest episode. As with anything in life, many people start podcasts, but few keep them going for long periods of time. (Old episodes can be very useful to listen to, though!)

Here’s a list of my current favorites, in no particular order (well, except the first one). They are all free! (Click on the title to go to their website.)

Research at the National Archive and Beyond

Update in August 2021: Bernice Bennett has passed the baton to Janice Gilyard and Cherekana Feliciano of the new “Speak On It!” podcast. Find their first few episodes at the same link above and be sure to listen to any of Bernice’s interviews that you missed, which will remain online.]

This is my favorite podcast overall, not just among genealogy podcasts. There are ten years’ worth of episodes, and host Bernice Bennett both attracted interesting guests — authors, historians, researchers, and genealogists — and had a gift for getting them to talk. Many of the episodes focus on African American history and genealogy, but even if that’s not your focus, anyone interested in history and genealogy will be fascinated. Recent episodes include “Black Homesteaders,” “After the Release of The Family Tree: A Lynching in Georgia with Karen Branan” and “Incidents of a Slavery and Plantation Interpreter with Ja’el Gordon,” plus many, many others.

The Daughter Dialogues

Reisha Raney is conducting research into the lives of the women of color who have joined the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR). Each episode is an interview with one of these women, covering her life and connection with her Revolutionary Patriot ancestor. Raney is a warm, engaging interviewer, and each woman’s story is fascinating. The show is in its 2d season.

Conversations With Kenyatta

Kenyatta Berry, host of “Genealogy Roadshow” and author of “The Family Tree Toolkit,” started this podcast in February 2021. She plans to look “into genealogy, ancestry, and family history as well as what it means to have enslaved ancestors, and interviews with experts in the field.”

Family History: Genealogy Made Easy Podcast (45 episodes)

Lisa Louise Cooke is a rock star among genealogists. This podcast is for beginners and takes you step by step through learning to “do” genealogy. This one is more like a course than a continuing series – it has 45 episodes and is no longer in production – but I’ve listened to all of them and learned a lot.

Extreme Genes

Looking for a slick, radio-show style podcast? Host Scott Fisher has an amazing voice, and keeps things moving in this very entertaining and informative podcast. The format usually consists of an interview with someone who’s had an amazing genealogical discovery, a chat with AmericanAncestors.org’s David Allen Lambert about what’s new in the genealogy world, and preservation tips from Tom Perry of the TMCPlace.com.

BlackProGen

BlackProGen LIVE is a group of professional genealogists who focus on researching and documenting African American families. Their twice monthly broadcasts (live and recorded on YouTube) cover a wide variety of topics (Caribbean ancestry, myths about African American family history, connecting with the slave holder’s descendant). The group format facilitates witty, penetrating, and moving discussions. Their website has a schedule of upcoming episodes, or search for BlackProGen on YouTube. Best of all? It’s on its 5th season, so there are lots of episodes to watch once you get hooked!

The Genealogy Guys Podcast

Listening to The Genealogy Guys with George Morgan and Drew Smith is like listening to your two favorite uncles chat for an hour once a week about everything going on in the genealogy world: news, book reviews, people, and genealogy tips. They’ve been doing this since 2005, so there are many archived episodes to download too.

The Genealogy Connection

Drew Smith from The Genealogy Guys started this podcast to do in-depth interviews with prominent genealogists. Not just educational, this podcast is also a great way to get to know who’s who in genealogy, and you get the benefit of Drew’s years of experience as a genealogist.

The Genealogy Professional

Many of us have probably thought about becoming professional genealogists. Learn about the different possible careers and what they really require from Marian Pierre-Louis, who conducts excellent interviews with professionals in all parts of the genealogy universe, including some unexpected career paths.

Genealogy Adventures Live

Genealogy Adventures is a podcast, blog, website, and weekly Facebook Live show all wrapped up into one. Co-hosts Brian Sheffey & Donya Williams are cousins and also good foils for each other. The weekly Facebook Live show is at their Facebook page at 4 p.m. on Sundays, or you can subscribe to the podcast in any app and listen to it on your own time.

From Paper To People – Ancestors Alive!

Although it currently has infrequent episodes, Carolynn ni Lochlainn’s “From Paper to People” teaches how to do genealogy with a down-to-earth voice and a social conscience. Carolynn has a particular interest in LDS and African American genealogy, but covers all the basics too. Time goes fast while you’re listening to Carolynn tell you not to be a Jeffrey (Listen to find out what that means!)

CutOff Genes Podcast

Another newish podcast, CutOff Genes’ has a useful format: a host who is a genetic genealogist and a co-host who knows nothing about genealogy, so asks all the questions you might want to ask. A lot of banter among the three hosts, and personal stories from host Julie about her twists and turns in finding her birth parents, keep you listening. Should be attractive to the younger genealogists out there.

The Research Like a Pro Genealogy Podcast

The new (as of July 2018) Research Like a Pro Genealogy Podcast features a mother/daughter team. Mother Diana Elder brings her experience as a certified genealogist, and the two discuss the genealogy research process. They have written a best-selling book (Research Like a Pro) and host online courses. The first 8 episodes include such topics as Research Logs, Source Citations, and Research Objectives. If you struggle with coming up a methodical approach to your genealogical research, this is for you.

Generations Cafe

Another podcast is by veteran genealogist Amy Johnson Crow, who entered the podcast scene with shorter (15-30 minutes), easily digestible episodes. The first three are deceptively simple, with useful, insightful advice on such topics as finding the daughters on your family tree, four things you should do with any source, and whether perfectionism is ruining your genealogy. Crow, an extensively published certified genealogist and author of the book “31 Days to Better Genealogy” ($4.99 on Amazon Kindle!), includes a mixture of these ‘teaching’ episodes and interviews with guest experts.

The Photo Detective

Maureen Taylor is the Photo Detective. She specializes in helping people learn more about their families from analyzing the details on old photographs. Her podcast is a mixture of advice and interviews, including a recent one with the creator of the Civil War Photo Sleuth site. If you enjoy the podcast, you’ll want to read her blog and follow her on social media for the kinds of great tips all genealogists can use.

What else is out there that I should be listening to? Any questions? Contact me at coastalgagensociety@gmail.com.

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