When you’re trying to learn about any topic, including genealogy, sometimes it’s easiest to immerse yourself in the topic. So what are the best genealogy podcasts – and where can you find them?
The best genealogy podcast, of the dozens available, is whichever one helps you with your specific questions, and needs, and inspires you in your specific genealogy quest. For those still looking for a favorite genealogy podcast, this list of the best genealogy podcasts will give you an idea of where to start listening – and where to find the best podcasts.
Ready to find your genealogy podcast? Keep reading and we’ll help you find it!
The Best Genealogy Podcasts
In researching all of the best genealogy podcasts, we were surprised to find more options than we’d initially heard of! So, we had to list each of the podcasts we’d found in our research. Each listing will include the names of known hosts and general topics or podcast styles. That way, you can find the ones that will most interest you.
- Genealogy Gems – hosted by Lisa Louise Cooke. This genealogy staple podcast has 238 episodes and counting. Show topics are all over the place and vary widely. Topics include how-to’s, interesting stories, and news from the genealogy world.
- Extreme Genes-Family History Radio – hosted by Scott Fisher (from the Utah radio show “Fisher, Todd, and Erin.”) This podcast is a production of FamilySearch. Fisher is very entertaining at addressing current news topics, and interesting stories, and hosts recurring experts such as Tom Perry – the resident preservation expert.
- The Genealogy Guys – hosted by George G. Morgan and Drew Smith. This is another long-standing staple in the genealogy podcast community. It’s another good resource for the latest news in the industry, book reviews, and more. Look for their associated podcast, Genealogy Connection, which are interview many experts in the genealogy world.
- Genealogy Girl Talks – hosted by Melissa Dickerson. If you’re looking for a snack-sized portion of genealogy, then this is a good podcast for you. It’s great for beginners.
- The Research Like A Pro Genealogy Podcast – is hosted by mother/daughter professional genealogist duo Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer. These podcasts are dedicated to teaching about genealogy research – and specifically their research methods.
- Ancestral Findings (Genealogy Gold) Podcast – the host posts anonymously. This is another snack-sized podcast with lots of research information and history.
- Generations Cafe – hosted by Amy Johnson Crow. Crow is a popular genealogist and lecturer. These podcasts are short and sweet and cover a wide variety of genealogy/family history topics. This is a very informative podcast.
- Genealogy Happy Hour – hosted by Amy Crabill Lay and Penny Burke Bonawitz. If you like wine with your genealogy, then this is a podcast for you! These ladies share stories from their own experiences, give tips and advice for research, do interviews, and share book reviews.
- Family Tree Magazine Podcast – hosted by Lisa Louise Cooke. This monthly podcast shares information about a variety of family history topics and news.
- Ancestors Alive! Genealogy- From Paper To People- hosted by Carolynn Lochlainn. This podcast has episodes of varying lengths. Topics include interviews, recipes, reparation, genealogy advocation, and other various topics.
- CutOff Genes Podcast – hosted by Julie Dixon Jackson and Renee Colvert. This is a weekly podcast specifically about genetic genealogy.
- Miss Genealogy – hosted by Jessie McKinley. This podcast is an interview-based style aimed at getting you excited to do Family History. This is a podcast specifically for members of the Church of Jesus Christ. However, this podcast is no longer producing new episodes.
- Family History: Genealogy Made Easy Podcast – hosted by Lisa Louise Cooke. This podcast is specifically for beginners. There have been no new episodes since 2014.
- Geneatopia – hosted by Patty Roy. This podcast hasn’t had a new episode since 2018. Topics were news-based, so this podcast may be outdated and not be worth the time.
- National Archives Podcast – hosted by various people. This podcast has a few genealogy-specific episodes. Most are historical. You’ll have to search for the specific episodes that interest you.
- The Forget-Me-Not Hour – is hosted by Janee Wilcox. This podcast has 101 episodes, with the last one published in 2017. While it’s been several years since the last episode was published, most are unique and different types of records you might not think of but are worth listening to. Her guests are solid experts in their field and the information is still relevant.
- The Genealogy Professional Podcast– hosted by Marian Pierre-Louis. This podcast is specifically about genealogy as a profession. It covers topics like how to transition from hobbyist to professional and how to grow a genealogy business.
There are enough that, as you’re looking for a solid genealogy podcast, you may want to try a few to find your own favorites. Start with the ones that seem most relevant to your situation, research needs, and interests. Then, start to branch out as you have time. You’re probably not going to have time to listen to every single episode of all of these podcasts, so go ahead and be choosy.
Details about the Best Genealogy Podcasts (and Where to Find Them)
As you’re looking for a new favorite genealogy podcast, sometimes it’s nice to know if it’s available to download or if you can subscribe via a podcast service (like iTunes or a favorite podcast app available on Android). Some shows also offer transcripts or notes. And it’s always good to know if the show is still airing new episodes.
So here’s the breakdown of the best genealogy podcasts – including where to find them.
| Podcast | Available to Download | Able to Subscribe to Podcast | Transcript Available | Current Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genealogy Gems | Yes | Yes | Show notes | Yes |
| Extreme Genes-Family History Radio | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| The Genealogy Guys | Yes | Yes | Show notes | Yes |
| Genealogy Girl Talks | Yes | Yes | Associated blog post | Yes |
| The Research Like A Pro Genealogy Podcast | Yes | Yes | Show notes | Yes |
| Ancestral Findings (Genealogy Gold) Podcast | Yes | Yes | Associated blog post | Yes |
| Generations Cafe | Yes | Yes | Associated blog post | Yes |
| Genealogy Happy Hour | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Family Tree Magazine Podcast | Yes | Yes | Show notes | Yes |
| Ancestors Alive! Genealogy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CutOff Genes Podcast | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Miss Genealogy | Yes | Yes | Brief show notes | No |
| Family History: Genealogy Made Easy Podcast | Yes | Yes | Show notes | No |
| Geneatopia | Yes | Yes | Show notes | No |
| National Archives Podcast | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| The Forget-Me-Not Hour | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| The Genealogy Professional Podcast | Yes | Yes | Brief show notes | Yes |
If you notice that we’ve missed a detail (or it changes on us after publication), could you do me a solid favor? Use our contact us page to let us know – so we can update this post. Thanks in advance, genealogy pal. You’re the best.
The Best Genealogy Podcast for Beginners
Ready to begin your genealogy podcast journey? In our experience and research, the best places to start are with these podcasts.
- Genealogy Gems
- Extreme Genes
- Family History: Genealogy Made Easy
- Family Tree Magazine
- Generations Cafe
These podcasts are ideal for beginners for several reasons. Not only will they help you get your genealogy feet wet, but they’ll also help you learn the basics of genealogy. Oh, and they’re just flat-out entertaining with lots of good stories.
These beginner-level podcasts will help you get an idea of what’s out there in the family history world.
The Best Genealogy Podcast for Intermediate Level Genealogists
Once you’ve got a better grasp on the genealogy world, you may be ready for the intermediate-level genealogy podcasts. Here are the best intermediate-level genealogy podcasts.
- Genealogy Guys
- Forget-Me-Not Hour
- CutOff Genes
- Research Like A Pro
These podcasts will help you take research to the next level, start learning about DNA, learn about records outside the basics, get more organized, and start using professional research methods.
Welcome to the world of intermediate-level genealogy and podcasts!
The Best Genealogy Podcast for Professional Genealogists
Once you’re ready to tackle the world of professional-level genealogy, these are going to be your best choices for podcasts.
- The Genealogy Professional Podcast
- The National Archives
- And any of the big variety/news podcasts (genealogy gems, extreme genes, genealogy cafe) that still hold your interest.
By this level, you’ll probably still be loving several podcasts – and may even be considering hosting your own podcast. If that’s the case, be sure to let us know when you start publishing. We’d love to add your podcast to our list!
Which Podcast Genealogy Pals Recommend
Of all of the options, we’ve got several favorite podcasts. They’re each our favorite for different reasons – but mostly because they are just that good and inspiring.
Here are our Genealogy Pal’s favorite podcasts.
- Genealogy Gems
- Extreme Genes
- Generations Cafe
They’re great no matter your current level as a genealogist – and they’ve got a lot of episodes so you can binge-listen anywhere and everywhere. Seriously – go download them now.
Genealogy Podcasts Available on iTunes
These days, most genealogy podcasts make themselves available on iTunes. This is great for those with Apple devices – listen anytime and anywhere.
You can either search for the genealogy podcast that interests you in the iTunes store or click on the link from this article. The podcasts will each then direct you to their hub on iTunes.
While I (Kimberly) don’t use Apple devices, I hear that it’s pretty easy to subscribe to a podcast – especially if you do it directly from iTunes.
Genealogy Podcasts Available on Android-based Devices
Again, most genealogy podcasts are also available for any and every Android-based device. There’s not a centralized podcast store like iTunes has, though.
Rather, just enter the URL of the main podcast page into your favorite podcast app and set up your subscription via the app. Every time a new episode is published, your podcast app should send you a cool little notification.
If you don’t have a favorite Android podcast app, I (Kimberly) use and recommend both/either the generic Google Podcast app and Podcast Addict – both are free and easy to navigate. Stitcher is also another popular option.
Lately, I’ve been preferring Podcast Addict because it syncs better with some membership-based (password-protected) podcasts I listen to on a regular basis.
