Family Tree Magazine Podcast

Family Tree Editors

Build Your Family Tree with Genealogy

  1. 1d ago

    Breaking Brick Walls in Genealogy – An Overview with Andrew Koch

    In this episode of the Family Tree Magazine podcast, Editor Andrew Koch offers strategies for breaking through brick walls as you conduct genealogy research. https://media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/content.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/FTM-08-2026.mp3 Feature: Breaking Through Brick Walls Brick walls can disrupt any genealogist’s research plans. The good news? There may be a way through them. Family Tree Magazine Editor Andrew Koch addresses some common brick walls that genealogists encounters and offers some tips for overcoming them. Mentioned in this episode: Identifying brick walls and the problems they present Understanding research challenges Search tips and how to expand search parameters Collateral research strategies Social history and why it is important Making the most of timelines and maps 6 Steps for Breaking Down Genealogy Brick Walls Find your footing and scale your highest research brick walls: missing ancestors, burned records, same-named people, and more. Family Tree Magazine /* Embedded-box css */ .embedded-box{ padding: 25px; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; color: #82878c; background: #fff; border: 1px solid #e5e5e5; box-shadow: 0 1px 1px rgba(0,0,0,.05); overflow: auto; zoom: 1; font-family: -apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,"Segoe UI",Roboto,Oxygen-Sans,Ubuntu,Cantarell,"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif; } .acf-embed-title{ margin: 0 0 15px; font-weight: 600; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.3; } .acf-embed-description { display: inline-block; } .acf-embed-description img { float: left; max-width: 160px; margin-right: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; } .wp-embed-site-title a{ position: relative; display: inline-block; padding-left: 35px; } .wp-embed-site-title span { color: #82878c; text-decoration: none; font-weight: 600; } .wp-embed-site-icon { position: absolute; top: 50%; left: 0; transform: translateY(-50%); height: 25px; width: 25px; border: 0; padding-bottom: 0px!important; } Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics Exclusive offers on new tools and resources Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels! Andrew Koch is the Editor of Family Tree Magazine.

  2. Jun 15

    All About the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) – An Interview with Katharine Andrew

    In this episode of Family Tree Magazine’s Best Website, Katharine Korte Andrew explains what the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is and the resources it offers genealogists who are researching American Revolutionary-era ancestors. https://media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/content.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/BW06-15-2026.mp3 Feature: Using the Daughters of the American Revolution’s DatabasesThough it’s created from application documents, DAR’s “Genealogical Research System” (GRS) isn’t just for active members. The collections there can provide valuable details about family members from a few generations ago back to the American Revolution—whether or not you or a qualifying ancestor actually joined the DAR. This interview with DAR member (and Family Tree digital editor) Katharine Andrew gives an overview of the free-to-search GRS portal and the records you can find there. Also mentioned in this episode: An overview of the Genealogical Research System’s various databases, which cover Patriot ancestors, their descendants, past DAR members and more Examples of the records in these databases, used over the decades by women applying to the DAR A detailed tutorial for searching the GRS, plus tips for finding ancestors there and requesting original copies of records Other resources for researching Revolutionary-era ancestors—both those who fought and those who were simply witnesses Stay in the Know Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get: Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics Exclusive offers on new tools and resources Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels! Andrew Koch is the Editor of Family Tree Magazine.

  3. May 15

    Exploring Historical Newspapers with Newspaper Finder – An Interview with Mitchell Lewis and Matt Wheeler

    In this episode of Best Websites, Andrew Koch speaks to Mitchell Lewis and Matt Wheeler about using newspapers for genealogy research using the tool Newspaper Finder. https://media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/content.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/BW-05-2026.mp3 Newspaper Finder Newspapers are excellent resources for genealogists searching for clues about their ancestors. Newspaper Finder makes discovering historical newspapers easier. Mentioned in this episode: Challenges in Newspapers Research The Role of Advantage Archives User Feedback and Launch Experience Newspaper Finder: A New Tool for Searching Old Newspapers (Review and Tutorial) Locate online newspapers relevant to your genealogy with this tool for searching Newspapers.com, GenealogyBank and more. Family Tree Magazine /* Embedded-box css */ .embedded-box{ padding: 25px; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; color: #82878c; background: #fff; border: 1px solid #e5e5e5; box-shadow: 0 1px 1px rgba(0,0,0,.05); overflow: auto; zoom: 1; font-family: -apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,"Segoe UI",Roboto,Oxygen-Sans,Ubuntu,Cantarell,"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif; } .acf-embed-title{ margin: 0 0 15px; font-weight: 600; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.3; } .acf-embed-description { display: inline-block; } .acf-embed-description img { float: left; max-width: 160px; margin-right: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; } .wp-embed-site-title a{ position: relative; display: inline-block; padding-left: 35px; } .wp-embed-site-title span { color: #82878c; text-decoration: none; font-weight: 600; } .wp-embed-site-icon { position: absolute; top: 50%; left: 0; transform: translateY(-50%); height: 25px; width: 25px; border: 0; padding-bottom: 0px!important; } Stay in the Know Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get: Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics Exclusive offers on new tools and resources Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels! Your Host Andrew Koch is the Editor of Family Tree Magazine.

  4. May 1

    Understanding Reclaim the Records – An Interview with Brooke Schreier-Ganz and Alec Ferretti

    In this episode of the Family Tree Magazine Podcast, Brook Schreier-Ganz and Alec Ferretti explain how Reclaim the Records fights for record releases and what that means for genealogists. https://media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/content.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/FTM-05-2026.mp3 Feature: Reclaim the Records and Record Releases Most records of interest to genealogists in the United States are created by government agencies; however, not all government agencies are cooperative about releasing these records. Non-profit organization Reclaim the Records that advocates for these records to be released, sometimes with legal action. Mentioned in this episode: The mission and focus of Reclaim the Records Challenges that arise when accessing public records Record access laws and trends affecting them The issue of privacy when accessing public records Current and upcoming projects at Reclaim the Records How to advocate for open records Websites created by Reclaim the Records, like newyorkdeathindex.com Stay in the Know Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get: Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics Exclusive offers on new tools and resources Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels! Your Host Andrew Koch is the Editor of Family Tree Magazine.

  5. Apr 15

    Understanding ScribeAI – An Interview with Alon Ehrenfeld

    In this interview, MyHeritage’s senior product manager Alon Ehrenfeld gives a behind-the scenes look at how ScribeAI was developed and what it can do for your research. https://media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/content.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/BW-04-15-26.mp3 Best Websites Episode 38: ScribeAI One of the most exciting announcements from RootsTech 2026 was ScribeAI, MyHeritage’s new tool for transcribing and analyzing user-uploaded photos and documents. Mentioned in this episode: An overview of ScribeAI and the details it provides as part of its analysis: a transcription of any text, context about the time and place a document was made or a photo was taken, and the reasoning behind each data point Real-life examples of how ScribeAI suggests areas of further research A step-by-step tutorial by Digital Editor Katharine Andrew How AI tools like ScribeAI and MyHeritage’s PhotoDater are generally trained, and what makes ScribeAI stand out A unique summary of how MyHeritage comes up with new ideas for tools MyHeritage features that are still in development, including some hinted in CEO Gilad Japhet’s latest presentation at RootsTech (watch a recording here) The MyHeritage Blog, where users can about more new and updated website features   Stay in the Know Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get: Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics Exclusive offers on new tools and resources Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels! Your Host Andrew Koch is the Editor of Family Tree Magazine.

4.3
out of 5
104 Ratings

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